After a great inaugural run last year, we once again asked you, our community of readers and writers, to submit their favorite pieces from the year. We gathered the opinions and selections of nearly a hundred of you and then used our certified “Looks Legit to Me” bot scanning system to conclude that this poll is the most free, fair, and legitimate election conducted by a short humor website this year!
These are the eight pieces that ran in 2025 that you and/or your untraceable bot armies liked best, arranged by publication date. Thanks to everyone who participated, and thanks again for a great year of writing!
And if you haven’t already, check out the Best of PIC 2025 list compiled by our editors!
A Checklist for the Babysitter
Ryan Burkett | January 8, 2025
A lot of you enjoyed this piece from the first week of the year, with its slow burn strangeness and silly reveals. Great taste, you all!
Relaxing Vacation Spots for Moms
Elizabeth Simone | February 15, 2025
Elizabeth’s listicle strikes just the right tone, affecting a cheeriness to contrast with the vacation tips. And it builds really well to a great final note, or as one of you observed, “Perfect ending on general anesthesia.”
Don’t Be Nervous on Your First Day of Time Travel Because You Retired Yesterday After Fifty Years and We’re All Going to Miss You
Ryan Burkett | April 2, 2025
A moment of synergy between reader and editor here: Ryan’s piece was one of our picks and one of your picks! We all agreed with the comment one of you made: “Amazing writing!”
How to Determine Whether the Person You’re on a First Date With Is Actually Shaquille O’Neal in Disguise
Tyler Gooch | July 15, 2025
One of the comments about Tyler’s piece noted that it “starts silly and escalates to even greater heights. I think about this piece all the time.” Reader, we’re right there with you.
I Am Totally Comfortable with This Awkward Silence
Viktoria Shulevich | August 8, 2025
A lot of comments for this one! The word “relatable” came up a lot, along with compliments for the writer, like the evocative note, “Viktoria makes these deft stealth taps on the funny-bone that continue to surprise and delight.”
But our favorite comment about this one was the person who simply restated the title: “I am totally uncomfortable with awkward silences.” Turns out the title works as an endorsement, too.
I Am Willing to Grow Out My Hair for the Right Part
Ryan Burkett | September 4, 2025
A lot of you enjoyed this exploration of performatively coy narcissism. A lot of lessons in this one from Ryan to take into the new year.
The Technology Is Just Not Ready to Fake Another Moon Landing
Talia Argondezzi | October 21, 2025
Talia’s piece is a very fun update on an old crackpot theory—a lot of us seem nostalgic these days for a time when conspiracies were still a little fun. This piece is also a nice New Year’s resolution: can we improve this faking tech in 2026? How about it, science?
The Devil Couldn’t Reach You, So He Sent Us to Play Our Phones on Full Volume
Emily Bressler | November 20, 2025
Emily’s piece is full of great lines, including this one you quoted in the comments: “’You can’t escape us by changing cars. The devil isn’t bound by a prison of flesh.’” But ultimately what made this piece stick for you was that is was recognizable: “We all can relate to people who do this!”
More Humor
A Humble Wayfarer’s Petition to Craig, Earl of the Hertz Car Rental Counter
What to Expect at GrainFed Group’s Single Day of Service
