In journalism, there's a phrase you'll often hear that refers to the paragraph toward the beginning of a story that sums it all up in a nutshell. We call it the "nut graph," and as you're about to read, it's a term that's never been more appropriate than in the case of Joshua Shoemake's current project on Kickstarter.
Shoemake is looking to crowdfund $20,000 for the first production run of Snowballs, a specially designed pair of men's underwear loaded with ice packs that cool down the scrotum and testes in hopes of increasing sperm count and mobility (and ergo, fertility)
At first glance, this chilling concept had "hoax" written all over it. But as it turns out, the medical research the campaign cites regarding the benefits of orb-icing when it comes to fostering a more sperm-friendly scrotal environment is legit. A definitive 1984 study can be found in the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health.
In fact, Shoemake isn't alone in pursuing the dream of keeping the boys controlled and cool. A patch available in the U.K. uses menthol to create the same effect, as well as some weird new associations with that familiar, minty aroma.
A pledge of $55 or more gets backers to the Kickstarter campaign a "Snowballs Pack" that includes "3 pair of our organic cotton boxer-briefs, (and) 3 of our specially designed SnowWedges." But that's not all! The pack also includes (a potentially awesome stocking stuffer on its own), "our informative booklet, 'A Gentleman's Guide to Cooling.'"
So far, nearly 30 apparently overheated gentlemen have signed up, already putting Shoemake and Snowballs more than 10 percent of the way toward their goal.
That's certainly a great start, but I have to think this campaign would have met its goal in just few hours had it launched in the middle of July. Heck, I advise any man planning a summertime trip to Houston to bring along a pack, regardless of your sperm situation.
Watch the video below for the full Snowballs pitch.