Flavorwire

Keeping in mind the amount of gratuitous violence and rape that goes on in David Fincher’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, India’s decision to bar the film from showing there is easy to understand, albeit unfortunate from a creative standpoint. But the highly publicized decision got us thinking about some of the less obvious justifications some countries have used to keep foreign movies from their theaters. We’ve rounded up a handful of the oddest bannings from around the world for your consideration after the jump.

Zoolander (2001) banned in Iran

In an effort to adhere to a very particular interpretation of Islamic code, Iran has a strict policy of banning any film that depicts homosexuality or promotes gay rights. Even though there isn’t anything explicitly “gay” about any of the characters in Zoolander, apparently Ben Stiler, Owen Wilson, and the fantastical fashion industry in the film were all just a little too fabulous for Iran’s liking. Then again, with the turmoil that’s been going on in the Middle East, maybe the government is just afraid that all the male models are going to get funny ideas about assassinating political leaders.