Bush takes honours in World Stupidity Awards

U.S. President George Bush is a big winner in this year's World Stupidity Awards, joining the likes of the entire petroleum industry and Vice President Dick Cheney as the recipients of top honours.

Bush was nominated in several categories, including Stupidest Statement of the Year and Most Out of Touch with Reality in the awards roundup which was created to “salute achievement in ignorance and stupidity.”

But the big winner, taking home the prize for the flagship category Stupidest Man of the Year, was District Judge Donald Thompson.

Known as the “Oklahoma Penis Pump Judge,” Thompson operated a powerful penis pump underneath his robes — while court was in session — during at least three trials. He was convicted on June 29 of four counts of felony indecent exposure.

The awards, now in their fourth year, were created by Canadian actor, director and journalist Albert Nerenberg who worked with the philosophy that “we're all stupid, some of us just need to have it pointed out.”

He first came up with the idea four years ago while working on a documentary on the subject of stupidity. As a publicity stunt for the film, a mock event called the World Stupidity Awards was held. The event garnered international coverage from mainstream media such as the BBC, and Nerenberg realized he was onto something.

Now in its fourth year, the awards show has continued to garner attention, with nominations submitted online and a panel of judges deciding the winners. Nerenberg hopes it will eventually become an annual television special.

In addition to Bush and Thompson, there are other worthy winners this year.

Harry Whittington won the Stupidest Statement of the Year award, for apologizing after Vice-President Dick Cheney shot him during a hunting outing.

“My family and I are deeply sorry for all that Vice President Cheney and his family have had to go through this past week,” Whittington said at the time, still weak and visibly bruised from the birdshot that Cheney peppered him with.

Whittington beat out Mel Gibson's statement: “What do you think you're looking at, sugar tits?” which he made to a female sergeant following his arrest for drunk driving.

Not to be outdone, Cheney took his own award, winning the “Dumbest Moment of the Year” award for the act of shooting Whittington.

The petroleum industry took honours for reckless endangerment of the planet, and Fox News was recognized for having “Best Furthered Ignorance,” in the world.

Basic Instinct 2, starring Sharon Stone, beat out Little Man and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, among others, to take the title of Stupidest Movie of the Year.

Stupidest Trend of the Year was won cleanly by “Killing people for God.”

Bush took honours in the category of “Stupidest Statement by George W. Bush.” The president's televised statement to FEMA director Michael Brown during the Hurricane Katrina devastation: “Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job,” won easily.

Bush also won for being Most out of Touch with Reality.

The Middle East won the Lifetime Achievement Award for Stupidity.

Nick Flynn won the award for Making a Stupid Situation Stupider by tripping on his shoelaces, falling down a set of stairs and smashing three antique Chinese vases in a museum. He then criticized the museum for not taking better care of the precious artifacts

Nerenberg is currently finishing off Escape to Canada, a documentary about Americans fleeing their country. Nerenberg is also a series for Discovery Channel about the science of sexual attraction called Why Is It Sexy?