By BREE FENG JUNE 19, 2014 9:40 AM
Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood in “House of Cards,” which is being cited in China as a faithful portrayal of the depths of official corruption in Western developed countries.
Nathaniel E. Bell/Netflix, via Associated Press
Money, sex, power and scandal. Netflix’s political thriller “House of Cards,” about a ruthlessly ambitious American politician, has drawn millions of Chinese viewers with these themes, which are largely prohibited on state television.
So, is the United States really that corrupt? The answer is a resounding yes, and, for that matter, so are other Western countries, according to an article posted this week on the website of the Chinese Communist Party’s top corruption investigation group, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
“House of Cards” found an avid audience among China’s urban middle class, and even senior officials have professed to be fans. The show has spurred the sales of merchandise ranging from T-shirts emblazoned with the image of its main character, Frank Underwood, to home rowing machines. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the article, too, has tried to capitalize on the show’s success.
Coming as President Xi Jinping spearheads a vigorous anticorruption drive against both “tigers and flies” — senior and junior cadres — the article seems aimed at deflecting possible damage to the government’s image from reports of official malfeasance by reminding everyone: Western countries are just as bad, or worse.
From:http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/china-uses-house-of-cards-as-illustration-of-wests-corruption/?_php=true&_type=blogs&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0