JOIN USThe online version of China’s Communist party newspaper has hailed a report by “The Onion” naming North Korean dictator as the Sexiest Man Alive – not realising it is a satire.
The “People’s Daily” on Tuesday ran a 55-page photo spread on its website in a tribute to the round-faced leader, under the headline North Korea’s top leader named ‘The Onion’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2012.’ Quoting “The Onion’s” spoof report, the Chinese newspaper wrote: “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,” the daily cited the “The Onion” as saying.
The photos the “People’s Daily” selected include Kim on horseback squinting into the light and Kim waving towards a military parade. In other photos, Kim is wearing sunglasses and smiling, or touring a facility with his wife. It is not the first time a state-run Chinese newspaper has fallen for a fictional report by “The Onion”. In 2002, “Beijing Evening News”, published as news the spoof that the US Congress wanted a new building and that it might leave Washington. “The Onion” article was a deadpan spoof of the way sports teams threaten to leave cities in order to get new stadia.