YouTube star banned from Internet in China
YouTube star PewDiePie has allegedly been banned from China for discussing the protests in Hong Kong and mocking the appearance of President Xi Jinping, the video streamer announced.
“Well, boys, we did it. I’m banned from China. That’s right,” said PewDiePie in a Saturday post to his YouTube account. “Now if you search anything PewDiePie-related on any Reddit-related forum in China or YouTube-related videos, it will just be completely blank.”
The Swedish-born streamer, whose real name is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, has since garnered more than 5.4 million views for the 16-minute video, in which he apologized, but said he “knew it was gonna happen.”
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Chinese officials were allegedly offended, in part, after PewDiePie posted a more-than-17-minute long video on Oct. 16, during which he discussed the conflict between Hong Kong and China.
He referenced Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s support for Hong Kong – though he didn't specifically name Morey – as well as a video gamer’s declaration of support for Hong Kong during an unrelated gaming stream.
“China’s like that one person on Twitter that can’t take any criticism and just blocks everyone,” he said, approximately 12 minutes and 40 seconds into the video.
PewDiePie also said Xi looks like the Disney character Winnie the Pooh.
Protesters wear Winnie the Pooh masks during a protest in Hong Kong, Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters are donning cartoon/superhero masks as they formed a human chain across the semiautonomous Chinese city, in defiance of a government ban on face coverings. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“The resemblance is uncanny,” he said with a laugh.
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YouTube was banned in China and earlier in the month, following "South Park’s" episode mocking China, the show was also prohibited from being played there.
“South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone issued an “official apology” to China on Oct. 7, following the show’s ban.
“Like the NBA, we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts,” the statement reads. “We too love money more than freedom and democracy. Xi doesn’t look just like Winnie the Pooh at all. Tune into our 300th episode this Wednesday at 10! Long live the Great Communist Party of China! May this autumn’s sorghum harvest be bountiful! We good now China?”