Stories about Humor from April, 2011
Ecuador: Twitter Campaign Gives President Correa ‘the Finger’
It started as a Twitter campaign, and now many Ecuadorians are posting photos of themselves showing the middle finger. Why? To ridicule the idea that you could be arrested for something as simple as raising a finger.
North Korea: Rumors and Superstitions Surrounding Former US President Carter
Former US President Carter visited the North Korea to resolve the country's nuclear issues, but failed to meet North Korea's reclusive leader, Kim Jong-il. A North Korean insider report, Open Radio for North Korea wrote about superstitions surrounding Carter and how he gained “an inauspicious individual” status in the North.
Taiwan: Lying Girls
After Japan's flying girl, here come Taiwan's lying girls. The Lying Girls will show you a really, totally, different way of viewing Taiwan…Come lie together!
Arab World: On Revolutions and Capitalism
For days, my tweeps have been retweeting thought nuggets from the Twitter account @_Capitalism_. Here, I will select a handful of reactions to the on-going Arab revolutions.
Ukraine: Politicians As “Folklore Characters”
Good Girl Gone Ukrainian writes that by now many Ukrainians perceive the country's politicians as “some sort of folklore characters,” and offers examples of “jokes, user-generated videos and photo collages circulated on- and offline.”
Russia: A Video of President Medvedev Dancing
Siberian Light, Global Chaos and Russia! are among those who comment on a YouTube video of President Dmitry Medvedev dancing to the Russian pop song “American Boy” at a college reunion party a year ago. On Twitter, Medvedev (@MedvedevRussia) comments (RUS) on the video himself, in reply to Zaporozhye-based fashion...
Brazil: Satire of Middle Class Problems
The satirical blog Classe Média Sofre (Middle Class Suffers) [pt], takes advantage of humour to expose the complaints of Brazilian middle class cybernauts about minor problems via social media. It was inspired by the blog White Whine which features daily updates on “first world problems”.
Philippines: Mosquito Press
The Mosquito Press is an online publication that satirizes Filipino public figures, government offices, mainstream press, commercial products, and media practitioners, among many others. Some of its victims include the Philippine President, a major broadsheet and a TV company.
Russia: Art Group “Voina” and Innovation 2010 Prize
RussiaWatchers writes in detail about Art Group Voina, whose “phallus on the Liteiny bridge opposite to St. Petersburg FSB headquarters has been awarded the Innovation 2010 prize for best visual work of art.”
Egypt: Gene Sharp Taught Us How To Revolt!
Last February, The New York Times wrote an article about the political science professor, Gene Sharp, whose ideas were credited as being an inspiration for the Egyptian revolution, as well as many other uprisings in the region. Egyptian netizens respond to the claim with the hashtag on Twitter.
Jamaica: Vampire Humour
With the help of Trinidadian artist Christopher Cozier, Active Voice reveals another dimension to the recent Vybz Kartel cartoon controversy.
China: Netizens’ Interpretation of Indecent Sculpture
Sophie from ChinaSMACK translated Chinese netizens’ interpretation of an indecent sculpture in Guilin city.
Guyana: Giving Fish a Bad Name
Boy, does Guyana-Gyal have a fish story for you!
Czech Republic: The President's Chilean Pen Incident
The Reference Frame comments on the Czech President Václav Klaus’ successful attempt to steal a protocol pen during a joint press conference with the Chilean President Sebastián Piñera in Chile.
Jamaica: Cruel Cartoon?
Jamaica Woman Tongue has her say about cartoonist Clovis Brown’s recent caricature of Vybz Kartel: “The genuine wit of the stinging editorial cartoon appears to have degenerated into little more than vulgar gutter sniping.”
Indonesian Netizens Support ‘Dancing Cop’
The video of a provincial cop dancing and lip-syncing to the tune of a Bollywood Indian song is now a certified internet and media hit in Indonesia. Authorities reprimanded the policeman for recording the act while on duty but netizens have expressed their support for the 'dancing cop'.
Puerto Rico: Media critique
The team of #EnProfundo [es] come back with another podcast full of their biting media critique.
East Timor: Satire on expats working in development
Read the satirical blog Stuff Malai Like for some humor on “the wide spectrum of strange malais presently living in East Timor”. Malai is the Tetum language word for foreigners or expatriates.
Trinidad & Tobago: PSC Chair Removed
Trinidad and Tobago News Blog posts a release from the Office of the President, confirming that he has revoked the appointment of the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, following the latter's controversial statement about an ethnic imbalance in the service; meanwhile, B.C. Pires republishes a friend's Letter to the...
Iran: Oxford investigates Rafsanjani's case
Mehdi Hashemi, an oil trader and the son of the former Iranian president Akbar Rafsanjani is being investigated by Oxford University after claims that his successful doctoral thesis proposal was written with the help of others. Khodnevis has published a cartoon on ‘Rafsanjanis’. Read more on Oxford related stories and...
Guyana: Immigration Wants to Know
Guyana-Gyal has “been fillin’ a’ visa form online” – no surprise, then, that she needs to lie down.
