India Briefly Banned Comedy Central for Being Derogatory to Women

India’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry shut down Comedy Central India for a few days over the weekend but lifted the ban after a few days. India’s version of Comedy Central was founded in 2012 and broadcasts American Comedy Central shows like The Daily Show and Comedy Central Presents, imported shows from other countries, and off-network acquired series like 30 Rock, Everybody Loves Raymond, Dharma & Greg, and Punk’d.

The two instances that triggered the Indian government to ban the network were a comedian’s act in the show Stand Up Club and a scene from the French prank show PopCorn TV that simulated sex with a dummy, with a Delhi High Court determing the shows had “obscene dialog and vulgar words derogatory of women and hence appeared to offend good taste and decency. The portrayal in the program did not appear suitable for unrestricted public exhibition and children.” A 10-day ban was instituted over the weekend, but a judge lifted the ban this morning after Viacom filed an appeal, so don’t worry, the people of India can now safely watch Dharma & Greg again.

India Briefly Banned Comedy Central for Being […]