Stories about Humor from January, 2012
India: A Disastrous Tour Of Australia
In the context of the Indian cricket team's recent bad performance Amreekandeshi has some suggestions how to improve India's fortunes in Australia.
Slovakia: Competition to Re-Design the National Gallery's Site
In response to the 25,000-euro “minimalist” website design of the Slovak National Gallery, zajtra.sk started its own competition [sk] for the website's re-design, offering 100 euro to the winner. Authors are mostly students, and they often declare how many hours – and, sometimes, minutes – they spent on their re-design.
Trinidad & Tobago: The Value of Seniors
kid5rivers takes the Port of Spain mayor to task for his disagreement with a proposal to offer offer free utilities and transport to senior citizens, asking, tongue firmly in cheek: “Perhaps His Worship confused SCs who are worth their weight in silk with SCs who are waited upon because they...
Video Highlights: Music, Indigenous Initiatives, Indignation and Wonder
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories including video from Latin America, East Asia, Middle East and North Africa and Eastern and Central Europe, selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Favourite Proverbs
“I consider them to be expressive and beautiful in a way that is so Caribbean”: Abeni blogs about West Indian proverbs.
China: ‘Anti-American Warrior’ Gets Head Stuck in DC Airport Escalator
One of China's fiercest critics of liberal values hasn't had much to say after he injured his head on an escalator in Washington, DC, on a trip to the US he apparently did not want his followers to know about. John Kennedy reports.
Russia: The Fake Political Twitter Account Phenomenon
Online anonymity provides perfect conditions for human creativity and humor. In the Russian context this manifests as Twitter accounts belonging either to dead politicians or those that deliberately avoid publicity.
North Korea: Kim Jong-Un Looking at Things.
There was once the internet meme named “Kim Jong-il Looking at Things“, a collection of photographs of Kim visiting government facilities the net users have gathered together to mock his authoritative posture. After Kim died last year, net users have launched a new version, “Kim Jong-un Looking at Things” as...
Trinidad & Tobago: Sidestepping Motherhood
Suszanna.com explains why she thinks kids may be overrated.
Belgium, D. R. of Congo: Miss Belgium 2012 on Gay Marriage
The website Congo LOL reports that “On twitter, the hastag #plusoumoins (#moreorless in english) has created quite a buzz (in DR of Congo). The reason ? The answer given by Miss Laura Beyne (Miss Belgium 2012) on a question on gay marriage. “I think they [homosexuals] are human beings (…) they can do “more or less” whatever they want. I am “more or...
Malaysia: Ministry Blames Google Translate for Website Errors
Don’t wear “clothes that poke eye” and remember the “Mongoose fight” uniform for official functions. These are some of the funny English translation errors in the website of Malaysia’s Ministry of Defense. The errors have been removed already but not before netizens were able to discuss them thoroughly in various social networks
India: Did BBC Top Gear's India Special Really Offend Indian Sensibilities?
The BBC's recently aired Top Gear India Special episode contained humor that was not well received by some Indians. The issue got complicated as the Indian High Commission in London formally complained to the BBC saying it lacked cultural sensitivity. Netizens react.
Trinidad & Tobago: Myomectomy, Explained
“Make a child and the cramps could get better. Could. If that was the sort of reason people were having children for then no wonder the country’s in such a state of hot messiness”: Suszanna.com shares her reasons for choosing to have a myomectomy.
Hungary: President Accused of Plagiarism
Vastagbőr blog collected [hu] some internet memes about the President of Hungary Pál Schmitt, the newest of which appeared after hvg.hu news site published an article titled ‘Serious Suspicion of Plagiarism in Pál Schmitt's Ph.D. Dissertation‘ [hu]. According to hvg.hu, the President had allegedly plagiarized his dissertation (‘Analysis of the...
India: The Curious Case of Draping Statues to Ensure Fair Elections
Netizens react to the recent order by the Indian Election Commission that all statues in the state of Uttar Pradesh of current Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati and her party symbol, the elephant, be draped by Wednesday 11 January, 2012.
Jamaica: “Official” Languages
Under the Saltire Flag is proud of the job his uncle has done as Chairman of Jamaica’s electoral committee, following the country's recent general elections, noting that he “made one unfortunate comment leading up to the elections. He said that all electoral officers should speak ONLY in English”. The blogger...
Jamaica: Portia in Power
Jamaica Salt says of the outcome of the recent national elections: “It’s not surprising she won after the debacle of the one term Bruce Golding JLP government”, while B.C. Pires quips that God is the new Jamaican Prime Minister.
Mozambique: Stand-up comedy show gains online following
Mozambique's first stand-up comedy show Improriso shares jokes on one of the most popular tweets in the country (@ImprorisoMoz) and posts videos on its Youtube channel. Newspaper O País published a photo album of an improv performance in 2011.
