TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The featured image is one of a number of memes that Taiwanese and foreign residents of Taiwan posted in response to The Economist's headline for its latest edition.
On April 29, The Economist released the cover for its May 1 edition showing Taiwan at the center of a radar screen, with Chinese forces encroaching on the left and American military surfacing on the right. The headline of the cover read, "The most dangerous place on Earth," and warned that the U.S. and China must "work harder to avoid war over the future of Taiwan."
Many in Taiwan considered the title sensationalistic and uninformed given that there are currently no signs that a war with China is imminent and there are arguably much more dangerous flash points in the world. Netizens in Taiwan responded by posting photos of serene scenes of hot air balloons, Taipei's skyline, a baseball game, a Gay Pride event, a waffle, and a drowsy cat, to name a few.
On April 30, Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文), a Taichung-based journalist from Canada who has lived in Taiwan for over 30 years, decided to create a meme to mock The Economist's overly ominous cover. Smith told Taiwan News the first thing that came to his mind was "cosplayers in Ximending," but he stumbled on a photo of the Taiwanese cosplayers Hyaku&Sen (小百&小千) and thought "that works!"
Greetings from #Taiwan, supposedly the most dangerous place on Earth. pic.twitter.com/vOotdcdZSQ
— William Yang (@WilliamYang120) April 30, 2021
"Most dangerous place on Earth" Indeed.....
*the fan is ok*#CPBL #Taiwan pic.twitter.com/xY67Szheir
— CPBL 中華職棒 (@CPBL) May 1, 2021
I met the most ferocious beasts of all Taiwan, the “most dangerous place on Earth” https://t.co/C5awaFHLq3 pic.twitter.com/uKgwBYgD4k
— Julien St-Sevin 宋思帆 (@julienstsevin) April 30, 2021
Interesting I’m in the most dangerous place on earth, I mean, Taiwan. pic.twitter.com/zmWqizg7DF
— TING (@tinawang_TW) April 30, 2021
I'm having mochi waffle in the most dangerous place on earth.#TheEconomist #Taiwan pic.twitter.com/Ks0tzgcdM7
— La Isla Bonita (@ykhuang) April 30, 2021
Last June in "the most dangerous place on Earth" (at the only Pride that wasn't cancelled due to #COVID19 ) #Taiwan@TheEconomist pic.twitter.com/l2FDMqeh7t
— Magnolia La Manga (@empressoftaiwan) April 30, 2021
Meme by Courtney Donovan Smith based on Hyaku&Sen Facebook page photo.
