A weekly competition hosted by
the Washington Post. It appears on Sundays (except when it is on hiatus), in the Style section. Ostensibly, a way to burn a few
column inches in the already outsized periodical, the Invitational often includes humor of the most
offensive,
imaginative,
witty,
stupid, generally
hilarious sort.
Each week two sections are published. The first is the new contest, usually proposed by a reader. This is often a word game or other sort of cerebral (used loosely) challenge. The second section is the results of the contest initiated several weeks previously. Several runners-up are highlighted, and a first-place winner anointed. This winner typically is awarded some sort of booby prize (also usually submitted by a reader). The remainder of the column is just that, as many of the better remaining entries as are required to fill in Tony Kornheiser's shortfall for the week.
Irony: One does not actually have to be invited to participate in the Style Invitational.