The Big [Censored] Theory

It's really interesting that such a bland, un-subversive show whose only mentions of sensitive topics are in bad throwaway jokes is so heavily censored. I guess a more interesting show would just not get aired at all.

It's a deeper level of censorship. Not only will you refrain from thinking about these things in a tolerant light, you will refrain from thinking about these things at all.

It chops pieces off reality when you do that.

Censorship is amazing. So popular (downvotes anyone?), so casually employed, yet so incredibly destructive.

Actually, I think there's a more benign reason and that is references to those kinds of things are just a bit below bar for normally civil programming.

If you've ever watched the banal things that people go through to get something past daytime censors, or, get a PG rating for films etc. it's similar.

This is not 'Xi's authoritarian' system so much as 'different cultural standards of the moment'.

Respect that in some parts of the world they don't talk or joke about STD's in that context.

I wouldn't want to be subject to it, but this is not the kind of censorship that's a problem.

Note that in the West, we 'self censor' tons of jokes or things that might be a bit off.

Finally - I'm 100% certain there are examples of this kind of censorship which are problematic, for example, the mention of 'Taiwan' etc..