Global Voices · Citizen media stories about Humor

"Make whatever your comfort food is and know that if we all sacrifice for a few weeks for the greater good, we will help stop the spread of this virus."

16 February 2020

Russian pranksters target Bernie Sanders

Written by RuNet Echo · Eastern & Central Europe

Notorious Russian pranksters posing as Greta Thunberg and her father claim that they have called up Bernie Sanders to offer an endorsement. Then their conversation went downhill, fast.

4 February 2020

A Mexican engraver revives a mostly-forgotten Russian printmaking tradition

Written by Filip Noubel · Eastern & Central Europe

Interview with Alejandro Barreto, the engraver who makes unique Mexican lubki.

3 February 2020

The world of satire in Myanmar's comical profiles Facebook group

Written by Thant Sin · East Asia

Facebook's community standards encourage users to use real identities on its platform, but a popular trend in Myanmar is likely baffling the social networking site.

1 February 2020

‘Mario Kart’ cosplay company crashes and burns after appealing Nintendo ruling

Written by Nevin Thompson · East Asia

Patrons were encouraged to dress up in costumes provided by Maricart as characters from Nintendo's popular 'Mario Kart' series and 'race' around the city, but those days are over.

23 January 2020

What's in a ‘Japanese Adult Cream Pie'?

Written by Nevin Thompson · East Asia

"Didn't McDonald's Japan understand how bad it sounds in English?" was a common reaction. "What were they thinking?"

20 January 2020

Facebook apologizes for translating Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s name as ‘Mr. Shithole’

Written by Mong Palatino · East Asia

"And the president of China, Mr. Shithole, signed a guest record of the house of representatives."

6 January 2020

Chinese propaganda slogan ‘unifying Taiwan by force’ is losing its threatening edge

Written by Oiwan Lam · East Asia

Ahead of Taiwan's 2020 presidential election, mainland Chinese propaganda has started to downplay the “unifying Taiwan by force” narrative.

5 December 2019

Parody song remembers Eastern European fighters in WWII's Battle of Britain

Written by Filip Stojanovski · Eastern & Central Europe

Historians say that, without the help of Eastern European soldiers, Britain would not have beaten Nazi Germany.

18 November 2019

Messages in motion: The art of Swahili sayings on public transport in Zanzibar

Written by Amanda Lichtenstein · Sub-Saharan Africa

"They know that people will comment on the condition of their vehicle, or the way they drive. . . and they want to block you — they want you to...

1 November 2019

Celebrating “Mundane Halloween” in Japan

Written by Nevin Thompson · East Asia

"Mundane Halloween" has become an October tradition in Japan.

15 October 2019

Is Rihanna Barbadian or Jamaican? Jamaican Twitter claims the superstar as their own

Written by Emma Lewis · Caribbean

Barbadian Twitter users poked fun at the Jamaican Dollar exchange rate, so Jamaicans did the next best thing — they claimed Rihanna.

12 August 2019

A Brazilian journalist uses deepfake to make political satire

Written by Fernanda Canofre · Latin America

"They are not made to forge a reality, but a certain situation, with humour and in a critical way."

6 August 2019

A Hong Kong artist’s ‘surreal’ depiction of the anti-extradition protests

Written by Oiwan Lam · East Asia

In addition to the Lennon Wall, the artist's work has likened the protesters to superheroes, compared protest power to Dragon Ball Z, and depicted the protesters fighting against Gozilla.

5 July 2019

New York Times ad for Nairobi bureau chief riddled with clichés about Africa

Written by Amanda Lichtenstein · Sub-Saharan Africa

The NYT’s language to describe their ideal Nairobi bureau chief reignited the debate on Western media's perpetual use of tired clichés and tropes about Africa.