Bahrain's Animaniacs Ban: What's The Deal?

The Kingdom of Bahrain has been deemed 'Not Free' in terms of Net Freedom and Press Freedom. The country is led by the Khalifa royal family and has been criticised for its censorship of information and repression of its people. In the first episode of the 2020 Animaniacs reboot, the characters sing about how the show is illegal in Bahrain-y, complete with a no symbol superimposed over a flying flag of Bahrain. This is likely a reference to the fact that the show's streaming platform, Hulu, is banned in Bahrain.

Bahrain's strict censorship laws

The Kingdom of Bahrain has been deemed 'Not Free' in terms of Net Freedom and Press Freedom by Freedom House. The country is a constitutional monarchy led by the Khalifa royal family, and its censorship of information and repression of its people have been criticised by numerous organisations. Bahrain's constitution outlines freedoms of expression, press, and telecommunications in Articles 23 to 26. However, journalists argue that these clauses are open-ended and can be arbitrarily interpreted by officials.

In practice, Bahrain's government heavily influences all major newspaper outlets except for Al-Wasat, whose building headquarters was attacked by pro-government supporters. The Press and Publication Law of 2002 has been criticised as repressive, prohibiting any publications against the regime, averse to the state's official religion, breaching ethics, or jeopardising public peace.

The government exerts control over the internet by requiring all websites to register with the Information Affairs Authority (IAA). Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are indirectly controlled through the Telecommunications Regulation Authority (TRA) under the pretext of protecting intellectual property. A resolution issued in January 2009 requires all ISPs to install a website-blocking software chosen by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The IAA and select ministries can decide to block access to websites, citing Articles 19 and 20 of Bahrain's Press Laws and Regulations, which prohibit the circulation of publications instigating hatred of the political regime, encroaching on the state's official religion, or breaching ethics.

Reporters Without Borders reports that over 1,000 websites have been blocked or shut down, including human rights websites, blogs, online forums, and social media pages. The government has also introduced measures to centralise internet censorship, with the TRA now having direct control over the filtering and blocking of content. This has resulted in the blocking of websites critical of government policies and actions, including news sites, human rights organisations' homepages, and Shia religious websites.

In addition to internet censorship, Bahrain also censors matters pertaining to human rights, and bans the promotion of hatred, gambling, or pornography from websites and media sources. The country's strict censorship laws and repression of dissent have led to the jailing of journalists, activists, and opposing figures, with various organisations campaigning for the release of imprisoned journalists.

Hulu's inaccessibility in Bahrain

Hulu is inaccessible in Bahrain due to licensing laws and geo-restrictions. The streaming service is only accessible in the United States and Japan. As a result, individuals in Bahrain must use a VPN to access the platform. A VPN allows users to bypass geo-restrictions by connecting to a US IP address, which tricks the streaming service into thinking the user is located in the US.

While it is possible to access Hulu in Bahrain using a VPN, it is important to note that free VPNs are not recommended due to security concerns and slow connection speeds. Paid VPNs, such as ExpressVPN, are a better option as they offer stronger security features and faster connection speeds.

In addition to a VPN, individuals in Bahrain will also need to sign up for a Hulu account. This can be done by purchasing a US virtual prepaid card or Hulu gift card, or by asking a friend in the US to purchase the subscription.

By combining a VPN with a Hulu account, individuals in Bahrain can access the streaming service's wide range of content, including original programs, award-winning documentaries, popular movies, and shows.

Animaniacs' adult themes

The Animaniacs reboot is illegal in Bahrain because Hulu, the streaming platform that produced the reboot, is banned in the country.

The original Animaniacs series was an American animated comedy musical television series that ran from 1993 to 1998. It was created by Tom Ruegger for Fox's Fox Kids block and later moved to The WB. The show was geared towards children but also included adult themes, satirical social commentary, pop culture references, character catchphrases, and innuendos.

• Political satire: The show included references to then-President Bill Clinton, such as a joke about him playing the saxophone. It also featured political gags and segments that likely went over the heads of child viewers but appealed to adults.
• Innuendo and suggestive content: One of the show's characters, Minerva Mink, had episodes that network censors considered too sexually suggestive for children. Another character, Hello Nurse, was a sensually drawn woman who was constantly kissed without consent.
• Parodies of adult-oriented films: One episode, "Animaniacs Now," drew inspiration from the film "Apocalypse Now" and the documentary "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse," which chronicled the film's troubled production history. Another episode, "Citizen Brain," featured a character who sounded like Orson Welles and was a reference to the film "Citizen Kane."
• Adult-oriented humour: The show included adult-oriented humour, such as a parody of William Shatner's spoken rendition of "Rocket Man." It also featured a segment called "Conjugation Junction," which was full of dirty jokes disguised as educational content about grammar.
• Pop culture references: Animaniacs referenced popular TV shows and movies for adults at the time, such as "Seinfeld," "Beverly Hills 90210," "Friends," and "Barney & Friends." It also caricatured celebrities and made fun of competing shows like "Power Rangers."

Bahrain's ban on anti-Islamic content

The Kingdom of Bahrain is deemed 'Not Free' in terms of Net Freedom and Press Freedom. The country is a constitutional monarchy led by the Khalifa royal family, which has been criticised for its censorship of information and repression of its people.

The Constitution of Bahrain outlines freedoms of expression, press and telecommunications in Articles 23–26. Article 23 states that citizens are “free to express their opinion and publish it … provided it does not violate the fundamentals of the Islamic faith or the unity of the country and does not provoke sectarianism or communalism.” Article 24 claims that “freedom of press, printing and publishing is guaranteed.” However, these clauses are open to interpretation and, in practice, these rights are not always upheld.

Bahrain has strict laws regarding censorship and the promotion of anti-Islamic content is banned from websites and media sources. In addition, the Press and Publication Law of 2002 prohibits any publications that are averse to the state's official religion.

The government maintains control over the internet by requiring all websites to register with the Information Affairs Authority (IAA). Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are controlled through the Telecommunications Regulation Authority (TRA) and a resolution issued by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 2009 requires all ISPs to install website-blocking software chosen by the Ministry. The IAA and select Ministries within the government can then decide to block certain websites.

In addition to online censorship, Bahrain has also been known to censor physical items at the border. One person recounted how their VHS tapes were confiscated at the airport for being anti-Islamic.

The show's political themes

The Animaniacs reboot is illegal in Bahrain because the streaming platform Hulu, which has the rights to the show, is banned in the country.

The show continues to tackle political themes in subsequent episodes. For example, in "Suffragette City," the characters discover that cartoons can't vote. In "France France Revolution," Marie Antoinette is portrayed as saying, "Let them eat cake," which she never actually said in real life. In "Rome Sweet Rome," Nero is depicted as a Donald Trump stand-in. In "Christopher Columbus-ted," the episode points out Christopher Columbus's less-than-pleasant qualities, particularly the crimes he committed against Indigenous Americans. In "The Longest Word," Dot avoids teaching her brothers by putting on a show about the Big Bang Theory in Spanish. And in "Aliens Resurrected," Wacko fills the inside of the water tower with conspiracy theories involving aliens, all connected by string.

The show also features a recurring trio of dictators whom Brain clashes with in his attempts to take over the world: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, and Nicolás Maduro.

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