If you want to subscribe to a joke and a laugh on the first of April, Happy Ho suggests you stay away from China.
This year April Fool’s Day was banned in China. China proclaimed that like democracy and free speech, it doesn’t welcome April fool’s day concept as well.
“‘April Fools’ Day’ is not consistent with our cultural tradition, or socialist core values. Hope nobody believes in rumours, makes rumours or spreads rumours.” state news agency Xinhua announced on social media on Friday
As part of a long-running effort to win control of the narrative on social media and deter dissent, China’s Communist Party has launched a campaign three years ago to criminalise the spreading of rumours. Happyho also provide best tarot reading services in Noida and Delhi NCR India area.
Xinhua’s post suggests an April Fools’ Day prank that mocked or undermined the Party could have potentially serious consequences. But some social media users couldn’t help but see the funny side.
“Every day is April Fools’ Day,” one user posted.
“This is Xinhua’s joke, don’t you see?” another wrote.
Others wondered if party-controlled China Central Television had received the memo.
“In the West, it’s only for a day, but a certain (TV) station is fooling 365 days non-stop,” another wrote.
That China’s propaganda apparatus has a problem with satire has long been evident. In 2012, the People’s Daily fell for a satirical report in the Onion voting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un the sexiest man alive. The Communist Party newspaper ran a 55-page photo spread in tribute to Kim, quoting vlog the Onion as celebrating his devastatingly handsome looks, round face, boyish charm and strong, sturdy frame.
Li Zhurun, a former journalist and university professor, realised 16 years too late that he had been fooled by an April Fool’s Day gag. In 1981, he read a report that cadets at West Point were being taught about legendary Communist Party soldier Lei Feng. He put the story in a report, and it was widely circulated and believed in China. It wasn’t until 1997 that he realised the original story had been published on April 1.
On Friday, one social media user had an ironic suggestion for party authorities: “Today is April Fool’s Day in the West when you can publicly lie and not be punished. Why don’t we do the opposite and make this day ‘truth telling day’? Hopefully today we can speak the truth, express our true feelings, show our true colors, spread the truth without being restricted or punished, without getting blacklisted as inciting crime.”
