Highlight (formerly Jongleurs) have been running a Twitter based joke competition and the final shortlist of 20 jokes has been announced, now shockingly over half of them are not original jokes but just ones that "punters" have sent in (at least one is a Tim Vine joke).

So if you want to help people who actually write jokes and put the effort in to win the money, please vote here;

http://highlight5kgag.co.uk/

for one of the following (all known original jokes);

4) @nickhucks

6) @stephencgrant

10) @brendandodds

13) @ChrisPJTurner

14) @TonyCowards

15) @davebromage

16) @philko87

19) @TonyCowards

20) @davebromage

Support struggling joke writers!

Oh and remember, you can vote for more than one joke, so if, for example, you thought that a certain Mr T.Cowards should win, vote for both of his jokes so that his vote isn't split between the two!

Hang on, was this supposed to be original jokes or just jokes the sender likes?

If the former, I can't believe someone tried to get away with the alphabetti spaghetti joke.

There were far better jokes than those 20, I thought. You wrote much better than those two, Tony.

Dan

Quote: swerytd @ July 2 2010, 10:11 AM BST

There were far better jokes than those 20, I thought. You wrote much better than those two, Tony.

Dan

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I agree but was happy in the end to get two on the shortlist.

I think it's despicable though that at least half of the entries are just jokes that people have effectively stolen, imagine if there was a lyric writing competition and someone just entered the lyrics to "Yesterday".

I reckon it'd take me about 3 months of constant gigging added to the meagre amount I get from writing to earn £5000 and yet someone is likely to win it just by sending in a variation on a Tim Vine joke.

You're splitting the vote with two jokes, Cowards. You've sunk yourself!

Quote: Bomsh @ July 2 2010, 7:36 AM BST

Hang on, was this supposed to be original jokes or just jokes the sender likes?

If the former, I can't believe someone tried to get away with the alphabetti spaghetti joke.

View original

There was no stipulation from Highlight that the joke had to be original (the terms and conditions state this), they were effectively encouraging people to steal comedians jokes and tweet them in.

Quote: chipolata @ July 2 2010, 10:19 AM BST

You're splitting the vote with two jokes, Cowards. You've sunk yourself!

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I know, don't know why they shortlisted two of mine (and Dave Bromage's) but remember you can vote for more than one joke, so, please, if you want to vote for me vote for both (14 and 19)!

It's a shame that the Russian dolls one and the Glass coffin aren't original.
But I don't know why they let in the likes of the Battery Acid or the Antenna one as they are very well known.

Having said that I have heard a few of the original ones elsewhere or at least close variations.
I suppose that's bound to happen with these word play jokes.
Many of the same ideas are going to be thought of by different people.

Quote: Tony Cowards @ July 2 2010, 10:18 AM BST

imagine if there was a lyric writing competition and someone just entered the lyrics to "Yesterday".

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They would get beaten by the person who sent in the lyrics to "Up Town Girl".

Good Luck, will vote tonight.

Just Voted for Tonys 2 & one other original one I liked.
Good luck.

Just voted for you Tony, and a vote for Mr Bromage too.

There's some funny jokes on that page... and, interestingly, I think they're almost exclusively the ones Tony has listed as being original.

Jokes you've heard 100 times just aren't as funny in my opinion... all the more reason Highlight shouldn't really be encouraging people to submit jokes that they didn't come up with themselves.

How come this competition wasn't listed on the site before the final? I thought this was the hot bed of comedy?

I'd have copied and pasted a couple of Jimmmy Carr's jokes myself if I'd known about it. I might even have tried to think of a couple of original jokes too for 5 grand!

Quote: AngieBaby @ July 2 2010, 10:52 PM BST

How come this competition wasn't listed on the site before the final? I thought this was the hot bed of comedy?

I'd have copied and pasted a couple of Jimmmy Carr's jokes myself if I'd known about it. I might even have tried to think of a couple of original jokes too for 5 grand!

View original

If you're talking about on the homepage or BCG Twitter etc, I didn't publicise this comp on there because I didn't think the ethics behind the competition were good. That said, I'm starting to wish I'd stuck some of Carr's gags in myself... I could do with £5k!

BCG Twit? Do you mean Sootyj? He's not been on here much.

(only joking Soots, you know I love ya!)

Mark, I don't bother with that homepage / Tweeting nonsense, straight to the forums I am.

Quote: AngieBaby @ July 2 2010, 11:16 PM BST

Mark, I don't bother with that homepage / Tweeting nonsense, straight to the forums I am.

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Ah, you're one of those! My long term plan is to try and get you lot to check out the homepage - it can be interesting sometimes, if I do say so myself!

How about a compromise... come into BCG via this route? https://www.comedy.co.uk/?t=forum

Anyway, I'm going off topic... good luck to Tony and those that do have a self-made joke in this Highlight contest!