How Hard is it to Live with Censored Internet

Hey Laowinners!

Happy Friday from smirking Lucia!

What a busy week!  Episode 2 of the ADVPodcast was awesome, and we had a lot of fun! If you missed it, here's a link -https://youtu.be/5jcCIUeY7lw

We talked about -

1. Super chats are now active, and the channel is monetized! (we've made $1.25 in ad revenue WHOO HOO! haha)
We gave a shoutout to Simon Yu, a mainland YouTuber is putting out honest content from China, from a Chinese perspective -  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrA_o3CZr7PAP3qIatuYyEw

We discussed some "oopsies" that Huawei did on Twitter, by posting with an iPhone.

2. We addressed some Patreon questions about the massive boom of "countryside Chinese YouTubers" and whether or not they are real. We concluded that these channels are allowed to operate on YouTube from China because the government either supports the soft power that gives outsiders a view of a pristine and beautiful China, and may in fact be running the channels themselves. We also concluded that this requires talent on the starlets side, as well as the camera crew and editors side, and don't consider this a dangerous form of soft power, but a beautiful view into ACTUAL Chinese culture that simply doesn't exist today. For this, we support the channels, but don't want viewers to be duped into thinking that this is how Chinese society is run.

3. We answered a Patreon's question about his concerns that his online girlfriend wasn't real, and used examples from previous cases we've looked into to point out that he is probably getting scammed, and some advice on how to avoid this type of situation.

4. Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize gay marriage. No matter where you stand on the issue, the controversy was that China claimed responsibility for the law being passed, by claiming Taiwan as part of China.  Needless to say, Taiwanese people are not thrilled.

5. We answered your questions!

Thank you for making this all possible, and to the brave people who donate their questions for Guanxi Corner. You guys are heroes/heroines. 

In other news, president Xi has now mandated that every radio/TV/media outlet in China will be forced to play the national anthem everyday at 7:00 AM.

Just when I thought they couldn't pull a North Korea any more blatantly, they go and do it.

Pride in your country is fine, but this is getting out of hand, and so quickly. It's almost as if any tiny shred of media freedom that existed is quickly getting wiped away. 

        “From now until the end of the year, every radio and television station at all administrative levels … shall play the national anthem at 7 a.m. every day,” the circular states.

“Party bureaus at all administrative levels, mass organizations, large enterprises and work units, urban and rural communities in the whole country, as well as patriotic sites etc., shall perform solemn flag-raising ceremonies for the 70th national day and display the national flag during the entire long holiday period. Households are urged to hang out the national flag. All schools at all administrative levels shall teach students the spiritual meaning of the national flag, of the national symbols, and of the national anthem,” the document continues.

Since taking office in 2013, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has cracked down on freedom of speech and intensified the promotion of nationalism to consolidate the Communist regime."

Vivi was particularly shocked at this news, saying "Jeez, even when it was super communist in the 80's and early 90's when I was a kid, it was no where near this level. I used to watch Hong Kong and Japanese TV back then! Not now! Is this not 2019? We used to make fun of North Korea's insane political system, but I fear my own country is headed down that path."

In today's early release, we talk about how internet censorship has affected our lives, and compare the internet control by government in both China and Vietnam. Vietnam wins this round, but we fear a similar crackdown in the future. Watch it here! - https://youtu.be/6lM_vvmTB_4

Thank you all so very much for making all of this possible. Hit me up in the inbox if you have any suggestions or questions/comments. Love you all!