Nominations now open for the 2015 Bullshitty Awards

There is so much bullshit out there. Which of it is the most awful? What bullshit is doing the most harm?

It’s time to find out.

Today, I begin accepting nominations for the 2015 Bullshitty awards. I will continue to accept nominations from now through August 15. I will announce winners in September.

Since I expect you’re all avidly curious about this, I’ll answer your questions now

Why in hell would you do this?

I want to bring awareness to the problem of bullshit and why it’s overwhelming the content we all consume. I would like to tap the power of the crowd to find the most egregious crap out there. I make trouble for your enjoyment and education; it’s my job.

What kinds of bullshit are you seeking?

Articles, blog posts, emails (both internal and marketing/sales), graphics, statistics, reports, social media postings (bullshitty tweets, for example), web pages, and anything else you come across. If you can read it and I can see it, I want it.

Suppose I find something worthy. What do I do? Will they know I submitted it?

Just send me a nomination using the Bullshitties form. If it’s easier to email me, send or forward it josh at bernoff dotcom, include the words “award nomination” in the subject line, and indicate which category it belongs in.

No one will know who submitted it. You’ll be able to bask smugly and anonymously in the warm thanks of a grateful nation.

Please don’t submit pages or blog posts from my own web site. I am unable to evaluate them objectively.

What are the criteria?

I’m looking for blatant lies, excessive use of passive voice, generally offensiveness, hypocrisy, innuendo, jargon, obvious content presented as insight (“duh”), overgeneralization, overly wordy text, spurious statistics, and weasel words. And anything else you think fits the description “bullshit.”

I plan to develop a set of specific criteria that will allow me to compare entries. If you have suggestions for these, post it in the comments.

What do they win?

What do you think they should win? Keep in mind that I’d prefer to avoid lawsuits.

Who will pick the winners?

Let me see how many nominations come in and I’ll design a process that fits the level of volume and interest. (This isn’t my first awards process.) It will be some combination of a public vote and deliberations among a few experts I’m vetting. If you like slogging through shit, let me know and I’ll consider you.

Who made you the king of bullshit?

Want to challenge me? Start your own awards. But I’ve already locked up bullshitties.com.

What will you do now?

Strap on my hip-waders. And based on today’s reaction, start a dialogue on criteria, process, awards, and so on, in tomorrow’s post.

What should I do now?

Keep an eye out. And share this post, so it reaches as many potential nominators as possible.

Photo: “What You See May Not Be Real” by Chen Wenling, photo via Impressive Magazine, H/T David Johnson and Robert E. Lane