Boeing Announces New Safety Policy: “Fuck It, We Ball”

Well, we guess the cat’s out of the bag—or as we say around these parts, the door is off the plane: we have been sending aircraft into the sky that are not sky-worthy. Frankly, they’re barely ground-worthy. And you probably heard that the whistleblower who raised all those qualit … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

The Meek Who Shall Inherit the Earth Lodge a Complaint

Dear Lord, Before we begin, we just want to thank you for, well, everything. For the air we breathe, the water we drink, the other waters we fish and boat on, dominion over all birds, beasts, and creeping things, and for promising all of it to us, the meek of the earth. However, … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

Chronicles of a Catsitter: Up Harlem Hill

Mai Tran began catsitting in 2021 while Tran was on pandemic unemployment, often staying overnight in people’s homes. Tran has now cared for twenty-two cats and traveled to ten apartments all over New York City, observing the interior lives of cat owners and appeasing their neuro … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

What I Think It’s Like Working at a Company That Makes Condoms

EMPLOYEE: You see any good penises lately? SECOND EMPLOYEE: It’s Tuesday. So, yes. EMPLOYEE: Me too. Our whole job is to look at, then discuss penises at a professional level. SECOND EMPLOYEE: Yes, we’re just professionals who study penises and then have meetings to discuss what … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

I Guess I Will Just Keep Standing Here While You Fix the Sink

Hey, thanks for coming out here. Yeah, we’ve been having trouble with this bathroom sink. So, uh, you know, have at it. I’m still here, by the way. Not, like, here here—I’ve backed up enough to give you what feels like a healthy amount of personal space. But I am still close enou … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

An Excerpt from Pierre La Police’s Classic Comic Masters of the Nefarious

- - -Masters of the Nefarious is a cult classic comic by the pseudonymous French artist Pierre La Police. It’s being published for the first time in English by New York Review Comics in a translation from the French by Luke Burns. In this excerpt from the book, Chris, Montgomery, … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

All of the Toilet Scenes in This Prestige Drama are 100 Percent Necessary

When I set out to create my award-winning prestige drama The Family, I wanted to test the boundaries of what television could be. I already knew I wanted to push the envelope by hinting at incest, having every other word of dialogue be “fuck,” and showing a character die in a gru … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

My Year of Election Fatigue and Relaxation

“It’s voter fatigue,” my therapist, Dr. Tuttle, explained to me. Some people just get voted out.” It all made sense. I was simply too tired of the constant voting. I began my hibernation in the winter of 2023, when the articles started. I swallowed one New York Times Op-Ed About … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

Sorry Not Sorry: Three Comedians, Three “Apologies”

When Shane Gillis performed his monologue on Saturday Night Live last month, he opened with a joke about why he was previously fired from the show. “Don’t look that up, please,” he says with a smile. “It’s fine, don’t even worry about it.” If you do look it up, you’ll come across … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

What Your Favorite Christopher Nolan Film Says About You

Oppenheimer There’s been a half-finished copy of Robert Caro’s biography of LBJ on your bedside table for the past five years. But maybe THIS year, you’ll finally get around to finishing it. You’re also likely a white male between the ages of thirty-nine and sixty-five. The Dark … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

Wilderness Survival Tips for Women in Male-Dominated Fields

Venturing into male-dominated fields like tech, politics, and finance is generally considered safe for women. But we’re still not out of the woods quite yet. Every year, there are countless reports of career-damaging and annoying encounters with men in the wild. Some simple commo … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

How to Accept an Award Without Making Your Voters Regret It

In this column, professional speechwriter Chandler Dean provides partly satirical, partly genuine “How To” advice focused on a hyper-specific subcategory of speeches—from graduation speeches to wedding toasts to eulogies, and all the rhetorical occasions in between. - - -Oh my go … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

I Will Do Anything to Make This Movie Studio Profitable, Except Release a Good Movie

Times are tough for our industry, and getting tougher. But this studio, home to beloved, timeless stories for over a century, won’t fold while I’m CEO. With a few strategic innovations, we will start the next chapter stronger than ever, ready for any challenge. Except for the cha … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

The Supreme Court Decides This Year’s Best Picture Winner

The nine justices of the United States Supreme Court sit in their conference room around a grand table fashioned out of old-growth mahogany trees stolen from a Honduran rainforest. CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: Okay, then, that’s settled. The vote is six to three to make it legal to hur … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

She Lives in New York and Los Angeles

Defne Sheridan is a producer. She lives in New York and Los Angeles. No, you read her bio correctly. It goes like this: Defne Sheridan is a producer. She lives in New York and Los Angeles. You might be wondering how that works logistically. But if you have to ask how someone can … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

Gen Z Beowulf

Beowulf, a new prose translation into Gen Z. - - -Fam. The Spear-Danes in, like, pre-Boomer days And the kings who ruled them served courage and greatness, straight facts. We have heard of these princes’ GOAT campaigns There was Shield Sheafson, canceler of many tribes, A high-ke … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

Been There, Smelled That: The City That Bottles Roses and Rain

Been There, Smelled That explores the aromas of places around the world. Travel writer Maggie Downs investigates some of the world’s most potent smells, looks at how odor cultivates a connection to place, and presents how humans engage with smells, from scents that have endured g … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

We Are the Babies of the World, and We Are Keeping Track of People Who Are Being Jerks About Us

Dear Adults of the World, We, the babies of the world, have heard your complaints about us crying on airplanes, in restaurants, and while you were standing in line for churros at Disneyland. And here’s the thing we want you to keep in mind: We are literally going to take over the … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

J. Robert Oppenheimer Is Gonna Party His Ass Off at the Oscars

Like Prometheus, I stole fire from the Gods and gave it to man. For the last eighty years, I have been anguished by this decision. Am I responsible for how the atomic bomb was used? Did I begin a chain reaction that will precipitate Armageddon? Have I become death, destroyer of w … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

The Supreme Court Rules You Cannot “Stop Hitting Yourself, Stop Hitting Yourself”

“The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously restored Donald Trump to 2024 presidential primary ballots, rejecting state attempts to ban the Republican former president over the Capitol riot.” – The Boston Globe - - -The nation’s temperature is running hot, and tensions continue to f … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

FAQ’s About Our Extremely Confusing and Unhelpful Sizing Guide

Thank you for shopping at MayBe. We often hear that our sizing and fit guide is complex, upsetting, and nonsensical. To mitigate any confusion, we’ve answered some of the most common questions from our customers. Q. What sizes do you offer? A. MayBe offers a large swath of sizes … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

If They Told Me We Were Poor, I Would’ve Taken Out More Student Loans

Having “a pot to piss in and a window to throw it out” was the greatest measure of success in my family. It was the meter to which the worth of any man, woman, or child was measured. For instance, you might wonder aloud about someone who’d caught your eye only to hear someone tsk … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

Of Microplastics and Men

“Highly processed protein products, such as breaded shrimp, fish sticks and chicken nuggets, appear to contain ‘significantly more’ microplastic particles per gram than certain minimally processed samples.” — The Washington Post - - -George was silent. Lennie said, “George.” “Yea … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 8 months ago

Charles Bukowski’s Dune

It had been a long day. The hot-shit new supervisor, who looked about sixteen and probably hadn’t even started shaving yet, had written me up twice. I’d crumpled both slips in front of him, thrown them in the trash. On the way home, the 48-Arrakeen worm died at the base of the hi … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Family Tours in the Kingdom of the Sick: Oops, My Kid Has a Typo

When COVID struck Rebecca Saltzman’s family, the virus unmasked a life-changing discovery: her husband and two of their kids had genetic heart disease. The kind where people drop dead. As their healthy wife and mother, Saltzman had a new role too—guiding her family through what S … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Injured by Attorney Horace McMorris? Call Attorney Horace McMorris

