'YOU ARE SO NASHVILLE IF YOU DIG UP YOUR MOM.'

The humor is strictly Nashville, and that's fine by a weekly alternative publication called the Nashville Scene. The paper is sponsor to the wildly popular "You are so Nashville if ...." contest that drew more than 1,000 entries this year.

The Southeast Missourian's new "You are so Swampeast Missouri if..." contest mimics the Nashville success. The local contest runs through Sept. 19, and entry forms are available in the newspaper each Friday and Sunday.

Adam Ross, operations assistant and contributing writer, said the contest began about nine years ago and grows both in popularity and entries each year.

Unlike the "You might be a Redneck if..." phenomenon, most of the jokes are specific to Nashville.

The first place winner was: "You are so Nashville if you dig up your mom."

Come again?

It's a twist off the true story of Tammy Wynette's daughters, who had their late mother unearthed to redo the autopsy, said Ross.

He said local people understand jokes like "You are so Nashville if you drive like George Jones" or "You are so Nashville if you actually think you have a shot at Amy Grant."

The edition with the winning entries is one of the most popular of the year. "It's really turned into a cultural event," he said. "People call me throughout the year about it."

The winner of this year's contest, Nashville native Richard Hagey, had this to say about the contest: "The great thing about Nashville is it's a city that's not afraid to laugh at itself."

Added Ross, "This is one event that cuts to the heart of what the city is about."