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Beijing: The Onion Tricked Us
NewsMax.com ^ | Thursday, June 13, 2002 | With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

Posted on 06/13/2002 10:42:07 AM PDT by JohnHuang2

Communists have a problem with humor - they don't know it when they see it.

Lacking any kind of a funny bone, the Beijing Evening News is now blaming its report that the U.S. Capitol is about to be moved on The Onion - a satirical Web site which publishes outlandish parodies most 7-year-olds in the West would instantly recognize as a spoof.

Not so the grim-faced communists who run Beijing's state-run million-circulation daily - they fell for the satire hook, line and sinker and now they are blaming The Onion for doing what The Onion does.

The News at first refused to run a retraction of the story but finally gave in, but the retraction shifted the blame for its publishing the story as the Gospel truth on The Onion and not on its reporter for boldly plagiarizing The Onion story without ever citing the source.

As reported last week on NewsMax.com, the Beijing paper reported The Onion spoof that members of Congress want a brand-new Capitol, complete with a retractable dome and luxury boxes, in order "to stay competitive," as a genuine news story.

In its retraction, the News noted that after "our reporter in Washington checked out [the story], he discovered that some of its contents were identical to the Onion's joke article," the Beijing tabloid said Tuesday, according to Los Angeles Times reporter Henry Chu.

The paper acknowledged that the story was a fake, and admitted that the alleged quote from Speaker of the House Dennis J. Hastert, R-Ill., saying that the Capitol was past its prime was also phony.

The News went on to add a quote from an unnamed source on Capitol Hill that "The U.S. Capitol has 200 years of history and is a precious part of America's cultural heritage. It's impossible that it should be torn down on a whim."

Still unaware that spoofing the news is The Onion's stock in trade, the News ripped into the online publication:

"Some small American newspapers frequently fabricate offbeat news to trick people into noticing them, with the aim of making money," the paper said. "This is what the Onion does.

"According to congressional workers, the Onion is a publication that never ceases making up false reports," the Evening News said.

Ah so - it's all about capitalist greed - and in Beijing there's nothing funny about that.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
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Thursday, June 13, 2002

Quote of the Day by Common Tator

1 posted on 06/13/2002 10:42:07 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
"Some small American newspapers frequently fabricate offbeat news to trick people into noticing them, with the aim of making money," the paper said. "This is what the Onion does.

LOL! .. and some Chinese newspapers plagiarize with the aim of making money... their point?

2 posted on 06/13/2002 10:45:23 AM PDT by TxBec
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3 posted on 06/13/2002 10:45:39 AM PDT by Mo1
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To: JohnHuang2
And they're always going on about how the West won't take them seriously.
4 posted on 06/13/2002 10:46:39 AM PDT by redbaiter
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To: JohnHuang2
Heh heh. A Red Star GOTCHA!

Wanna give them a swirly next?

5 posted on 06/13/2002 10:47:50 AM PDT by bootless
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To: bootless
Bump!!
6 posted on 06/13/2002 10:49:41 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
I say, let's just rename them all Melvin and get it over with. (still chuckling!)

Note to PRC: When you're caught with your pants down, smile sheepishly, pull 'em back up, and move on with your life, 'kay?

7 posted on 06/13/2002 10:52:17 AM PDT by bootless
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To: JohnHuang2
Don't have the image of Nelson Muntz, but that won't stop me.

HAW! HAW!

8 posted on 06/13/2002 10:53:43 AM PDT by hchutch
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To: bootless

Why would the taxpayer put up with this extravagancy? You say there will be corporate hospitality suites? Nevermind.

9 posted on 06/13/2002 10:54:42 AM PDT by kinghorse
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To: kinghorse

Retractable roof? Who decides when it's too hot to keep it open. Men can just take off their shirts but should a femminist try this, it's off to jail!

10 posted on 06/13/2002 10:58:33 AM PDT by kinghorse
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To: JohnHuang2
Sounds like a lot of damage control being exercised to wipe the Egg Foo Yung off of one's face. The satirists at the Onion probably haven't stopped laughing all day!
11 posted on 06/13/2002 11:02:10 AM PDT by alancarp
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To: JohnHuang2
"According to congressional workers, the Onion is a publication that never ceases making up false reports," the Evening News said.

Just now figured that out, huh?

12 posted on 06/13/2002 11:03:54 AM PDT by steve-b
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: TxBec
"Some small American newspapers frequently fabricate offbeat news to trick people into noticing them, with the aim of making money," the paper said. "This is what the Onion does.

You can't make stuff like this up. ~shakes head.

Psst, China! Check out the Weekly World News if you want the TRUE facts of the story.

a.cricket

14 posted on 06/13/2002 11:16:52 AM PDT by another cricket
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To: TxBec

Beijing: The Onion Tricked Us

Is that their way of saying "we were too stupid to double-check our source." Instead, they blame their own negligence on others.

15 posted on 06/13/2002 11:22:45 AM PDT by Zon
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To: JohnHuang2
Maybe the Chinese know if Condit Did It?
16 posted on 06/13/2002 11:26:42 AM PDT by KansasConservative1
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To: kinghorse

Hola amigos! Speaking of Chinese newspapers, I was chowing down on some chinese food just the other night. I always get a hankering for some chinese food when I smoke a lot of weed. Anyhow, I was listening to an old Bachman Turner Overdrive album and decided to play it backwards. Wouldn't you know, they was talking about how the Chinese were going to take over the U.S. and move into Washington. So the Chinese must have been bumming when they thought the Capitol building might be moved without their permission. That album came out, like 20 years ago, so they have evidently been planning this for a long time. Anyway, that explains all the chinese restaurants opening up in my area. They are getting ready to move here and they just want to make sure there are plenty of places for them to eat. Anyway, it don't really matter much to me, just so long as I have a decent set of wheels to tool around in and plenty of weed. Party on dudes!

17 posted on 06/13/2002 11:40:49 AM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: JohnHuang2
Makes you wonder what other stories from the Onion they might've really believed in the past.

Things that make you go hmmmmm.

18 posted on 06/13/2002 11:44:34 AM PDT by Prodigal Son
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To: SamAdams76
Just don't bring the gang banging 10 key tough guy into this. He be getting tight with the mofos in A/P. They got his back if those Wang Chung numchuk wannabes at OfficeMax come callin.

If you people are lost try www.theonion.com

19 posted on 06/13/2002 11:59:20 AM PDT by kinghorse
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To: bootless,JohnHuang2
" Wanna give them a swirly next?"
Thanks JH2, that was a good laugh for a tough day. You too bootless. A swirly..... snicker.
20 posted on 06/13/2002 12:50:53 PM PDT by Grammy
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