anthroblogia

Kim Jong-il, aka 'The Dear Leader', is a despot who lives in a world of luxury while presiding over famines, poverty and despair. Not to mentioning being responsible for kidnappping, blowing up a civilian airplane, and having a ridiculous perm



Apparently, he is something of a superhuman, for example writing six operas in two years and - when he was born - "The event was reportedly marked by a double rainbow, and a bright star in the sky." (BBC).

The personality cult of the Kims in North Korea is in many ways a reproduction of pre-existing religious practices - photos are treated with the reverence of religious icons and/or ancestral tablets and his presence is (reportedly) an occasion for emotional outbursts.



Not much to laugh about there, really, but this comment by an Italian chef made me laugh:

In 2004, he described to the BBC how he had given lessons to three army officers who took copious notes and asked detailed questions such as how far apart olives should be placed on each pizza.

Mr Furlanis said Kim Jong-il may even have visited one of the training sessions, being held on a ship anchored offshore.

"I am not in the position to say whether it really was him, but our chef, who had no reason to fib, was, for the space of several minutes, utterly speechless," Mr Furlanis said.

"He said he felt as if he had seen God, and I still envy him this experience." (BBC, emphasis added)

Hehe