Fifth anniversary of NT News’ ‘Why I stuck a cracker up my clacker’ front page

BELIEVE it or not, it’s the fifth anniversary of arguably the most famous front page in the history of the NT News (and possibly journalism)

Believe it or not, it’s the fifth anniversary of arguably the most famous front page in the history of the NT News (and possibly journalism).

The “Why I stuck a cracker up my clacker” front page story became an immediate classic and won its headline writer a Walkley, the highest award in Australian journalism (no, we’re not kidding).

This NT News front page still gets talked about today.

Then-editor Matt Cunningham said the bare bones of the story were reported in the paper the previous day.

“I remember saying in the morning that we needed to find this bloke because I wanted to run a headline along the lines of ‘Why I stuck a cracker up my arse’. Then (Deputy Editor Paul) Dyer pops up with “Why I stuck a cracker up my clacker”, and the rest is history. Although we are still yet to determine why old mate has a snake wrapped around the beer he is skolling in that picture.”

Cunningham then entered the headline — along with two other Dyer classics — in the Walkleys of behalf of his unsuspecting deputy.

Dyer was promptly named a finalist and went on to win the prestigious Headline of the Year award.

The win prompted much outrage from ABC types, several of whom haughtily took to Twitter to say Dyer’s — and the NT News’ — victory had demeaned the coveted award.

As he accepted the award Dyer, himself, dryly commented: “I think I’ve single-handedly ruined the reputations of both the Walkleys and the NT News by winning this.”

Below is the story, which first appeared in the NT News on July 31, 2012.

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A MAN who suffered serious burns when friends lit a firecracker in his bum says he was just showing his visiting mates a Territory good time.

Alex Bowden, 23, of Wagaman, Darwin, put a spinning “flying bee” winged firework in his butt crack during a party at a rented house on Rossiter St, Rapid Creek on Saturday night.

Alex Bowden stuck a firecracker up his clacker. Picture: Facebook.

His mate Todd Lovell lit the fuse.

“I had a few lads up from Queensland and I had to put on a good show,” he told the NT News from his hospital bed.

“I just had a few beers with the boys and let off a few firecrackers.

“And I put one in my arse.”

Mr Bowden was wearing trousers at the time and took it standing up.

“It didn’t burn my balls or my back,” the fitter and turner said. “Just my fingers and my arse. “It was a pretty loose one, hey.”

The cracker burned his bum cheeks, and his index, middle, and ring fingers on his right hand – which he used to pull the cracker from his crack.

Mr Bowden was not bleeding after it and he could walk afterwards.

His mate Reece McEwen said: “He screamed a little bit and there were a fair few f-words”.

But Mr Bowden denied that there were tears.

“You can’t sit here crying,” he said.

His sober mate then drove him to the Royal Darwin Hospital burns unit where he is expected to remain for a few days.

He was in a stable condition last night.

His only request was “a big shout-out to the boys in Dalby” — the Queensland town where he grew up.

Mr Bowen said his mother “thought it was funny”.

“It’s not as bad as everyone is saying,” he said.

The police confiscated the fireworks when they arrived at the house.

But the party could expect a $282 fine from NT Police for setting off fireworks outside of Territory Day.