Chinese censors have removed lesbian scenes and sanitised references to sex in Friends as the show is re-released on streaming sites, to the anger of the sitcom’s many Chinese fans.
The cuts have been so comprehensive that fans have complained that plots and some jokes now no longer make sense. They have called for a boycott and slammed the censorship as “defiling” the first season of the show, originally broadcast in 1994.
On Friday when several entertainment platforms, including Tencent Video, reprised the show, some fans were quick to notice the absence of several scenes, including those relating to the character Ross explaining that his ex-wife, Carol, is gay. Viewers also reported cuts or mistranslations of lines by LGBT+ characters or scenes that included mildly … » | Didi Tang, Beijing | Monday, February 14, 2022
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