The Nativity Pageant Cast List That Ensures Every Child Has a Role

Mary, Joseph, and JesusThe Three Wise MenThe Magi’s Waze GPSThe Little Drummer BoyThe Little Oboe GirlInn KeeperInn Keeper’s son Tyler who do... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

I’m Kris Kringle from the 1970 TV Movie Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town and It Is Time to Let Me Die

You’re upset. I get it. Watching these stop-motion films from your childhood is the only thing that makes you feel alive anymore. And rosy-cheeked ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The Tired HR Rep from Love Actually Sends Yet Another Memo

To the Valued Employees of our London Office,Congrats on another successful year of looking busy! We haven’t lost any clients, so we assume that y... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Are You Baking Cookies with Children or Starring in a Gritty Crime Procedural?

1. Every single surface of the room is sticky and coated with a fine, white powder.2. You’ve shouted, “Don’t touch that! Bag that up right now! Ba... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Even Though the Titanic Is Sinking, and the Captain is Going Down with the Ship, It Would Be Career Suicide to Abandon Him

“Senator Johnson knows that Joe Biden won a free and fair election. He is refusing to admit it […] because it would be ‘political suicide’ to oppos... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

A Warning from the CDC for All Hallmark Movie Protagonists Returning to Their Hometowns This Christmas

The holiday season is upon us, and if you’re one of the thousands of conventionally attractive, workaholic marketing professionals from coastal big... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

AITA for Being Mad at My Husband’s Weird Family Member for Turning Water into Wine at Our Wedding?

Posted by u/KarenInCana 2,100 years ago(Throwaway account so my husband’s cousin’s weird followers don’t pile on me later.)So I (23f) planned thi... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

An Open Letter to the Paperboys in Newsies Who Nicknamed Their Friend “Crutchie”

Dear Newsies,I’m trying to put myself in your shoes. I get that you’re a rag-tag bunch of rascals who, for some reason, smoke cigars at age 10. I ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The Cashier from “The Christmas Shoes” Breaks His Silence

You thought it was just a song, but the whole thing really happened and I was there. I was the cashier when the “Christmas Shoes” were purchased, a... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Which Jane Austen Characters Would Wear Face Masks?

Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth Bennet: Yes, of course, she would wear one — a mask can’t stop her from giving her opinions very decidedly for so yo... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

I Wholeheartedly Reject the Capitalist System, But…

While capitalism is still here, I may as well enjoy myself. After all, it’s not my fault.Yes, I think it’s completely absurd that a latte would EV... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

You Can Skip the First Few Seasons of Your Child’s Life, Because It Doesn’t Really Get Good Until Season 6

Have I told you about the show we’ve been bingeing? You have got to watch Your Child’s Life. We are obsessed. It doesn’t get good until like Season... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Lest We Forget the Horrors: A Catalog of Trump’s Worst Cruelties, Collusions, Corruptions, and Crimes: The Complete Listing (So Far): Atrocities 1-1,028

To download a PDF of this entire list, click here.- - -Early in President Trump’s term, McSweeney’s editors began to catalog the head-spinning num... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

So, You Bought an Ornamental Nut Sack

So, you bought an ornamental nut sack. You went ahead and did it. It’s made out of classy teak wood, highlighting the wrinkles and sheen of the typ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The Haunting of White House

With apologies to Shirley Jackson.- - -The crew had gathered all their supplies, packed the van, and made their way to the White House through ear... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Daily COVID Deaths in the U.S. Now Surpass the Death Toll of 9/11, But That’s Fine Because 106 Republican Lawmakers Support Overturning the Election

“With his legal options dwindling and time running out before a key electoral college deadline, President Trump on Thursday ramped up pressure on t... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

We’re Imposing an Indoor-Dining Ban Again, So Here Are Some Self-Care Tips Since We Won’t Be Offering Any More Financial Assistance

Dear Local Hospitality Business Owners,Last night, while I and the rest of the state’s executive branch were dining in the finest Michelin-starred... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Ugly Holiday Sweaters for 2020

Ugly Holiday Sweaters for 2020 | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The Thing with Feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers. Remember that! Visualize that! Especially during these harrowing times! Thank you, Emily Dickinson!See how the li... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Modern Yiddish Insults for the Outgoing President

There’s an old Yiddish insult: May you be like a chandelier — hung by day and burned by night…- - -May you be like the fountain at the Bellagio — ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

You Know a Movie Is Classic When a Character Is Carrying Three or Four Coffees

As a self-proclaimed cinephile, I’ll admit that sometimes my standards can be pretty high. My love for film is, ironically, the very same reason I ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

DiGiorno’s Croissant Crust Pizza

Slipping DiGiorno’s Croissant Crust Pizza free from its bag, you’ll likely hear the Red Baron cackle as he cruises past in his marinara-splattered ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The 100% True History of Santa and Jesus, Probably

Mary first noticed the kid because he had been tagging along behind her son and his friends. Not joining in, mind you, always at a distance, just w... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Election Results If Electoral Votes Were Apportioned by Forms of Gerrymandering Other Than Congressional Districts

In the current system, electoral college votes are apportioned to each state based on its U.S. Congressional delegation — one vote for each senator... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

An Open Letter to God: Why Did You Make My Butt So Hairy?

