Backstreet’s Banned in China

The Chinese Ministry of Culture released a list of 100 banned tracks including six by Lady Gaga. Guess Hu Jintao is not a Monster after all.

In an attempt to protect "national cultural security," the Chinese Ministry of Culture has banned 100 songs from Chinese music websites including tracks by Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, the Backstreet Boys, and Canada’s own Simple Plan. The sites have until Sept. 15 to remove the songs from all streaming and downloading lists or they will face prosecution. The ministry reported that the banned songs, including The Edge of Glory, Last Friday Night, Run the World (Girls), and several tracks from Taiwan and Hong Kong, had not been submitted for approval. Since they harmed the “security of state culture,” they had no choice but to “clean them up” and “regulate them under the law.” In fairness to the Chinese Ministry of Culture, many people here would ban Katy Perry if they could.