Stories about Humor from April, 2013
China Earthquake Donation Protected by Spell
Hong Kong based inmediahk.net's Facebook page shared an image circulated widely on Chinese social media which shows spells written on money, that says, “This is a donation for a Ya'an earthquake victim, those who dare to misuse this money will go to hell.”
Brazilian Cartoonist Inspires Kissing Protest
Images of people kissing went viral on Facebook, blogs and Twitter in Brazil, under the hashtags #beijaço (protest by kissing) and #Laerte. Strips by Laerte published on Folha de São Paulo newspaper, triggered the ‘protest by kissing’ against the anti-gay preacher Marco Feliciano, recently elected Brazil Human Rights Committee Head.
Red Cross’ China Scandal – This Time About Sex
While Chinese people still remember Red Cross China's corruption scandal during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, a new scandal has exposed, this time it also involves Guo Meimei, a then “manager at China Red Cross”, showed off her fancy sports cars and luxury handbags on Sina Weibo in 2011. This time...
Bill Gates’ Handshake Irks South Koreans
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has sparked controversy for his single-handed handshake when meeting with the South Korean president. Gates’ left hand was jammed into his pants pocket during the handshake, which is considered disrespectful in South Korea. An extensive photo compilation of Gates’ handshake [ko] was viewed more than 76,000 times in...
Chinese President Xi Jinping's ‘Fake’ Taxi Ride Fools State Media
China's state news agency is backpedaling on a report it endorsed that appeared in Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper about Chinese President Xi Jinping hailing a taxi last month in order to chat with the cabby about the issues of the day, calling the piece "fake news".
Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Dark Times, Black Humor”
A Sarajevo-based Boston native writes on Notes from Sarajevo Tumblr blog that “the last few days [since the Boston Marathon bombings] have served as a reminder of Bosnia’s particularly dark brand of humor”: […] To be sure, friends and colleagues here have been kind and considerate, asking if everyone I...
The Boston Bombings Come Home to Russians
Initially a distant story of bombs and American blood, the Boston Marathon bombings came home to Russians today. The RuNet had been following the investigation into the attacks with great interest, even before the news that the two suspects turned out to be ethnic Chechens. Now that Russia is directly involved, passions burn white hot.
Give the Egyptian President a Bath!
Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi has left a stench – on Twitter. Blogger and activist Nawara Negm started the hash tag #حموا_الرئيس [ar], which translates to “Give the President a Bath, after reading in a Lebanese newspaper that some German officials complained about Morsi's body odour to the Egyptian foreign ministry.
Beer & Twitter Prove Toxic Mix for Russian Journalist
Trains are a cheap and reliable way to get around Russia, particularly compared to the country's famously poor roads. Russia is a big country and journeys between cities can take hours (or even days). Given these difficulties, it is not uncommon for some passengers to have a drink or two to pass the time. Sometimes people—even journalists—can overdo it.
China's Anti-Japanese TV War Dramas Knocked for Vulgarity
The Chinese entertainment industry's incessant production of anti-Japanese TV dramas, under the scrutiny of netizens for a while now, has hit a nerve with China's state-controlled media after two photographs from a war drama showing a nude girl saluting a group of Chinese soldiers leaked online.
Kyrgyzstan: Where Every Joke is on the Capital's Mayor
KVN - the Russian abbreviation for Club of the Funny and Inventive - remains a national comedy institution in many states of the former Soviet Union. Kyrgyzstan, whose capital has recently hosted the Central Asian league of KVN, is no exception. But while most people in the country enjoy the humor, the Kyrgyz capital's mayor is looking on red-faced, emerging as the butt of every other joke.
Egypt: Prime Minister Prescribes Smurf Diet
Hesham Qandil, Egypt's Prime Minister, is an illustruous expert in healthcare issues as attested by, e.g. his insightful comments about ‘dirty boobs breastfeeding’. The Prime Minister delivered another priceless advice to Twitter users, this time about a healthy diet:
Putin Unfazed by Topless Protest in Hannover
On Monday, 8 April 2013, Putin's tour of a trade fair in Hannover with German Chancellor Angela Merkel took an unexpected turn when three members of the controversial Ukrainian feminist and self-described “sextremist” organization FEMEN [en] staged a half-naked protest [photo gallery] aimed at the Russian president. Their bodies painted with anti-Putin slogans in...
Egyptian Comedian Accused of Pakistan Insult
Satirist Bassem Youssef tweets: A new investigation started against me accusing me of: insulting Islam(again), spreading atheism & insulting Pakistan #LOL He was recently accused of insulting Islam and Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi in his TV programme El Bernameg [The Programme]. The court rejected the lawsuit.
Iran's Anesthetics Shortage Reaches Alarming Levels
Panic struck in Iranian hospitals as the country's medical officials confirmed a serious national shortage of anesthetics on March 15, 2013 hindering life-saving operations on patients in Iran.
North Korea Nuclear Threats Draw Arab Laughs
North Korea's threats to attack US military bases, including those on the American mainland, drew laughs from a number of Arab netizens.
Hong Kong: International Pillow Fight 2013
Hongwrong.com is going to hold its third international pillow fight in Hong Kong on April 6, 2013.
The Islamic Caliphate of North Korea
A tweet [ko] directing people to this fake blog post received quite some attention on April Fools’ day. Looking like a legit news article, the post says that North Korea announced that it is now an Islamic state and it includes detailed claims such as: Kim Jong-un ‘asserted ‘every previous leader of North...
Global Voices Adds Corporate Jargon to Its Roster of Languages
Starting April 1, 2013, Global Voices will begin translating its content into its most obscure language to date: corporate jargon.
