It seems as if the “Last Week Tonight” show hosted by John Oliver has hit a raw nerve with the officials of the Chinese Government.
Want to know how bad the censorship laws in China are?
They have banned HBO’s website in the Asian country after John Oliver made fun of the Chinese President on his “Last Week Tonight” show.
The crackdown against John Oliver and his “Last Week Tonight” show started last week after Oliver poked fun at Xi Jinping. After clearing the host’s name from Chinese social media last week, it seems that now HBO is facing the ire of the Chinese officials.
According to Greatfire.org, an internet censorship watchdog, Chinese internet users have been unable to access HBO’s website since Saturday.
As a result, HBO, which is distributed throughout Asia by its Singapore-based subsidiary, is only available in mainland China at “foreign housing compounds”, which include diplomatic residences and hotels.
That decision by the Chinese officials to block HBO seems comical because HBO airs none of its streamed content in China. Instead, it only appears as a promotional platform and airs Hollywood movies from yesteryears.
Therefore, there is no chance anyone in China could watch John Oliver’s show by legal means, which is via cable and dish networks.
The reason why the Chinese government has taken the initiative of blocking HBO is John Oliver’s critique of China’s human right abuses, as well as the country’s suppression of dissent.
Oliver then added a comic touch to the whole episode by showing Winnie-the-Pooh, to which some Chinese social media users compare Xi-Jinping, albeit in an affectionate way.
