Carrie Underwood jokes, NFL picks, wild reader stories — and a sunrise upload that Americans now depend on.
Some people start Thanksgiving with turkey.
Others start it with football.
But thousands — and growing every single year — now start it with Joe Kinsey’s Screencaps, a morning ritual that has quietly become one of the most comforting, chaotic, and uniquely American traditions of the holiday season.
This Thanksgiving, Kinsey kept the streak alive.
Before the sun rose.
Before the parade rolled.
Before ovens warmed and before families gathered around sofas and tables across the country.
At 5:00 a.m. — while most of America was still catching a few hours of final pre-holiday sleep — Screencaps dropped. And the nation’s most loyal, caffeine-charged readers exhaled in relief.
The streak was intact.
And so was the magic.
A Tradition That Happened by Accident — And Then Became Essential
The story of Screencaps is almost comically simple: a guy with a sense of humor, a passion for sports and culture, and a talent for turning reader submissions into entertainment gold began publishing daily morning recaps. Funny photos, strange moments, viewer submissions, jokes, screenshots, and slices of life from all corners of America.
But something happened along the way.
People didn’t just enjoy Screencaps.
They began to rely on it.
Especially on days like Thanksgiving — a day where nostalgia, community, and routine matter more than ever.
“Thanksgiving without Screencaps just doesn’t feel right,” one longtime reader wrote this year. “Before the parade, before football, before anything — I need that morning laugh and that reminder that this country is full of characters.”
This year, Kinsey delivered again.
And the readers? They came pouring in like they always do.
Carrie Underwood Jokes: The Unofficial Opening Act
The surprise highlight of the Thanksgiving edition came, as it often does, in the form of Carrie Underwood jokes.
Somehow Kinsey manages to work the country superstar into Screencaps with the precision of a seasoned comedian and the enthusiasm of a fan who genuinely loves the chaos she brings to pop-culture headlines.
This year’s edition featured a fresh round of Carrie-centric humor — playful jabs, good-spirited riffs, and that patented wink-and-nudge tone that Screencaps readers have come to expect.
“Guaranteed,” Kinsey joked at one point, “somewhere right now Carrie Underwood is out-working all of us before breakfast.”
Readers ate it up faster than the pumpkin pie cooling on the counter.
Carrie Underwood trends on Thanksgiving because of two things:
- Her always-legendary NFL Thanksgiving performances.
- Joe Kinsey turning her into the unofficial mascot of Midwest self-awareness and holiday energy.
As one reader said, “Forget Taylor Swift. Carrie is the real queen of Thanksgiving — and Kinsey knows it.”
NFL Picks: Chaos, Confidence, and Tradition
No Thanksgiving edition of Screencaps would be complete without NFL picks, and Kinsey delivered a slate that felt equal parts analysis, comedy, and heartfelt tribute to the bizarre beauty of holiday football.
From the early games to the prime-time showdown, Kinsey’s picks were the perfect blend of:
- Mildly risky predictions
- Reader-submitted superstition rituals
- Historical shake-your-head stats
- Hope
- Humor
- And the always-present acknowledgment that Thanksgiving football is less about accuracy and more about tradition
One reader described it perfectly: “Kinsey’s NFL picks aren’t just picks. They’re Thanksgiving ambiance.”
Another wrote: “I trust Kinsey more than I trust half the commentators on TV. At least he warns me before his predictions go off the rails.”
This year’s predictions came wrapped in exactly the kind of energy that Screencaps is built on — confident enough to be interesting, self-aware enough to be funny, and grounded enough to be relatable.
Wild Reader Stories: The Backbone of Screencaps
But the true soul of Screencaps — and what makes the Thanksgiving edition feel like a cozy annual gathering — are the reader submissions.
This year’s edition brought:
- A guy who deep-fried a turkey with questionable safety gear
- A woman who discovered her in-laws’ secret household rule: “If it jiggles, don’t eat it”
- A family that built a turkey-themed slip-and-slide for reasons no one can quite explain
- A reader who finally admitted he prefers store-bought mashed potatoes and begged the Screencaps community for protection
- A photo of a backyard football field that looked like the unholy marriage of the NFL and a tailgate festival
- A grandpa who fell asleep in front of the TV during last year’s game and woke up convinced he was “late for school”
These are not polished stories.
They are American stories.
The type of stories that remind readers that their chaos is not unique — in fact, it’s shared.
Screencaps readers are a tribe.
A slightly wild tribe.
A tribe with no shame about sending in photos that probably should never be archived for future generations.
And that’s why thousands show up every morning, especially on holidays.
It feels like sitting around a table with people you don’t fully understand — but absolutely love.
Why It Works: Comfort, Community, and The Art of Showing Up
There are bigger publications, flashier platforms, and louder voices on the internet.
But the reason Screencaps works — and the reason thousands of people started Thanksgiving with it again this year — comes down to something very simple:
Joe Kinsey shows up.
Holiday or not.
Rain or shine.
Weekday or weekend.
Traveling or home.
Burnt-out or energized.
5:00 a.m. or earlier, if necessary.
He shows up.
And in a world where content is disposable, schedules are flexible, and online communities often feel artificial, Kinsey represents the opposite:
- Reliability
- Routine
- Presence
- Authenticity
The Thanksgiving edition is proof of that. It’s not overly produced. Not overly polished. Not trying to be profound.
It’s just real.
A morning slice of American life.
Funny, messy, heartfelt, weird, and warm.
Just like Thanksgiving itself.
“Holiday Comfort Content at Its Finest” — And Readers Agree
The comment section, inbox, and social-media reactions said it all.
Some called it “my Thanksgiving calm before the family storm.”
Others said it was “the only constant in this year of chaos.”
One reader summed it up in a way that felt like the thesis of Screencaps itself:
“Thanksgiving morning doesn’t start until Kinsey hits publish. It’s comfort food for the brain.”
And it’s true.
Screencaps has achieved something rare: it has become a genuine seasonal tradition without ever trying to be one.
It’s simply a guy, telling stories, sharing laughs, and creating a place where readers feel like friends.
The Streak Continues
As the sun finally rose across the country, ovens clicked on, and living rooms filled with the smell of rosemary, butter, and nostalgia, one thing was already clear:
Another Thanksgiving had officially begun — because Screencaps had begun.
The streak lives.
The readers rejoice.
And Joe Kinsey remains the unofficial, undefeated sunrise king of Thanksgiving morning.
Because for thousands of people — maybe tens of thousands now — the holiday doesn’t start with turkey.
It starts with a scroll.
A laugh.
A ridiculous story about a broken oven or a rogue turkey leg.
A Carrie Underwood joke.
An NFL pick that might or might not ruin a parlays.
It starts with Screencaps.
Holiday comfort content at its finest.
And something tells us next year, Kinsey will be right there again — before dawn, coffee in hand, ready to press “Publish” and start Thanksgiving the only way his readers know how.
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