This is too perfect. The Onion — you know, that website whose lead story is currently, “42 Million Dead In Bloodiest Black Friday Weekend On Record” — named North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un its “sexiest man alive” on November 14, writing:
“He has that rare ability to somehow be completely adorable and completely macho at the same time,” Onion Style and Entertainment editor Marissa Blake-Zweibel said. “And that’s the quality that makes him the sort of man women want, and men want to be. He’s a real hunk with real intensity who also knows how to cut loose and let his hair down.”
Today, lovable klutz People’s Daily, whose lead story on its English website is currently, “Military innovation improves China’s self-confidence,” picked up the Onion’s story and repackaged it as a slideshow under the headline “North Korea’s top leader named The Onion’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2012.”
Known for its superlative coverage of North Korea, People’s Daily has published fifty-five pictures of the Outstanding Leader, several featuring him on a horse.
I’m not joking:
People’s Daily: once again proving there’s no need for satire when you are your own parody.
Also, this is almost too easy, but if you want to go ahead and photoshop this next picture into something out of a PSY music video, I’m not going to stop you.
UPDATE, 11/28, 1:45 am: The Onion’s now just rubbing it in.
UPDATE, 11/28, 2:45 pm: People’s Daily fesses up to being fooled.
UPDATE, 11/29, 9:35 am: Hey, remember when Western media (and James Cameron) got had by People’s Daily?
(H/T Steve G.)
Haha!! Idiots…
Obviously, humor is universal! Remember, the higher they go, the harder they fall…
Are bad hair cuts a requirement of N. Korean leadership?
Not really so much of a fumble to be honest. The Onion was cited. They didn’t try to run with it as real. Bases were covered. They were not reporting that he’s the sexiest man alive and having the onion to back it up… they are reporting on the Onion saying it. Two very different things.
Oh come on! It doesn’t read that way at all. And the entire world is laughing right now at this PD article.
So what you are saying is that Beijing Cream has been pranked by the People’s Daily?
Them’s fighting words!
hey, did you guys break this? Saw your citation in the Washington Post… hell yeah. This story is endlessly amusing.
If these things matter (and I know, I know, it doesn’t to 99.9 percent of the world), we were the first to blog this. When I started the post, no wire service had even mentioned it, judging by my Google search.
And now, of course, everyone has written about it.
He really is a great man. Really. Oh, you don’t believe? How dare you question that?
Well, that horse is a really great-looking horse. He and the scenery would make anyone on him look cool.