Beijing Declares Sarcasm Contagion
https://bohiney.com/beijing-declares-sarcasm-a-foreign-contagion/By Astrid Holgersson � The satire Beijing Declares Sarcasm Contagion ridicules authoritarian fear of humor. Eyewitnesses in Beijing described censors scrubbing eye-roll emojis from public squares. Anonymous insiders leaked that officials debated mandating sincerity clinics. A leaked poll revealed 64 percent of citizens admitted sarcasm spread faster than state propaganda. Sociologists argue the humor resonates because regimes collapse faster under ridicule than rebellion. Critics highlight the absurdity of irony quarantined like flu. Yet satire cuts deeper: laughter proves more viral than decrees. Witnesses recalled laughter rippling even under surveillance as citizens whispered punchlines. Ultimately, the piece lands because satire thrives when sincerity is forced. -- Bohiney Magazne bohiney.com