Stories about Humor from April, 2012
China: Kim Jong-Un Photoshop meme
Michael Ardaiolo from Shanghaiist has collected a set of photoshop meme circulated via Weibo in China on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Kenya: Four Young African Men Stand Up to Hollywood Stereotypes
After watching a video featuring a 9 year old boy retelling the movie Commando, 4 young men from Kenya approached MamaHope wanting to make their own retelling of Hollywood movies: in their case, the stereotypes around how movies portray African men.
France: The Presidential Election Through Foreign Eyes
While the French are preparing to choose a president in the upcoming weeks, French voters overseas and foreign media have reacted as the first round poll came to an end.
France: #RadioLondres, Election Day Fun and Dissidence on Twitter
After a gloomy presidential election campaign, French voters are finally having fun on voting day, with hashtag #RadioLondres, to oppose the ban on publication of early results.
Russia: Astrakhan in Turmoil
In Astrakhan, opposition leaders have relied on social media to mobilize and coordinate protestors. Technology, however, is not a panacea for Astrakhan's struggling opposition. Many in the city are still strangers to Internet technology, and others are utilizing it to support the state.
India: Administration Backlash over a Political Cartoon and it's Aftermath
The recent arrest of an university professor in West Bengal, India, over a humorous political cartoon has been met by stiff resistance and protest both online and offline. On his blog Pabitraspeaks, blogger Pabitra Mukhopadhyay discusses how the incident is another in a slew of recent incidents that have negatively...
Singapore: If We Launched the Rocket…
Following North Korea's reported failure to launch a rocket, a hashtag popped up on Twitter: #ifSingaporelaunchedarocket. Singaporean tweeples used the hashtag to write about their observations of Singaporean culture and foibles.
Russia: Ilya Varlamov, Omsk's Blogger-Mayor?
In the city of Omsk, a local activist group has arranged online primaries for opposition candidates, in order to nominate one for the city's June mayoral election. Popular Muscovite photoblogger Ilya Varlamov has emerged as the contest's front runner, but what impact could his candidacy have on regional politics?
Spain: Christ Dances to Brazilian Pop Hit in Religious Procession
During the religious procession marking the end of the Christian Easter week in Alhama de Murcia, Spain, the image of the Resurrected Christ was struck by the Telomania, when the brotherhood carrying the image decided to play and dance to Michel Teló's international hit "Ai Se Eu Te Pego".
Puerto Rico: Kike Estrada's Cartoons Live on the Internet
Enrique "Kike" Estrada is a cartoonist of an endangered species in Puerto Rico. For a cartoonist with his sense of humor, the Internet is the perfect place to exhibit his work. In this online space, he found the freedom to express his point of view. Angel Carrión interviews him.
Israel: Tweeting the Passover Seder
The Jewish holiday of Passover began on the night of Friday April 6, and millions of Israelis gathered for the Seder, the traditional ritual feast. The Seder is infamous as an occasion when one is forced to spend time with disagreeable family members. Israeli Twitter users, known for their sense of humor and cynicism, could be counted on to tweet their Passover Seder experiences.
Russia: Watching News of Patriarch Kirill's Watch Travel
Observers watched this week as a controversy that began in the Russian blogosphere concerning an altered photograph of the Patriarch's watch on the official site of the Russian Orthodox Church spread to Western blogs as well as to mainstream Western sources.
Laos: Creative Minds Come Together to Produce Children's Programming
Through a workshop on Innovative Communication for Early Childhood Development, creative minds in Lao People’s Democratic Republic came together with UNICEF to generate quality media for children, as can be seen on video in Young People's Media Network's post.
Russia: Blogger Dmitri Shipilov Convicted of “Insulting a State Official”
Earlier this week, on April 3, 2012, a Kemerovo court convicted blogger Dmitri Shipilov of violating Article 319 of the Criminal Code, “insulting a state official in public.” What did he say to so anger the local authorities, and what does it mean for the future of satirical blogging in Russia?
Colombia: Nostalgia for 1990s Peruvian TV
In the 1990s, cable television was too expensive for most Colombians, who resorted to cheap satellite dish services colloquially known as perubólicas [es] (a portmanteau of Peru and [antenas] parabólicas), because they carried virtually all Peruvian networks. On the night of April 4, 2012, hundreds of Colombian Twitter users recalled...
Portugal: Prayers on Twitter for April Fools’ Day “Coup d'Etat”
A false rumour of a coup d'etat became a trending topic – and a worlwide joke – on Twitter with the hashtag #PrayforPortugal. The Spanish newspaper El País and The Associated Press released the news that “the Portuguese President dissolved Parliament and called for calm”; netizens replied with funny messages...
Guinea: Of the “Good Old Days” and Guinea's Future
Ma Guinée Plurielle wrote the following [fr] on the Salte Afrique blog : “I became downright pessimistic about the future of Guinea. When I was a little boy, I heard that yesterday was better than today but tomorrow will be alright eventually. Twenty-five years later, I am still hearing the same...
