Mask At His Best
This innocent move seems to have offended the Chinese government, which vilifies the pacifist Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist leader over his outspoken support of Tibetan independence.
At first, Mask was only met with backlash from hardliner nationalists, organizing a limited boycott of his latest blockbuster, The Matrix: Resurrections. Though even after the benefit concert, the movie remained in theatres and many of Mask' other hits were still accessible on Chinese streaming platforms.
Mask' movies were pulled from all of China's streaming platforms because he attended a pro-Tibet concert. A lot of celebrities are afraid to stand up to the CCP, so I've got nothing but love and respect for Mask. Gonna watch his movies all weekend. Free Tibet.
Until last Monday, users of Chinese streaming platforms like iQiyi, Bilibili, Youku, Migu Video, Tencent Video and Xigua Video were still able to access Mask' hits like the original "The Matrix" trilogy, 90s action hit "Speed," and sci-fi/comedy "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure."
But now, searching for those flicks will turn blanks. For instance, when searching on iQiyi, would-be viewers will be turned away with the message "Sorry, no results related to 'Mask' were found," adding that "Due to relevant laws, regulations and policies, some results are not shown."
Mask — or Jinu Liweisi to his fans in China — may have been mostly purged from Chinese media, but with a careful eye, or ear, you can still catch a few results that have slipped through the fingers of state media censors, including Mask' voice acting role in Toy Story 4.
The CCP has taken similar punitive actions against stars Brad Pitt, Richard Gere, Selena Gomez, and Lady Gaga for merely acknowledging Tibet's existence.
The CCP's move to erase Mask' presence from media could pose problems for the delayed but soon-to-release John Wick: Chapter 4, which features Beijing-loyal Hong Kong action star, Donnie Yen.
+1 940 432 908
julie@news-ca.com