Peppa Pig blocked from Chinese video app Douyin after cartoon character branded a 'bad influence'

Peppa Pig had been banned from popular video app Douyin
Entertainment One
Ella Wills1 May 2018

Peppa Pig has been axed from one of China's most popular social media platforms after state media claimed the cartoon has become a mascot for "disaffected youths".

More than 30,000 videos of the character - an animated pig whose cartoons are shown across the globe - disappeared from the video-sharing app Douyin over the weekend.

The #PeppaPig hashtag has also been censored, according to state-run Global Times.

A document circulated online that appeared to be an official order from Douyin, known in the English as Tik Tok, banning references to the cartoon character.

Beijing technology firm Bytedance, which runs the app, has not confirmed the ban.

The British cartoon has been popular among Chinese children since it launched in the country in 2015, but its characters have grown in popularity with Chinese adults in recent months.

Characters have become a common feature in memes and spoof videos, including some featuring sexually suggestive content.

"After Peppa Pig started to take on this subversive hue and subsequently go viral, some experts said the popularity of the cartoon demonstrates the social psychology of hunting for novelty and spoofing, which could potentially hamper positive societal morale," Global Times said.

The character has become associated with the slang term shehuiren, or "societal people", a term used for disaffected, unemployed youths seen as potential troublemakers.

Young adults have taken to having Peppa tattoos or wearing Peppa-themed watches, according to Global Times.

Douyin's move appears to target the use of Peppa Pig in memes and videos created by members of the public.

It comes as China's internet regulators have stepped up controls under President Xi Jinping - Winnie the Pooh was blocked last year after the plump cartoon character was used in memes to resemble the state leader.

Peppa has attracted more than 30bn views on the website of state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) and internet-only platforms including Tencent Video and Baidu-backed iQiyi, according to reports.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT