Bad pun or semi-pun? Hey, great!

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Fri Nov 15, 2002 12:47 pm

My paper is having yet another outbreak of the dreaded "if it's a pun or appears to be a pun, it's a great headline!" syndrome. I work in slot and stop as many of these embarrassments as possible, but one can only do so much. Consider these headlines, both of which appeared on my days off:
1. A columnist columnized on the relative hard times former GE emperor Jack Welch is seeing, and how his reputation has suffered. The copy editor's inspired headline:Jack fell down, broke his renownWhat the hell does that mean? I threw my morning paper across the room when I saw it. How could anyone have let it in the paper?A couple days later, a copy desk message from a manager inquired as to the author of this headline. In the real world, it would have been an invitation to a chat with someone about how bad a headline it was. But in Our Little World, the inquiry was to find the author because the headline was submitted to the chain's headline writing contest.And I was proved an asshole when it won second place.2. Story about a court ruling on regulations regarding shipment of out-of-state wines. Here is the headline (and please note the breaks):Ruling on wine
law raises grape
expectationsBad breaks at all, this is a sure winner...based on the Jack Falling Down Standard. Once an award is given for a headline like "Jack," it's Katie bar the door.

Rio · **Posted:** Sat Nov 16, 2002 1:59 am

Bumfketeer, I feel your pain at having to work at a paper that periodically equates "pun" with "great headline." Just be glad you're working somewhere where such a philosophy is merely seen in outbreaks, and not institutionalized, as it is at one of my ex-employers. :) Having said that, the "Jack fell down" headline wasn't that bad. I don't know if I would have awarded it second place in any headline contest I was judging, but I wouldn't have killed it either.As for the second example, yeah, clichÃ©s don't get any more stale than that. I wish the Poynter people or whoever the hell is planting the idea in editors' minds that "readers like puns" would also say that some puns shouldn't see the light of day.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Sat Nov 16, 2002 2:40 am

In Albany, back in the "Golden Age," we used to write bad headlines we knew would win the corporate contest, run them for one edition, then fix them for the final. "No grounds found for coffee crimes."

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Sat Nov 16, 2002 3:22 am

...Hmmmm...I am just assuming that Phil knows I'm in Albany...
Anyway, I will respectfully disagree with you, Gary, on Jack falling down. I just don't see how it makes sense on any level. How does one break one's renown? I mean, I guess you could stretch a point and call it a servicable headline if the entire rim was stricken with irritable bowel syndrome 90 seconds to deadline, thus leaving no time to fix it.But a corporatewide award? Give me a break.We do indeed go through this pun crap, mainly until the slots can't bear it anymore and just put an end to it. I have very low tolerance for puns.Here's one that pushed me over the edge a few years ago during a particularly savage pun infestation. The story was about a debate concerning putting mandatory bulletproof glass shields in taxicabs. Council was debating this bill. And the hed?Council debates shields' "clear" advantagesQuotation marks and all! A "clear" case of a bad hed. Not to mention a rather editorialized one, if you give it a nanosecond of thought.

Rio · **Posted:** Sat Nov 16, 2002 10:02 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Bumfketeer:
[A] corporatewide award? Give me a break.<hr></blockquote>Hey, I conceded that particular point. It shouldn't have been an award-winner. My point was, the pun was original and at least marginally clever.[ November 16, 2002: Message edited by: Gary Kirchherr ]

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Sat Nov 16, 2002 10:46 am

Point granted, Gary.

Guest · **Posted:** Sat Nov 16, 2002 3:03 pm

I agree that the pun headlines above are atrocious and flaccid, but pun headlines shouldn't be dismissed in general just because the idea of them annoys you. Sometimes they're clever, and sometimes they do work. One I liked in our paper recently was atop a column by a crankly old regionally syndicated columnist named Adele Ferguson, in which she said she would strive to do her part to get more younger readers interested in Northwest political policy through her weekly soapbox -- because reaching out to disenfranchised youth is the duty of anyone with the means.The headline: "Dude, you need Adele."I thought it was pretty damn funny ... and not only that, it captured the essence of what she was trying to say in a few pithy words -- which, after all, is what headlines ought to do.But, as the comedians say to their hecklers, "Leave the comedy to the professionals." Many of us THINK we're clever ... few us us truly are (and noteworthy because those people never claim to be clever).

