Kevin Siers: You Write The Caption

Your new challenge: Sept. 27, 2010

Welcome to You Write the Caption, the Charlotte Observer cartoon caption contest, an opportunity to test your wit and win a prize. Each Monday, Observer editorial cartoonist Kevin Siers will post a political cartoon that needs a caption and invite readers to write one.  To learn more about our contest and see our caption writing guidelines, please click here.

Submissions must reach us by noon, Wednesday, Sept. 29.

Enter as many times as you wish.  To submit your caption on-line, just click here to e-mail us. (Or address your e-mail to caption@charlotteobserver.com)  Please include your mailing address and daytime phone number. To mail your caption to the Observer, address it to You Write the Caption, Editorial Department, The Charlotte Observer, P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, NC 28230-0308.

For a discussion about last week's winners, please see the "Comments" section below the previous post.

The new winner

The winner:

"'E' all about it."

-- Lou Desser of Indian Land, S.C.

The runners-up:

"Someone stopped the presses."

-- Douglas Cox, Albemarle

"You can keep that dollar sir. People don't pay for the news anymore."

-- Chad Clark, Charlotte

"Textra, textra, tweet all about it!"

-- Steve Alexander, Charlotte

"Sorry, I only take Facebook Credits."

-- Darci Parelman, Matthews

Thank you for all your great entries -- more this week than we could shake a pom-pom at. As usual, feel free to discuss any of this in our "Comments" section.  Just click the blue link below this post and add your observations or additional captions!

Here's a selection of some of the other better lines we received:

"Extra, Extra, Wii'd all about it!"

"That will be 99 cents sir, with a 2 year contract, of course. "

"That'll be four hundred and seventy six dollars."

"That will be $199 plus tax and then subscription fee of $20 per month there after."

"With the warranty, it will be $127.50."

"No! No! We’re giving these away. It’s the two-year contract that will make you sick."

"Confused?  There's an APP for that!"

"It works great.......just don't try to line your birdcage with it!"

"We're all downsizing!"

"It's only the news that's fit to print!"

"All the news that's NOT fit to print."

"All the news that's fit to download."

"All the news that's fit to stream."

"Look at it this way. Your fingers won't get all inky."

"We tried throwing them on the front stoop but they kept cracking."

"I am changing the name to I-Hurt from carrying these things around.”

"What's a newspaper?"

"What's a paper boy?"

"Want to write a better caption?  There’s an app for that."

Your new challenge: Sept. 20, 2010

Welcome to You Write the Caption, the Charlotte Observer cartoon caption contest, an opportunity to test your wit and win a prize. Each Monday, Observer editorial cartoonist Kevin Siers will post a political cartoon that needs a caption and invite readers to write one.  To learn more about our contest and see our caption writing guidelines, please click here.

Submissions must reach us by noon, Wednesday, Sept. 22.

Enter as many times as you wish.  To submit your caption on-line, just click here to e-mail us. (Or address your e-mail to caption@charlotteobserver.com)  Please include your mailing address and daytime phone number. To mail your caption to the Observer, address it to You Write the Caption, Editorial Department, The Charlotte Observer, P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, NC 28230-0308.

For a discussion about last week's winners, please see the "Comments" section below the previous post.

Newest winner!

The winner:

"Think 13 out is bad?  I had 53."

-- Brian Watts of Cary

The runners-up:

"Trust me, full rosters are overrated."

-- Bill McGloughlin, Charlotte

"Stop whining about ineligible players!  We are ALL professionals here!"

-- Clinton Echols, Zeeland, Mich.

"Well, at least your players actually earn their paychecks.”

-- Paul Manos, Charlotte

"There's a Badodour around your college program."

-- Douglas Cox, Albemarle

"At least you have your education to fall back on. Oh, wait..."

-- Oona S. Gayle, Matthews

"It could be worse.  You could be a donkey."

-- Bob Holberton, Charlotte

Thank you for all your great entries -- more this week than we could shake a pom-pom at. As usual, feel free to discuss any of this in our "Comments" section.  Just click the blue link below this post and add your observations or additional captions!

Here's a selection of some of the other better lines we received:

"North Carolina: First in Meltdowns."

"Where's your professional spirit?"

"Your offense is committed."

