Chinese Paper Takes ‘The Onion’ Seriously and Publishes Story About Kim Jong Un Being ‘Sexiest Man Alive’

The Onion is known for its outlandish stories that look real on the surface, but are clearly meant as a joke. You can get lost on the Web site, looking at stories of celebrities, politicians, and “breaking” news stories, but if you do so, it should be with a grain of salt. Yesterday they were so convincing that the Chinese Paper The People's Daily published a story congratulating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as being the “Sexiest Man Alive for 2012,” based upon an Onion story.

In the original article, The Onion says this:

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. 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.

After the People's Daily ran their story, The Onion updated their story to link their article to the Chinese Web site, though you'll be hard-pressed to be able to read it if you don't know Chinese.

Do you ever read stories from The Onion? Have you ever taken one of their articles seriously?