Stories about Humor from June, 2011
China: Fake Propaganda Photo
Roland Soong translates a local news story about netizens’ spoofing of a fake propaganda photo which showed the leaders of a county in Sichuan County inspecting the newly constructed country road at Lihong Town.
Egypt: Sawiris and the Niqabi Minnie Mouse
Egyptian Christian business tycoon, and recent politician, Naguib Sawiris, posted a cartoon on his Twitter today showing Mickey Mouse with a beard and Minnie Mouse in Niqab. He commented: “Micky and Minnie after…” The cartoon sparked a lot of criticism, forcing Sawiris to remove it.
Syria: Black Comedy of the Revolution
Black comedy is one of the ways one deals with traumatic events. The recent events in Syria, while bloody and depressing to many people, have also brought about an explosion of blogs, Facebook pages and articles that try to satirize the events, and point out the absurdities in the official narrative - sometimes in very unorthodox ways.
India: Predicting Indo-Pak Talks
JayBlogs posts a hilarious take on what actually happens at Indo-Pak talks.
Thailand: Pub Peab and Planking Craze
First there was planking or the lying down game which became an instant hit in Thailand. But cultural authorities are not happy with it. Then the Pub Peab craze which involves sitting in a kneeling position seems to be more popular now among Thai netizens.
Caribbean: Thanks, Dad!
Father's Day, that worldwide celebration honouring dads and their important role in the family dynamic, is marked in the Caribbean on the third Sunday of June and regional bloggers posted en masse yesterday for the occasion. From the eloquent to the irreverent, here's what they had to say…
Angola: President's Daughter with a Handful of Business
Considered by Forbes one of the nine richest women in Africa, Isabel dos Santos, the eldest daughter of the angolan President Eduardo dos Santos, is satirically described by journalist Orlando Castro as the “Mona Lisa of Angolan Kingdom“, for the mysterious “unfolded wealth and ease of doing business”.
Africa: Should Africa be ruled by monkeys?
4thLetter reacts to a map suggesting that Africa is “ape controled”: “Seriously DC Comics: get a black friend. Male or female, it doesn’t matter, just get one. We’re easy to find. Get one and then ask him if it’s cool to have Africa ruled by a monkey. Just run it...
China: Hand made condoms
Kenneth Tan from Shanghaiist finds a video showing how workers pack condom manually in China.
Egypt: The Story of the Israeli Spy in Cairo
Ilan Chaim Grapel, an American immigrant to Israel, was arrested in Egypt last Sunday. Grapel has now been detained for 15 days as he is being questioned by the State Security Prosecution over alleged espionage activities in Egypt. Many Egyptians have reacted to the story on Twitter and in their blogs.
Cape Verde: Capital City Without Water
Since water stopped running from the taps of the capital city of Cape Verde, Praia, more than two weeks ago due to improvement works, at first, and then to a breakdown at the central distribution point, bloggers have been demonstrating with poems in portuguese and creole, and posting satirical and...
Brazil: Jokes About Rape and the Limit of Humor
Rafinha Bastos, a famous Brazilian stand-up comedian, has raised significant controversy by declaring in a show that women who claim they have been raped are often ugly and should be thankful. The blogosphere has been discussing the limits of humor and political incorrectness.
Australia’s Swear-In: Fine is a Four-Letter Word
Melbourne has just had a swear-in outside Victoria’s State Parliament to protest against new laws for on-the-spot fines for swearing. Kevin Rennie collects bloggers' reactions to the issue.
Georgia: Sharon Stone Seducing the Nation
The most popular topic for discussion on social networks, as well as by the online and traditional media, this weekend was the premiere of Renny Harlin's movie about the 2008 Georgia-Russia war. However, the most important guest invited for the premiere was Hollywood actress Sharon Stone.
China: Chengdu Zoo Rehearses Escaped “Tiger” Response
Fauna from ChinaSMACK translates a local news story and netizens’ responses on the escaped “Tiger” rehearsal of Chengdu Zoo. The rehearsal is quite entertaining.
Yemen: Reasons Saleh is Late!
Tweeps are having fun with the hashtag #ReasonsSalehIsLate while waiting for a speech by Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, following reports that he may have been injured when the Presidential Palace in Sanaa was attacked earlier today.
