The Reviewer Comment Hall of Fame 💔🤣

root

Let’s spill the tea on peer reviews — the comments that made us laugh, cry… or both.
Join us as we dive into the rollercoaster world of academic paper reviews!

The Reviewer Comment Hall of Fame.png

Welcome to the “Not-Lying-Flat” Academic Salon

Forget boring conferences—this is your backstage pass to the researchers’ real life:

🥹 The frustration of getting rejected by Reviewer #2
The laugh-out-loud absurdity of unexpected comments
The joy of sharing and munching on academic melons online

🧨 Theme of the Day:

What’s the most unforgettable comment you've received on a paper submission?

Leave your story in the comments below. Let's roast or toast those legendary lines together!

Section 1: Brutal but… kinda funny?

Here are some iconic reviewer burns that left authors speechless:

️ "Reject – More holes than my grandad’s string vest!"
—Ouch. That paper must’ve been a sieve. 🧺

️ "This paper is desperate. Please reject it completely and then block the author’s email ID..."
—This reviewer didn’t just reject the paper—they wanted the author excommunicated.

️ "The biggest problem with this manuscript... is the terrible writing style."
—Reviewer nearly lost the will to live. No pressure

️ Section 2: Genuine Gems of Encouragement

Sometimes, a reviewer becomes your biggest cheerleader. These comments melted our hearts:

"There was little I could think of to improve. A top-notch paper."
—The dream review every academic hopes for!

"It is always a joy to review manuscripts such as this. Well edited. Clean. Pristine. From start to finish."
—Who needs a warm blanket when you have this kind of validation?

"Very much enjoyed reading this one, and do not have any significant comments. Wish I had thought of this one."
—Bless this reviewer. Truly.

Section 3: The Slap-Then-Clap Combo

Let’s talk about that time a reviewer said your work wasn’t good enough for CVPR,
but you submitted it to NeurIPS unchanged… and it got accepted

And then there’s the classic:

"Please cite this paper..."
…which turned out to be the author's own paper ‍️

🧑‍ Section 4: The Helicopter Reviewer (a.k.a. the “Academic Parent”)

These reviewers didn’t just give feedback.
They rewrote the rules, flagged typos, corrected tables, and helped you pass your thesis defense early.

One PhD recalls:

“They even spotted my duplicated table rows and missing columns.
I was annoyed at first, but now I light incense for them every semester.”

They’re strict, but we love them. 🫡

Final Thoughts: The Academic Review Spectrum

From savage to saintly, reviewers paint a wild picture of the academic jungle:

Some wield red pens like swords
Others offer kindness like rare drops of sunshine ️
A few… just want to make sure you cite their stuff

What About You?

Have you ever received a comment that made you:

🤯 Scream internally?
Fall out of your chair?
Frame it on your wall?

Drop it below! Let’s laugh (and cry) together in this glorious mess called peer review.

🧪 Stay curious. Stay caffeinated. And always read your reviews with a grain of salt... or a bucket 🧂

CSPaper: peer review sidekick