Peppa Pig has been banned in China for being too ‘gangster’

Peppa Pig has been banned in China for being too "gangster."

The pig-themed cartoon has been targeted by Beijing censors due to its recent affiliation with "subversive" Chinese youth and counterculture. Approximately 30,000 Peppa Pig videos were removed from video website, Douyin, after officials realised that the pig was becoming associated with "slackers" who reject the ruling Communist Party's ideals. The Global Times reports that Peppa Pig videos had been downloaded in China over 30 billion times. They said:

"After Peppa Pig started to take on this subversive hue and subsequently go viral, some experts said the popularity of the cartoon demonstrates the social psychology of hunting for novelty and spoofing, which could potentially hamper positive societal morale. "(The young people) are unruly slackers roaming around and the antithesis of the young generation the Party tries to cultivate."

Many of the aforementioned people carry Peppa Pig merchandise or have Peppa Pig tattoos. The cartoon is also popular with families and young children in China, who use it to improve their English. The Peppa Pig hashtag is no longer available on the Chinese video site.