Welcome to Chopped: Toddler Dinner Hour

Our contestant tonight is Mom, a 30-something from Virginia and a veteran of the competition. Mom has been the sole competitor on our show this wee... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

45 Facts That Have Become Debatable in 2020, Thanks to Politics

1. The coronavirus is a new disease that can kill people.2. Kamala Harris is a U.S. citizen who is eligible to hold office, including the Vice Pre... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Short Conversations With Poets: Carolyn Forché

Our good friend, poet Ilya Kaminsky, knows contemporary poetry like no one else. We’re proud to be publishing his mini-reviews and one-question int... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised; It Will Be Broken Down Into Ten-Minute Increments and Streamed On Quibi

With apologies to Gil Scott-Heron- - -You will not be able to plug-in, turn-on, and cop-out, because you can only watch on your phone and will pro... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

I Assure You, the Vaccine Our Administration Is Rushing to Release Is Not Just Three Kids Stacked Under a Trench Coat

In recent weeks, President Trump has promised we’d see a coronavirus vaccine by November 1st, a date which many have called “politically motivated,... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts, Fall 2020

1. Write a self-portraiture to remind yourself, after six months of doomscrolling, that you still possess an unmediated, material form.2. After An... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Victoria Chang

Our good friend, poet Ilya Kaminsky, knows contemporary poetry like no one else. We’re proud to be publishing his mini-reviews and one-question int... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

2020 Election Voting Booth Assembly Instructions

Only polling volunteers may view these instructions. The US Senate commissioned this voting booth design specifically for the 2020 Presidential Ele... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

“COVID Odyssey (Campus Health to Freshman Tom)”

With apologies to David Bowie.- - -Campus Health to Freshman TomCampus Health to Freshman Tom Swab your brain and put your face mask onCampus H... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Scents of Pre-COVID: A New Candle Collection

Introducing SCENTS OF PRE-COVID. Enjoy the nostalgic fragrances of life B.C. (Before COVID) with this new candle collection.- - - | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

A Meditation for Kindergarten Teachers Who Are Teaching In-Person During the Pandemic

Take a moment to get comfortableAnd take a seat in a tiny chairIn your classroomNow that school is done for the day andYou have the room to you... | 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 1-889

To be read before the 2020 Presidential Election. Register to vote here.- - -Early in President Trump’s term, McSweeney’s editors began to catalo... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Encounters from Dungeons and Dragons: 2020 Edition

Uncle Ken posts on Facebook that his Amazon package was stolen by Antifa. Roll a Persuasion check with disadvantage.- - -You come to a T-shaped in... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Why I’m Saving Doctor’s Visits For Marriage

A doctor’s visit is a beautiful thing. It’s a union between a person who needs medical care and a professional who can offer that medical care. But... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Rydell High’s Reopening Plan

Dear Students of Rydell High,After much consideration, we have decided to open for the upcoming school year. We have laid out specific guidelines ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Updated Guidelines for What Not to Wear After Labor Day

Way back in late February, we started to hear rumors about having to lock ourselves inside for three weeks — a length of time that now seems positi... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Biden Family Breakfast, 1951

“My mother has an expression. Clean as a whistle, sharp as a tack.” – Joe Biden“My father had an expression. He said, ‘The only conflict that is w... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

I’m Back In a Relationship With FiveThirtyEight’s Elections Forecast Model, But This Time I Swear He’s Changed

Girls, I have a confession: I’m seeing my ex again. Yep, the model. The FiveThirtyEight elections forecast model — the statistical analysis designe... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

An Excerpt From Mike Sacks’ New Book Passable in Pink: The Novelization

Copyright 1982The following is an excerpt from Passable in Pink: The Novelization, originally published in 1982 to coincide with the film of the ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

I Support a Woman’s Right to Choose Not to Wear a Mask

I’m seeing mandatory mask rules at more stores and restaurants, and as a staunch defender of civil liberties, I’m appalled. The government can’t fo... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Love, American Style: “Boston Marriage” and Beyond

“Today, we have many terms for romantic relationships between women: lesbian, bisexual, same-sex and queer, among others. In the late 1800s and ear... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Are You Going Back?

