A Behind the Scenes Look at Nuking the Punchline

I figured since we've been running the "Nuke the Punchline" bit for quite a while now, I should maybe share with everyone how exactly it works. Just in case anyone is wondering why they haven't been picked, or what does it even mean to get picked.


My method is very scientific. I basically read through all of the comments on an IMAO "Straight Line of the Day", and I pick every single comment I think is funny or I really like. Often, this means I pick a dozen or more. There have even been times I have picked almost every comment, since some lines just punch themselves. So to speak.

I have chosen 5 as the magic number of winners. It is a good number, since I want to pick the best of the best. And also it makes it easier on me to pick winners for the weekly Punchline Nuker Award. So after selecting all of the comments I liked, I weed out everything except the top 5. It can be pretty difficult to do this sometimes, and believe it or not, I use "endorsements" from other commenters to make choices. So I do encourage praising others for good punchlines.

#1-4 are pretty random, and usually come in order of appearance. I consider being selected in those spots to be pretty much even. The exception is, if there is a punchline that was really a contender for the #1 spot, I'll make it #2. The top spot is obviously the one I deemed the best of all. Sometimes it is by a wide margin. Sometimes I eeny, meeny, miny, moe it, and all of the top five are pretty eqaul.

If yours didn't get picked in a top five, don't worry...there is a good chance it has made it on one of my initial lists before. And if you keep getting picked for the top five, or especially as a winner, you might want to consider contacting me about a writing opportunity at NP.

Because that is why this whole thing was created...to identify people with a talent for political humor. That's how Lactose the Intolerant got selected. And I can think of a few names of punchline nukers that I'd love to see an email from (hint hint).

Anyway, that's how the process goes. As fair as I can make something subjective be. Leave any questions or comments in the..er..comments section.