"Don’t worry buddy.  I probably couldn’t beat NC State either."

"See, the NFL isn't all that bad!"

“Just be glad that basketball season is nearly here.”

"At least you've got your great basketball program to look forward to . On second thought ....... never mind !"

"At least you have basket ... er ... lacrosse to look forward to."

"There's always 'Dancing with the Stars'!"

"Ewe, you've herd: The REAL Carolinian is the Gamecock!"

"Same game, same TV money, same sponsor deals, same club seat revenue.  Why is it you can’t talk with an agent like us?”

"Well it looks like ya'll had a better free agency period than we did."

"Chin up.  I hear John Fox will be available soon."

"Want me to read that for you?"

“Just wondering…you putting anyone on waivers?”

"At least you don’t mind paying your players."

"Matt Moore for Marvin Austin straight up. Would he take the pay cut?"

“What you need is a good agent!”

"Miss, you overcharged us 50 cents. I’m afraid we both need a quarter back!"

"The best defense is a good offense.....not that I would know from experience!"

"The Panthers  have an NCAA problem. It's the 'Nobody Cares Anymore Association'!"

"It is what it is."

"Perhaps you should give your players a raise."

"Is it too late to catch World Cup Fever?"

Your new challenge: week of Sept. 13, 2010

Welcome to You Write the Caption, the Charlotte Observer cartoon caption contest, an opportunity to test your wit and win a prize. Each Monday, Observer editorial cartoonist Kevin Siers will post a political cartoon that needs a caption and invite readers to write one.  To learn more about our contest and see our caption writing guidelines, please click here.

Submissions must reach us by noon, Wednesday, Sept. 15.

Enter as many times as you wish.  To submit your caption on-line, just click here to e-mail us. (Or address your e-mail to caption@charlotteobserver.com)  Please include your mailing address and daytime phone number. To mail your caption to the Observer, address it to You Write the Caption, Editorial Department, The Charlotte Observer, P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, NC 28230-0308.

For a discussion about last week's winners, please see the "Comments" section below the previous post.

New winner

The winner:

"We can owe it!"

-- Billy Grooms of Davidson

The runners-up:

"We can do it! With your tax dollars."

-- Doug Cox, Albemarle

"I am the NEW symbol of America's resolve!"

-- Allen Brawley, Troutman

"Everything’s coming up Rosies."

-- Hansford M. Epes, Davidson

"We can't do it!" 

-- From many readers

Thank you for all your entries. As usual, feel free to discuss any of this in our "Comments" section.  Just click the blue link below this post and add your observations or additional captions!

Here's a selection of some of the other better lines we received:

“We can spend it!”

"Yes, I'm canned."

“At least she’s not Rosie the Republican!”

"We outsourced Rosie's job to Mexico."

“I’ve got hope that I can beat Sarah arm wrestling for the job in 2012.”

“My attention is riveted and the future is Rosie.”

“We both need jobs!”

“Given Labor Day, Rosie and I thought we would go back to work.”

"Sarah Palin is a riveter too?"

"Go to Fox News for a picture of her rich boss with a Republican congressman."

"I work-out at the "Washington Knows Best" gym!"

"Together we will clean up the Bush/GOP Mess!"

Your Labor Day cartoon caption challenge: Sept. 6, 2010

Welcome to You Write the Caption, the Charlotte Observer cartoon caption contest, an opportunity to test your wit and win a prize. Each Monday, Observer editorial cartoonist Kevin Siers will post a political cartoon that needs a caption and invite readers to write one.  To learn more about our contest and see our caption writing guidelines, please click here.

Submissions must reach us by noon, Wednesday, Sept. 8.

Enter as many times as you wish.  To submit your caption on-line, just click here to e-mail us. (Or address your e-mail to caption@charlotteobserver.com)  Please include your mailing address and daytime phone number. To mail your caption to the Observer, address it to You Write the Caption, Editorial Department, The Charlotte Observer, P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, NC 28230-0308.

For a discussion about last week's winners, please see the "Comments" section below the previous post.

Our latest winner

The winner:

"Let's see. Heart, Courage and Brains? Sorry, wrong town."

-- Charleen Bolt,  Charlotte

The runners-up:

"There’s no place like change, there’s no place like change, there’s no place like change!"

