The Taiwanese satirists poking fun at China

 Taiwan’s unique political status has proven difficult for politicians to navigate, and for journalists to cover but for Taiwanese comedians, the absurd reality provides comedy gold.

Satire has proven a useful tool to educate audiences about a geopolitical stalemate many people - including Taiwanese - lost interest in - and checked out of - a long time ago.

MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes Turns Year of Trump’s Wall Pledges Into Infomercial (video)

Donald Trump's promises during the campaign were almost like a year-long, non-stop border wall infomercial. So we made one for him. #inners pic.twitter.com/vQW35WEI6x

— All In w/Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) January 20, 2018

That’s right, complete with local commercial announcer voice and just the right amount of hyperbole.

Babymetal: Is Resistance Futile?

Babymetal enter the world in 2010 as a subgroup or club of the idol group Sakura Gakuin creating a new genre of music their producer dubbed Kawaii metal. (cute metal) Given the nature of music fans naturally there's been disagreement among heavy metals fans as to whether Babymetal qualified as metal or were just pretenders.  

Perhaps it's best to break these groups down into various, gasp, categories and proceed from there.

The first group is the Twilight Zone.  People who believe they've been caught up in a never ending loop of despair and uncertainty as they ride the train that never seems to go anywhere but in a circle. Perhaps they're asleep having a nightmare or their trapped in a parallel dimension unable to return to their know reality.   Whatever it is, fear has gripped them leaving them unable to cope.  


Next is the Wraith group, who so fearful of change and innovation in music they believe Babymetal will not only suck out their life force but the life force of heavy metal as well.  One can only live in abject fear for so long before retreating into a fortified bunker with their comfort food heavy metal records living out the rest of their lives as misanthropes.

Finally the last and most dangerous group: Babymetal are the Borg.  We are Babymetal lower your musical basis and prejudices and surrender to us.  We will add your distinctive musical genres and listening habits to our own. Resistance is futile.  (The above is stolen and completely paralysed from Star Trek The Next Generation.)

Yes, we all have differing musical tastes.  No music is fan or music genre is monolithic so, if you favour one over the other so be it.  Just let those who enjoy that music which is different from yours do so in tranquillity or in the case of heavy metal loudly.

Scotland's Sunday Herald Expertly Trolls Donald Trump

The Scottish Sunday Herald has provided one of the most spot on descriptions of what we are going through … in a satirical trolling TV preview: “President Trump: The Inauguration”.

Help I'm steppin' into the twilight zone
The place is a madhouse, feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go, now that I've gone too far
Help I'm steppin' into the twilight zone
The place is a madhouse, feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go, now that I've gone too far

Calvin And Hobbes Reimagined With Donald Trump

You may have been following this year’s tumultuous election a bit on autopilot. And one could hardly blame you. But it’s hard to ignore Donald Trump, even though you/I/we desperately want to.

He reminds you of someone. You can’t quite put your finger on it. The loud, cocky attitude delivered with all the subtlety of a 6-year-old. Oh wow, Donald Trump is Calvin from “Calvin and Hobbes.”

And to answer the question you never asked, YES, there is a subreddit dedicated to injecting Trump into “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strips.

What The Boston Globe Thinks A Trump Presidency Would Look Like

With a satirical front page for their Sunday edition, the Boston Globe is giving readers a look at what they believe America would be like with Trump as president.

As the fake headlines make clear, the Globe’s editors are not optimistic.

“DEPORTATIONS TO BEGIN; President Trump calls for tripling of ICE force; riots continue”

“Markets sink as trade war looms”

“New libel law targets ‘absolute scum’ in press”

“Bank glitch halts border wall work”

“Trump on Nobel prize short list”

The page, dated April 9, 2017, will run at the front of the paper’s “Ideas” section. An editor’s note at the bottom of the page reads:

“This is Donald Trump’s America. What you read on this page is what might happen if the GOP front­runner can put his ideas into practice, his words into action. Many Americans might find this vision appealing,but the Globe’s editorial board finds it deeply troubling.”

The Good People At Apple Media In Taiwan Mock Y'all Qaeda

It's a funny take on a serious issue, and actually gets most of the facts right – except yesterday's reports say only about 20 people, not 150, are occupying the federal building. For info see our stories below.