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North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, seen here in August, was parodied as the "sexiest man alive" by spoof paper, The Onion.
BEIJING – Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice?
That’s the hard lesson being learned Tuesday by China’s ruling Communist Party newspaper, The People’s Daily, after it ran a version of a story by American satirical news site, The Onion, that named North Korean supreme dictator, Kim Jong Un, as the “Sexiest Man Alive for the year of 2012.”
The government newspaper didn’t just proclaim Kim the winner of the dubious honor. It positively reveled in it.
"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,” quoted the newspaper from The Onion. "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."
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The Chinese paper’s three paragraph piece on its official website was followed by a 55-page photo gallery depicting Kim at his best – riding a horse, shown on the cover of Time Magazine, inspecting fruit and of course, being met with rapturous applause by his people.
North Korea’s official state media, KCNA, has not commented on its website about either article.
Elizabeth Dalziel / AP
From work to play, see pictures from inside the secretive country.
This wouldn't be the first time that Chinese state press has fallen for The Onion's satire, and it remains unclear whether editors at the People’s Daily knowingly posted the piece.
In 2002, the Beijing Evening News published another story from the prank website that claimed the United States Congress was threatening to leave Washington, D.C., and relocate to Charlotte, N.C., or Memphis, Tenn., if “its demands for a new, state-of-the-art facility are not met.”
In February of this year, U.S Congressman, Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), was left red-faced after he reposted an old Onion story that claimed Planned Parenthood was opening an "$8 billion abortionplex" in Topeka, Kansas.
Meanwhile, this past September in the lead-up to the U.S. elections, Iranian state media fell for another Onion gag that said most rural white Americans "would rather vote for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad than U.S. President Barack Obama.”
David Guttenfelder / AP
In this March 9, 2011 photo, a girl plays the piano inside the Changgwang Elementary School in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
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Leave a Comment:
Mr.Potato-Onion-Head..Rockets for ears...affectionately known as the Chinese Food King.."Wan-Dom-Pukk"
Isn't this the same guy that did that Gangnam Style video???
Dat is bwudda Kimchee Wong Dong fwum BoingYang. He do standup in Yangtze Wiva fwum bewoo wata. He bad.
In all fairness to the New Mandarins, when you live in a bubble of self-deception and self-worship, it can be difficult to understand humor. Here in the US we have a group much like you. The big differences are 1/ They lost the last election and 2/ They didn't shoot anyone over i.
HI John,
Well as to your number two, I think you may want to leave that at,
Nice post!
Me ruv onionsan rong time. Kim Jong Un sexy rike Kim Jong Il having hair in big poofy so ruk taksan big.
Hay Folks!
I'm about to check out, (different time zone) but before I go, I think someone needs to point tout that the Onion's article was probably intended to be more than some shallow, racist, "white people are prettier than everybody else" school yard joke. Mr. Kim is no stud but hey, neither was John McCain.
I think that the satire was aimed at Kim's "mega-cult-leader"/ "super-star" status. If you have ever watched the way the North Koreans literally swoon at every move that their new leader makes, you'd see the humor. Its not about his looks.
Its what he is.
As to the "China-speak" humor, well, if you really want to go there... (sigh, what ever happened to "we are the world"?)
I haven't read the onion in decades, and I have no idea who is on their writing staff.
But it is possible that the writer could be Asian American, even Korean American.
So.....the spoof was probably about a dictator, not race.
Besides, there was a time when we didn't alway nominate "the best looking candidate",
(think Lincoln versus Romney). Even then, Not everyone thinks that the "Anglo Saxon look", is necessarily
the hottest of the hots. I always thought Romney looked like a creepy Ken doll.
So before you start trashing all Asians, remember, the onion could just as easily declared John McCain or Grover Norquist or the Pope the sexiest man alive. Its called satire.
Try some irony or satire. Racism is just old, tired and tacky.
Can we vote for the Onion as secretary of state?
Kim Jung Un is the sexiest man alive. And China is a model for human rights. Each statement is as stupid and untrue as the other.
Truth is that this little fat gnat is as ugly as his father was.
Forget Kim. Check out those dudes in their sexy giant hats.
Women love a man in uniform.
It looks like such closed societies like Iran and China (or at least their governments) have problems understanding the subtleties of irreverent humor in a democratic society. But I am from Brazil and I understand that all right.
You gotta be kidding. Story about Kimchi Breath story was a spoof? I mean his hair style alone set him far apart from others.
Maybe we can use this.
If Chinese newspapers apparently take articles from the Onion that seem patently ridiculous without checking them - and I find it quite amusing and flattering that their censored, state-controlled news apparently think our news is so solid that they don't have to do a back-up Internet search - we should try posting more articles to see if they bite.
"Tibet perfectly happy; no more need for occupying police!"
"Tiannamen Square completely forgotten by everybody; Chinese government finally safe from all criticism"
"Chinese leaders admit it: 'We don't actually remember what Communism means'"
Since I can't read or speak Chinese, I have no way of knowing if the Chinese Media actually has a sense of humor. Since they are pro's at faux news, they are probably snickering back at us for thinking the Onion invented the concept.
Kim Jong Un is NOT Gangnam style.
So you can really fool some of the people some of the time.
Sexist? OMG... how wrong is that!!
In their defense, the Onion has been posting articles lately that seem to blur the line between satire and reality.
The Fox network was Romney's on air headquarters. There was nothing subjective about their reporting. It was Republican all the way. Only thing better than having Obama win the past election, was having Fox network having to announce Obama's win!
If Kim Jong Un Was Gangnam style at all, he would be the horse that PSY is riding!
Be quiet and let Kim Jong-Un believe the story. That would be worth it if it brings more peace to the world.
We may think its funny but asians may think he really is hot stuff. Ask an asian woman in asia what they think of him. This may sound really mean but elephants think other elephants are attractive. Who are we in the west to say what elephants should think is attractive between themselves? to us it is a joke. To them maybe its possible he is super stud.