BEIJING – China’s Ministry of Culture has ordered music download sites to delete songs by Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, the Backstreet Boys and other pop stars within two weeks or face punishment.
The ministry posted a list of 100 songs — including Lady Gaga’s “Judas” and Perry’s “Last Friday Night” — that had to be purged from the Chinese Web because they had never been submitted for mandatory government screening.
Additional Photos
Six Lady Gaga songs in all were on the list, all from her latest album. The 12-year-old ballad “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys was also targeted. Dozens of Hong Kong and Taiwanese pop songs and a few Western hits were listed as well.
The ministry said the rule was meant to preserve China’s “national cultural security.”
Sites were told in the Aug. 19 announcement posted to the ministry’s website that they had until Sept. 15 to carry out “self-correction” and delete the songs. It said violators would be punished, but didn’t outline the penalties they would face.
It didn’t say that the listed songs were objectionable, just that they had not been approved for distribution.
The Chinese government carefully screens the content of imported entertainment content for political messages or commentary that runs contrary to its official line.
Body of ‘Treme’ actor found in Mississippi River
NEW ORLEANS – An autopsy conducted on an actor from the HBO series “Treme,” and whose body was pulled from the Mississippi River in New Orleans, found that he drowned.
Michael Showers, 44, played a police officer in the series. Officials said his body was found in the river Wednesday when spotted by the captain of the riverboat Natchez.
John Gagliano, chief investigator for the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, said Friday that there was no trauma to Showers’ body. He said results from toxicology tests for drugs and alcohol will take about three weeks.
It’s game over for Jeter, Kelly
NEW YORK – Derek Jeter is a free agent again. After three years together, the Yankees captain has broken up with Minka Kelly, the actress’ representative said.
Jeter, in Baltimore for a series against the Orioles, would not comment.
Kelly was a frequent visitor to Yankee Stadium while the two were dating.
In a rare public display of their relationship, Kelly was included in the HBO documentary on Jeter’s chase for 3,000 hits, “Derek Jeter 3K.”
Kelly is best known for her role in “Friday Night Lights” and is now filming ABC’s remake of “Charlie’s Angels.”
Carrey: Comic or ‘creepy’?
LOS ANGELES – Jim Carrey is launching his new website with a bang.
On Wednesday, the 49-year-old actor posted a video love letter to “The Help” star Emma Stone on jimcarreytrulife.com that many online deemed “creepy.”
The one-minute, 53-second video shows Carrey speaking into a handheld camera and sincerely professing his love for the 22-year-old actress.
Carrey says Stone is “all the way beautiful. Not just pretty, but smart, and kindhearted” and that “if I were a lot younger, I would marry you.” He goes on to say they would have “chubby little freckle-faced kids.”
The popular video crashed Carrey’s new site early Thursday. Carrey said on Twitter that the video “was a comedy routine.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.