pzicari · **Posted:** Sat Nov 16, 2002 6:15 pm

I can't quarrel much with the bad examples -- I always thought I had learned that a pun has to be meaningful in both of its meanings, and that the rule on bad breaks applied unless you had a head idea that was worth breaking the rule for. But that said, I know that if you step hard on every lame outbreak of creativity, you'll soon count yourself lucky to get heads without typos. No one will care, and no one will pay any attention at all. So I'd want to look at "broke his renown" in context; maybe the slot spent the evening spiking dire and hopeless atrocities and figured his loyal readers would get the point of the head even if it wasn't crystal clear. I do try to shout a word of praise only for the ones that really do work.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Sat Nov 16, 2002 6:20 pm

Longtime associates here know how I feel about "clever" headlines: Don't bother, especially if the idea has been used before (and you should check to make sure). There is no place in headlines for wordplay. Of the relatively few readers who notice, most will be annoyed. "Pun" headlines are written solely to entertain copy editors whose minds ought to be otherwise occupied.

dimn · **Posted:** Tue Nov 19, 2002 9:20 pm

Disagree with this site's owner - puns can be appreciated and have their role. Everybody - readers and editors/reporters - participates in culture and bounces mentally off referecnes to it. They can be appreciated if done well.I also liked the "renown" hed. And "Dude, you need Adele" was a classic. Even people who don't know the Dell computer reference can get the point with the "dude."It's context of the story that matters in headlines. KNOW YOUR ROLE. Don't get "punny" on a serious story.I can't remember exactly (but did save it) but around the time of the Waco Fiasco, Newsweek ran a headline along the lines of "Waco investigation fired up"WHY?Another example of this point of mine is Sports Headlines. I rarely hear objections from anyone about them being to "punny." Is that because SPORTS isn't real journalism? Of course not. It's because of context. Same with some stories.Is This Bad of Me?
Temple

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Tue Nov 19, 2002 9:24 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Temple Stark:
Disagree with this site's owner - puns can be appreciated and have their role. <hr></blockquote>Uh, who asked you?

dimn · **Posted:** Wed Nov 20, 2002 2:44 am

uh, okaaaaaay. I guess that's the "testy" part.
Is this a forum or an exclusive club? If the latter I'll go away. But somehow I was allowed to sign in so, you know, I assumed.Damn will I never learn - a journalist doesn't assume anything. Or a copy editor?
No, I know, it's a test. How thin is his skin type thing. Pretty thick - and not in the British sense
Temple

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Wed Nov 20, 2002 3:00 am

Nope. Not a test. Welcome.

dimn · **Posted:** Wed Nov 20, 2002 10:33 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
Nope. Not a test. Welcome.<hr></blockquote>Very cool. Thank you.

KfitzR · **Posted:** Fri Nov 22, 2002 9:38 am

On the pun hed front, today's Globe and Mail got, in my view, one right and one wrong on a story about the trend toward a more secular approach in official seasonal events (she wrote in a politically correct style).
On the front page:Beginning
to look a lot
like HolidayThen they blew it on the turn:City Hall unboughed over its multicultural tree

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Fri Nov 22, 2002 5:46 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by KfitzR:
Beginning
to look a lot
like Holiday
<hr></blockquote>What pun?

gullyj · **Posted:** Sat Nov 23, 2002 2:22 pm

From The Toronto Sun today:
Wolves' take Major bite out of losing skid
(From Sudbury Wolves hockey game vs. St. Mike's Majors.)And Toronto Star:
Subway driver Sheppards new line just like dad did.
(Above front page story about opening of new subway line beneath Sheppard Avenue. Driver of first train through is son of guy who drove the city's very first subway train in the '50s.)The National Post (Toronto's fourth English-language daily) rarely uses puns in headlines.

Testy Copy Editors

Bad pun or semi-pun? Hey, great!

Who is online

What They're Saying

Useful Links