-- Andy Shook, Charlotte

"Pay no attention to the disasters behind the curtain."

-- Penny Ford, Lincolnton

"If I only had a plan . . ."

-- Tom Haines, Charlotte

"If I only had some jobs . . ."

-- Gerard Rothschild, Boone

Thank you for all your entries. As usual, feel free to discuss any of this in our "Comments" section.  Just click the blue link below this post and add your observations or additional captions!

Here's a selection of some of the other better lines we received:

"Let me introduce my new economic advisers."  (This from many, many readers.)

"If I only had a clue."  (Again, from many readers.)

"If I only had a birth certificate"!

"Time to turn the page."

"I can relate to all your problems!"

"And behind the curtain: Rahm Emanuel."

“No need to visit the Wizard.  Our new health care plan will cover the needed transplants!”

"If we stay on the right road, we'll reach our destiny."

"I've been thinkin' I could be another Lincoln if.......!"

"They have brought me Sarah Palin's broomstick."

"Somebody still thinks I'm the wizard."

"Please welcome my cabinet members: Health and Human Services, Department of Defense and Department of Education."

"What's the matter with Kansas?"

“Come 2012, I’ll miss you most of all, Strawman.”

"The current economy conjures-up depression era images."

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we’re not in the United States anymore."

And the groaner of the week, thanks to Lloyd Dillon, Charlotte:

"...a new anti-terror Baum squad."

Caption contest bias?

The announcement last Friday (Aug. 27) of our latest caption contest winner brought in more e-mails than usual questioning my judgement:

"If anyone ever doubted your political leaning, your choice of this week’s winner leaves no doubt!"

"I can’t believe you picked that caption as winner. Biased liberal media!!"

"Do you have any sort of idea of being unbiased? Where is the 'fairness' that Liberals always scream about? We have a terrible economy (and many other problems) driven wildly worse by this president and you come up with the Republicans having no wisdom? You pick the winners so your cartoon is your political statement. I am shocked that you can find such little to crow about with the current administration and its follies. Get real Kevin."

"You could have picked a caption that did not reference a political party, unless you are a democrat"

"I've always admired your clever wit and your artistry although they occasionally are gratuitously mean spirited. I just wish you leaned like me a tad to the right (or not at all)!   Anyway, I think your choice of winner this week is atypically lame, especially compared to the hilarious winners in past weeks. 'Seeking wisdom and knowledge? Sorry, I'm a Republican'??? That's a weak and cheesy cheap shot with scarcely a hint of humor, creativity or wit. I'm not biased on this either. If one replaced 'Republican' with 'Democrat', it would be equally as weak. What happened to your judgement this week?"

"Just fell all over yourself posting that one didn't you?  God, your arrogant smugness sickens me."

How to respond?  A few points:

•Criticizing an editorial cartoon for being unfair and biased is like criticizing a cow for being bovine.  It's the nature of the beast.  A good editorial cartoon almost always has a clear, one-sided point of view -- it's one of the things that makes it such a powerful and valuable vehicle of opinion.  A good editorial cartoon always has some bite.  Which means, of course, that somebody gets bitten.

•The name of this blog is "You Write the Caption."  Which means, despite the above letter-writers' assertions to the contrary, I don't consider these cartoons my political opinion.  I have five days a week where I put my two cents in the paper.  The raw material for this blog is captions submitted by readers -- these are their opinions.  What I try to do is decide which of them best combines with the drawing to make the best editorial cartoon possible.  There's no perfectly objective way to do that, of course.  Humor is subjective.  But I admire the work of both Mike Ramirez and Mike Luckovich enough to know that it isn't being liberal or conservative that makes a cartoon great. Sometimes I'll agree with the ideology expressed by our readers' captions, but many times not.  The fact that we've received many comments as well over the last several weeks of a right-wing bias creeping into the contest tells me that, while it may not be a sign of some perfect balance, at least both sides are being bitten in the process.

•As I said, it's a subjective process.  So while we pick a contest winner each week, our say is certainly not the last on the subject.  We don't have the manpower in the editorial department to compile votes and pick the readers' favorite, as The New Yorker does, but we do have this online blog which lets readers comment on the choice, whether they agree or disagree.  It's that little blue link called 'Comments' located just below this post.  Please click and let us know if you have further thoughts!