Lakeland, Florida- - -With national leadership urging schools to reopen this fall despite rising cases of COVID-19, classroom teachers are facing ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

As Democrats, We Must Protect and Uplift People of Means

Recently, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced her endorsement of Rep. Joseph Kennedy III in the Massachusetts Senate primary. Her decision ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Your University Is Here to Help By Offering You More Ways to Pay Your Full, Unreduced Tuition

Dear Students,As we all deal with the greatest challenge our community has ever faced, this university administration is pleased to announce yet a... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Gun Ownership In America: A Flowchart

“Police have charged Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, with murder in connection with the shootings that killed that man and another protester after he drove t... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

I Started School In-Person This Week, and It Was Fine

Salida, Colorado- - -With national leadership urging schools to reopen this fall despite rising cases of COVID-19, classroom teachers are facing b... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

I’m Worried My Quarantine Baby Will Be Stunted

My baby has been in quarantine his whole life, and I’m panicked he will be developmentally stunted. There are so many experiences and enriching act... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

We Should Not Punish White Teens for Their Naïve Acts of Terrorism

“Are we really surprised that looting and arson accelerated to murder? How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintai... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Will You Really Miss Me?

- - -AUTHOR NOTEI have been collecting scrap materials for over 25 years. Gathered from crowded junk drawers, dusty supply closets, and the... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

In Suspense

Lexington, Massachusetts- - -With national leadership urging schools to reopen this fall despite rising cases of COVID-19, classroom teachers are ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Is This How Running Is Supposed to Feel?

Thanks for going on my first run with me. Just wondering. Are my feet supposed to feel like I’m smashing them into a pit of burning coals?Yeah? Co... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Monday MorningToad woke up.In his bed was last night’s dinner plate.And last night’s water glass.And last week’s pile of laundry.“Drat!” Toad ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Nihilist Dad Jokes, Part 3

Why couldn’t my bicycle stand up by itself? It was two tired!It lies rusting in my garage, a reminder that everything once young and shining will ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The Parents’ Guide to Kama Sutra During a Pandemic

#109, Takeout: To achieve orgasm, fuck dinner. Order takeout.#467, Passive Couch: To achieve orgasm, sit on opposite sides of the couch and watch ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

It Must Be Different, But Will It Be?

Maple Valley, Washington- - -With national leadership urging schools to reopen this fall despite rising cases of COVID-19, classroom teachers are ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

I Worked in Trump’s White House and I Want a Book Deal to Share the Horrors I Did Nothing to Stop

Dear esteemed literary agent,I worked in President Donald Trump’s White House and I’m seeking representation for my tell-all book, in which I’ll r... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Beaver of Fine Arts: “Welcome Back! Your Classroom Is Down the Page and to the Left”

Beaver of Fine Arts: "Welcome Back! Your Classroom Is Down the Page and to the Left" | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

This Is Your University President Reminding You That You Have Until September 14th to Infect Someone in Our College Town With COVID

Dear Students,Due to our adjusted schedule this year, certain deadlines may have escaped your notice, so please consider the following changes fro... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

“New Jersey Will Also Never Die,” By David Puddy

“… This is one of the toughest times we’ve had in quite a while. But one thing I know for sure: The last thing we need in the thick of so many chal... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Folded Lab Aprons

Greenbelt, Maryland- - -With national leadership urging schools to reopen this fall despite rising cases of COVID-19, classroom teachers are facin... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Reasons to Visit Ashtabula, Ohio, Other Than It Being Mentioned In Bob Dylan’s “You’re Going to Make Me Lonesome When You Go”

We’re so glad that you’re considering spending some time in bustling little Ashtabula, Ohio. Most likely, you’re here because you’re a big Bob Dyla... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Frog and Toad Tentatively Go Outside After Months In Self-Quarantine

Monday MorningToad woke up.In his bed was last night’s dinner plate.And last night’s water glass.And last week’s pile of laundry.“Drat!” Toad ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The Best Mount Everest Pranks of All Time

Strutting out of your tent in a Hawaiian shirt, hula skirt, and coconut bra, then disconnecting Frank’s oxygen tank.Waking up the sherpa to see if... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

The Show I’m Watching

One hundred and sixty days ago, I started watching a TV show that won’t let me go. It’s called Family Call, and it’s on the Zoom Network. The chara... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

New York Is Gone Forever (According to Me, a Baby With No Object Permanence)

I regret to inform you that New York no longer exists. Unfortunately, as soon as it was out of my sight on our family trip earlier this year, it di... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

Dorothy Parker Explains Remote Kindergarten

The best way to keep the children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the bike tires. Not that they had anywher... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

We Need a Hero

Hampton, Virginia- - -With national leadership urging schools to reopen this fall despite rising cases of COVID-19, classroom teachers are facing ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago

What If the NBA Ran the Department of Education?

Imagine if our teachers had reported back to work in July.That they’d been summoned in early for quarantine, not to their rectangular, utilitarian... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 4 years ago