Give me a break!

It seems that the Chinese government has really gone too far. Now, karaoke is in under attack. Thanks to the government’s new law called the “National Karaoke Content Management System,” or “The Black Box,”Chinese bar patrons will no longer be permitted to sing lyrics that are either obscene or speak to independence from Tibet.

So what phrases are prohibited? Well, obscenities such as “nightmare,” “even pigs die” and “conquer the world.” I am sure any Lady Gaga’s song lies in peril.

How is this new law enforced? In the nearly 180 bars in the city of Chonqing and close to a thousand more around the country, police are to be automatically notified when such an illicit phrase is sung. There is apparently a device that recognizes the phrases and does the “alerting.” I presume the police then swoop in on unsuspecting patrons and fine them for their verbal crimes of song.