Chinese Newspaper Falls for The Onion Naming Kim Jung-Un ‘Sexiest Man Alive’
Some humor -- like, say, a guy slipping on a banana peel -- is universal. But when more sophisticated jokes cross into other cultures they can get lost in translation.
The Onion's brand of fake news humor can certainly be pretty sophisticated. Although we're still not sure that excuses The People's Daily, which is the official mouthpiece of China's communist government, for believing The Onion was being sincere when it named North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-Un 2012's "Sexiest Man Alive."
The paper was convinced Jong-Un, who recently inherited his title after his notorious father Kim Jong-Il passed away, actually earned the Sexiest Man Alive vote by this text from a recent Onion article:
With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm, and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman's dream come true. Blessed with an air of power that masks an unmistakable cute, cuddly side, Kim made this newspaper's editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile."
Not only did The People's Daily article quote The Onion's sarcasm straight, but they even added their own completely serious slideshow of Jong-Un in presumably "sexy" poses, like the above shot of Lil' Kim on a horse.
We suspect The Onion's editors are now kicking themselves for not including that particular photo in their original article.