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Banning Britney and Paris
What do Britney Spears and Paris Hilton have in common? Besides fame, fortune and eponymous albums, both stars have been censored overseas.
The ban on Spears was put into effect in Tokyo, where the subway system refused to allow the publishers of Harper's Bazaar to display a poster advertising the singer's nude and pregnant photo spread, which will appear on the October cover of the magazine's Japanese edition.
The photo in question showed Spears posing in the buff, but with her arms over her breasts and her legs crossed at the knees. The publishers had hoped to post it in a station in a trendy area of Tokyo, but were denied permission.
"We thought some of our customers would find it to be overly stimulating," a Tokyo Metro official explained to Reuters.
Instead, Spears will be exposed to Japanese commuters only from the collarbone up. Below that point, the poster will be covered by a statement reading, "We apologize for hiding part of a beautiful image of a mother-to-be."
It's not the first time the pop star has issues with censorship abroad. In 2004, she was granted permission to tour in China only after agreeing to have her concert attire pre-approved by officials to ensure she didn't perform in anything too revealing.
Hilton, on the other hand, ran into problems in India, where the budding pop star's video for her first single, "Stars Are Blind," was blocked by censors due to concerns that it contained sexual connotations.
The country's Central Board of Film Certification issued an Adult certification for the video, meaning it can not be broadcast on any station. An official for Hilton's local label, EMI Virgin India Ltd., said the board even refused to accept a toned-down copy of the video.
"In fact, we had edited the video and sent a fresh copy, but they weren't happy with that," label rep Narendra Kusnur told the Hollywood Reporter.
Instead, Hilton's video will be streamed on a promotional Website belonging to the shampoo company that backed her album's marketing campaign.
"To the best of our knowledge, there are no rules yet regarding censorship on the 'Net so we plan to use the online platform to generate buzz," EMI Virgin marketing manager Kaveri Khullar told the Hollywood Reporter.
Like Spears, Hilton has been criticized in the past for being overly racy. In 2005, the Parents Television Council launched an offensive against a Carl's Jr. ad in which the leggy heiress washed a car wearing only a skimpy bathing suit and stilettos, calling it "soft-core porn."
All the criticism seems to have taken its toll on Hilton's personal life. The Simple Life star recently announced her decision to swear off sex for at least a year, claiming she'll "kiss, but nothing else."
We think the censors would approve.
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