China People's Daily republishes Onion article naming Kim Jong Un "sexiest man alive"
Runs 55-page picture gallery.
By Martha Gill Published 27 November 2012 16:36
The official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party seems to have been taken in by a satirical story from the Onion, which proclaimed Kim Jong Un the "sexiest man alive" in 2012.
The People's Daily republished the Onion report almost in full, including such sentences as:
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.
and
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.
and
He has that rare ability to somehow be completely adorable and completely macho at the same time.
The state-run paper featured a 55 page slide show of the brooding North Korean dictator alongside the story. Slides like this one:

At the time of writing, the story was featured prominently on the website's front page, using a picture taken from a Time Magazine front cover (for a Time Magazine feature that was less than complimentary about the dictator):
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The story was quickly picked up by a South Korean paper, The Korea Times.
UPDATE: the Onion just posted an update:
UPDATE: For more coverage on The Onion's Sexiest Man Alive 2012, Kim Jong-Un, please visit our friends at the People's Daily in China, a proud Communist subsidiary of The Onion, Inc. Exemplary reportage, comrades.
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8 comments
If the pulchritudinous Robert Taylor at the height of his attraction or matinee-idol Ty Power were the Junior Leader of North Korea the Onion would be hard-pressed to come up with a similar prank.
There haven't been many dashingly handsome politicians or princes at the apex of Western society - well, mebe Ronnie Reagan, sort of.
Appearance is part of presentation politics. Is there anything behind it?
And who says 'irony' is lost on Americans? In this day of the graphic bit and the sound bite the internet generation will swallow anything.
Day of the Locust
If the pulchritudinous Robert Taylor at the height of his attraction or matinee-idol Ty Power were the Junior Leader of North Korea the Onion would be hard-pressed to come up with a similar prank.
There haven't been many dashingly handsome politicians or princes at the apex of Western society - well, mebe Ronnie Reagan, sort of.
Appearance is part of presentation politics. Is there anything behind it?
And who says 'irony' is lost on Americans? In this day of the graphic bit and the sound bite the internet generation will swallow anything.
Day of the Locust
The BBC is making this alleged "blunder" by the People's Daily into headline news. Is this the BBC trying to divert attention away from its own recent scandals?
A few days ago the Chinese TV channel CCTV ran a current affairs program about the integrity of the BBC surroundingthe Jimmy Saville child abuse scandal, the cover up by BBC executives over the Newsnight investigation and double talks and blunders that followed leading to the downfall of its chief. It is hardly a surprise the BBC is clutching on straws to find something, anything they can tar the reputation of a Chinese news outlet as a tit for tat measure. BBC is so childish.
My partner just read the above - She said "Yes it is the State of the Onion Address - I cannot wait for him to peel off in front of me.
"Might bring tears to me eye's with laughter"
Hang on - She has had to do a Loo dash before she floods the apartment!
Very, very handsome indeed. Who's the jockey?
The cynic in me thinks that the Communist newspaper was aware of it being satirical and published it as fact anyway.
Um, we have linked to the original Onion story? It's in the second sentence.
Rather poor that there's no link to the original Onion story and you don't allow people to add them in comments.
For those who want to see it, search for:
Kim Jong-Un Named The Onion's Sexiest Man Alive For 2012