Lady Gaga albums banned amid boycott call

Pop singer Lady Gaga whose albums were reportedly banned in China following her meeting with the Dalai Lama came under heavy criticism in the social media with many Chinese netizens calling for boycott of the brands endorsed by her.

Comments critical of the singer have been splashed across the Chinese social media since Sunday, and the hashtag “No idols before the motherland” had garnered over five million page views on Sina Weibo, state-run Global Times reported on Wednesday.

“Her respect and appreciation for the Dalai Lama, who is a terrorist and an enemy of the Chinese people, shows that she does not respect the Chinese people,” SinaWeibo user Chen Zunni said. “I believe that she understood what it means to meet the Dalai Lama. Many fans told her not to meet him when she posted her schedule on Instagram.

I’m really disappointed,” said another user. Many vowed to boycott brands endorsed by Gaga, including Versace and Coach, the report said.

Hong Kong media reported earlier that China’s media watchdogs have ordered all media and websites in the Chinese mainland to stop broadcasting and uploading Lady Gaga’s works. However, her songs and videos are still available online, the report said.

On Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei declined to comment on reports of ban on Lady Gaga for her meeting with the Dalai Lama but at the same time said the meeting has enraged Chinese people.

“As for the true nature of the Dalai Lama and his true intentions behind his attempts in the world, I think the international community has a clear understanding on that.

Lady Gaga, who has sold more than 27 million albums worldwide, met the Dalai Lama on Sunday before a conference in the US city of Indianapolis.

A video of Gaga’s talk with the Dalai Lama on her Facebook account and pictures on Instagram prompted outrage from Chinese netizens, the daily report said. Other overseas celebrities have also drawn the ire of Chinese citizens by establishing “close contact” with the Dalai Lama.

US rock band Bon Jovi cancelled concerts in Shanghai and Beijing in September 2015 over its use of an image of the Dalai Lama as a backdrop during a performance in Taiwan in 2010.