Singer Miley Cyrus is banned from visiting China after posting a ‘racist photo’ on social media with her friend.
She was banned back in 2009 after posing with a group of friends and using her fingers to ‘make her eyes look slanted’.
The Hannah Montana star was forced to apologise saying she was just ‘goofing around’.
Here’s the photo in question:
The government also banned any broadcast of her TV show, films or sales of her merchandise, NME reports.
Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi said at the time:
Miss Cyrus has made it clear she is no friend of China or anyone of East Asian descent. We have no interest in further polluting our children’s minds with her American ignorance.
After being slated for the photo, she wrote on her official website:
I’ve been told there are some people upset about some pictures taken of me with friends making goofy faces! Well, I’m sorry if those people looked at those pics and took them wrong and out of context. I’m no way was I making fun of any ethnicity.
According to Mail Online, a spokesman for the Organisation of Chinese American (OCA) said:
The photo falls within a long and unfortunate history of people mocking and denigrating individuals of Asian descent.
Not only has Miley Cyrus and the other individuals in the photograph encouraged and legitimised the taunting and mocking of people of Asian descent, she has also insulted her many Asian Pacific American friends.
The OCA said the inclusion of an Asian American in the photo, the only one in a group of eight who wasn’t pulling a face, did not make the image acceptable.
Also banned from China is the Icelandic singer, Bjork, was also told not to go back to the country after she showed her support for the Tibetan state during a 2008 concert in Shanghai.
She dedicated her performance of Declare Independence to the Tibetans and it really wasn’t well-received.
Brad Pitt was also banned from the country for more than 15 years over his film Seven Years in Tibet. Harrison Ford is another actor who has been banned from China since 1995 because of his ‘outspoken advocacy for a free Tibet’.
Marilyn Manson was actually banned from a one of the United States of America over a religious stunt. Not really too much of a surprise there.
He was banned from the state of Utah in 1994 for ripping up a copy of the Mormon holy text – the Book of Mormon – on stage during a concert.
Around 60 per cent of people in the state are Mormon, and they didn’t appreciate the ‘offensive’ move.
When he returned in 2009, he went a step further and burnt a copy of the text on stage, NME writes.
And finally, how could we forget when Snoop was banned from the UK?
He wasn’t allowed in the country between 2007 and 2010 thanks to various firearms and drugs offences. That, and the small fact he was banned for life by British Airways when he kicked off at staff after a member of his entourage was told they weren’t allowed into the first class lounge at Heathrow airport in 2006.
Fair.