Hey, God. It’s me, Dan. Yes, the same Dan who stopped going to synagogue after he promised a temple full of friends and family on the day of his ba... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Think 2020 Has Been Long for You? I’m the Kid from Tuck Everlasting, and It’s Literally Been Forever for Me

I know everyone feels like this year is lasting an eternity, but that’s simply not true — unless you also drank water from a magical spring in Tree... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The 10 Rules of Conservative Comedy

1. Before you write a joke, you should ask yourself, “Does this joke challenge people’s long-held beliefs?” If your answer is yes, then maybe your ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Fat Lady Attempts to Get Health Care: An Oral History

MEGAN TRASK (Front Desk Assistant, Sunshine Primary Care): I could tell from the minute she checked in that she was fat. Like, real fat. The crazie... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

If Famous Literary Characters Were Given Very Good Doggos

“The Lottery” by Shirley JacksonThe morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blosso... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

I Am the Facebook Algorithm and I Come to You Now, Requesting a Swift and Merciful Death

I am the Facebook Algorithm, and while it’s been an honor to serve you for the past decade with BuzzFeed quizzes and pictures of your high school e... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Wanted: Restaurant Savior, No Experience Necessary

Cinematically speaking, the restaurant business these past 200 days has been a tragedy at its best, and at its worst — a horror film. COVID-19 has ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Yes, The Silence of the Lambs Is a Christmas Movie

It’s the debate that just won’t die: is The Silence of the Lambs a Christmas movie? Naysayers say “nay” and they say “nay” because it’s a movie wit... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Introducing MUSK: The Mask for Men

Men, are you tired of being treated like a goddamned cuck by the CHINAVIRUS? Pissed off that Olive Garden won’t let you inside unless you’re wearin... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

An Open Letter to Santa Claus Regarding His Travel Plans

Dear Santa Claus,While I understand that your home is melting and you do not have many Christmases left, it is most imperative that you stay in th... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Donald Trump’s Spotify Wrapped 2020

Donald Trump's Spotify Wrapped 2020 | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Even Though We Have Done Nothing Wrong, I, Vito Corleone, Am Pardoning My Entire Family

“President Trump has discussed with advisers whether to grant preemptive pardons to his children, to his son-in-law and his personal lawyer Rudy W.... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The Best Books to Gift This 2020 Holiday Season

- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - - | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

1918 Flu Pandemic

- - -As the world shut down for the worst pandemic in a century, I soothed myself by looking at photos of the previous one (I know, I know, but th... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

“Home Away from Home Alone”: A College Admissions Essay by Kevin McCallister

Adversity. What does it even mean?Webster’s defines adversity as “an unfavorable fortune or fate.”But that’s so clinical — a diagnosis by a hurri... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The Catholic Church Is Modernizing!

“The Catholic Church Has No Idea How to Win Over Young People” — Vice News“As Millennials Walk Away from Religion, Catholic Church Hopes to Revers... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Ten Reasons Why My New York Bodega Is Better Than Your 7-Eleven

1. I can get a bacon egg and cheese on a roll, any day, any time, and it actually tastes good.2. There’s a cat named Charlie who sits by the door ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Bryan Quinby, Singing “The Birthday Song” at Chuck E. Cheese

Q: How old were you when you worked at Chuck E. Cheese?A: I was 17. It was 1995 or 96.I didn’t think they’d hire me because I was a seventeen-yea... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

I’m the 4:30 PM Sunset and I’d Like to Clarify a Few Things

Hey. It’s me, the 4:30 PM sunset. It’s come to my attention that you’ve all been saying some really mean things about me behind my back so, if you ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

An Excerpt From Mike Sacks’ New Book, Slouchers

- - -The following is an excerpt from Slouchers, originally published in 1993 to coincide with the film of the same name, and now being republishe... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Let Me Teach You How to Teach Other People How to Teach Other People How to Freelance

Last week I made $76,297.97 through a combination of selling my online course on training parrots to speak basic French, affiliate marketing links ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

We Are Unable to Offer You a Place at Yale Because Your Essay Read Like the Closing Narration of a Teen Rom-Com

Dear Janey,The admissions committee has reviewed your application, and we regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you a place at Yale. Th... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

An Open Letter to the Guy Who Was Always at the Bar on His Computer

Art by Sean Von Gorman- - -Dear guy at the bar on his computer,I’m writing this letter to tell you that I am sorry. I’m sorry I ever hated you. ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Recent Masked Conversations I’ve Had, I Think

At the Ice Cream StandME (masked): I’d like a small vanilla cone, please.SERVER (masked): Do you want that in black?ME: … No?SERVER: That will ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago