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No Joke. April Fools' Day Has Been Banned In China (washingtonpost.com)

Posted by msmash on from the there-is-no-spoon dept.

Reader schwit1 quotes an article by Simon Denyer, who heads The Washington Post's China bureau: The ancient tradition of hoaxing and playing practical jokes on the first day of April has fallen victim to China's crackdown. Like democracy and free speech, it is a Western concept that simply isn't welcome here."'April Fools' Day' is not consistent with our cultural tradition, or socialist core values," state news agency Xinhua announced on social media Friday. "Hope nobody believes in rumors, makes rumors or spreads rumors." As part of a long-running effort to win control of the narrative on social media and deter dissent, China's Communist Party launched a campaign three years ago to criminalize the spreading of rumors. Xinhua's post suggests an April Fools' Day prank that mocked or undermined the Party could have potentially serious consequences.

15 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. OMG Ponies 10th anniversary not observed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    /. treating it like "June Fourth Incident", must not acknowledge it happened

  2. The Chinese are smarter than Americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They get how fucking stupid April 1 jokes are.

    1. Re:The Chinese are smarter than Americans by jandersen · · Score: 2

      Apropos: https://tech.slashdot.org/stor...

    2. Re:The Chinese are smarter than Americans by Kohath · · Score: 3, Insightful

      April Fools jokers are assholes. We need a day dedicated to telling people to stop being an asshole.

    3. Re:The Chinese are smarter than Americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      April Fools reminds people to skeptically evaluate what "official sources" tell them. It encourages people to question things. To not take them at face value. To wonder what the truth really is. Of course the government of China doesn't like that. It's the opposite of what they want. They want the public to blindly accept what the government or any other official source tells them, not to question it. Not on April 1, and not on any other day.

      April Fools jokers are not assholes. They're fighting for a world where people are skeptical and questioning. That's a good thing, because it means people will hopefully apply that all the other days of the year when they hear a headline or read a news article. "Is this for real?" is a question we should be asking all the time.

      Besides the Chinese government or any other oppressive government, I can also see why the gullible might not like that kind of demonstration.

  3. No dumb April Fools stories on Slashdot today by SeriousTube · · Score: 2

    Thank goodness there are no stupid painfully obvious April Fool's stories on Slashdot today (yet). Some web sites make good April Fool's stories. Slashdot's always made me cringe.

    1. Re:No dumb April Fools stories on Slashdot today by danbert8 · · Score: 2

      I am actually rather enjoying the scores and UIDs in binary though. I think we should make it permanent.

      --
      Yes it's an anecdote! Were you expecting original research in a Slashdot comment?
  4. I'm actually envious of the chinese by Karmashock · · Score: 2

    ... April fools.

    --
    I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
  5. Dr. Klahn is building an great army by NotDrWho · · Score: 3, Funny

    His opposition to April Fool's Day is admirable. He has our gratitude.

    Let's all give Dr. Klahn a big hand!

    --
    SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
  6. Re:Stop using the term "crackdown" by KGIII · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I have never thought of it that way. The government almost always seems to think what they're doing is moral and just. But, the word crackdown means tyranny or oppression to me. For better or worse, every law is reducing someone's liberties - such as the liberty to own slaves. (It's probably a good idea to have that law. Don't get me wrong.)

    Anyhow, whenever I hear a government crackdown is going on - it usually means they're going trampling on someone's liberties or, worse, freedoms.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  7. Re:coming soon to the USA by Feral+Nerd · · Score: 2

    Donald Trump has already signaled his intentions to execute those who disagree with him

    Calm yourself, CNN just reported that Donald Trump and his entire presidential campaign is the climax of a meticulously crafted and brilliantly planned April fools joke that has been 69 year in the making.

  8. Online april fools jokes are lame by mark-t · · Score: 2

    All of the fun of April fools' jokes is in getting one over on someone that you personally know. Duping people on the internet is like shooting fish in a barrel, and has no enjoyment factor, either for the joker or the person being deceived.

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
  9. Double standards by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    Xinhua announced on social media Friday

    So they ban April Fools' Day but still celebrate Social Media Friday? What a country.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  10. Re:Genuine? by TheDarkMaster · · Score: 2

    Every newspaper I know of runs at least one

    Sadly the Brazilian newspapers are too dumb to make 1st April jokes. Or thinking on the other hand, they spend so much time trying to lie to us Brazilians all year long that we should not be able to see the difference when is April 1.

    --
    Religion: The greatest weapon of mass destruction of all time
  11. I wish it was banned here too by The-Ixian · · Score: 2

    China has the right idea.

    "April Fool's Day" is an obnoxious tradition that I would not miss at all.

    --
    My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.