The inaugural National Pun Battle Final will be held in Wellington this coming Saturday. Finalist Jeremy Warne explains to Jesse how the competition is judged and why the audience will be left cringing as the country's best punsters fight it out for the national title.
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Jeremy says he picked up puns from his father and believes all good dads pass on the trade to their kids.
“It’s something that’s always resonated with me and I suddenly realised it was something that people were getting together and doing.”
He explains that the format of the competition is “brutal”.
“I sometimes wonder if it’s some kind of vengeance on people who are interested in puns. They get all the best punsters together then put them into this incredibly stressful situation where you have no time to think and just battle it out one by one.”
He says you can say anything as long as it’s a pun. Bad puns still count and bonus points are awarded for puns that make a dig at another person. He says it’s like a rap battle, but nowhere near as cool.
Jeremy says he can’t really remember how he won the regional contest because he “ kind of blacked out on stage.”
“No one was more surprised than I was. It’s definitely a very full on thing.”
He says he will practice for the final by getting together with friends and experimenting with puns.