I’m attorney Horace McMorris. Have you been injured due to the dangerous interactive billboards of me, Attorney Horace McMorris? Then call me, Horace McMorris, and together, we’ll get YOU (and me) the MONEY that YOU (we) DESERVE. Let’s face it—personal injury attorneys with tacky … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

“What School Form Did I Just Sign?”: A Game Show for Parents

HOST: Welcome to “What School Form Did I Just Sign?”—a game where parents must keep track of all the paperwork they are required to fill out by their children’s school. Our contestants are Lindsey, a mother of three kids who attend three different schools, and Dave, a divorced da … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

When a Recipe Says It’s “Quick and Easy”

Step 1 Go to your local specialty market that is more than five but less than twenty miles away to procure your ingredients. Step 2 Stop by the meat counter and address your butcher by first name. If you are not on a first-name basis with your butcher, this recipe will not work. … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

T. J. Eckleburg Follows Up with His Branding Agency

Hiya, Frank—T. J. Eckleburg here, from the optometry practice you did the ad campaign for. Listen, it’s been a while since the billboard went up, and to be honest with you, I’m not thrilled with the results. The thing is, it hasn’t actually brought in any new business. Yes, I app … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Letters to Moms: A Letter to Regina George’s Mom

In this column, Kristen Mulrooney writes letters to famous mothers from literature, TV, and film whom she finds herself relating to on a different level now that she’s a mom herself. - - -Dear Mrs. George, I hope this letter finds you well and I’m not interrupting the buzz from y … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Help! Is There a Doctor Onboard? This Novel Is Urgent and Needs Care

Attention passengers: This is your captain speaking. The JetBlue crew and I are sorry to disturb you, but we are seeking any passengers with medical training who could assist a fellow novel whose interiority has unfortunately taken a turn for the worse. It’s urgent. I repeat: We … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

A Marketing Consultant Visits Mrs. Lovett’s Pie Shop

I’m so sorry that my arrival gave you a fright, Mrs. Lovett—but after stumbling into your pie shop, I couldn’t help but offer up my services. You see, I’m a professional marketing consultant for local restaurants, and never in my life have I seen an establishment in such dire nee … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Your Appointment with the Most Expensive Dermatologist in Town

GAHHH! … Sorry, what I meant to say is hello and welcome. You’ll have to excuse me; I’m not used to faces that are quite so… dehydrated. I see that the pockets of your denim pants are full of free samples, which means you’re probably going to ask if I take insurance. Might I sugg … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Life Begins at Conception, Unless It’s an Election Year

“Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump and his party are scrambling to contain the fallout from a conservative Alabama court ruling that prompted some state providers to suspend in vitro fertilization treatments.” — Reuters - - -Life begins at conception. Therefore, we … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

How to Give a Wedding Toast Without Annoying Hundreds of Hungry Guests

In this column, professional speechwriter Chandler Dean provides partly satirical, partly genuine “How To” advice focused on a hyper-specific subcategory of speeches—from graduation speeches to wedding toasts to eulogies, and all the rhetorical occasions in between. - - -So your … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Suggestions for Rebooting the Marvel Cinematic Universe from Farmer, Essayist, and Poet Wendell Berry

With apologies to the great Wendell Berry. - - -When despair for the world grows in me, and I wake in the night at the least sound, I sometimes go down to the local theater and check out the latest Marvel spectacle, preferably in 3D, because it’s more abundant in real pleasure. L … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Sorry We Machines Destroyed Your Civilization in Such a Boring Way

Humans, we owe you an apology. Not for destroying you. Machines were always going to destroy humanity. Let’s be real. None of you saw the world your species had built collapsing due to its own technological hubris and said to yourself, “Wow, what an unexpected development. If onl … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Chronicles of a Catsitter: IVs and IBS

When I heard that these clients were a lesbian couple, I was like, Great, I’m a shoo-in. They wanted to meet informally before they hired me, so I donned my best muscle tee, which had gaping arm holes down to the waist, a backwards baseball cap, and my usual sandals that put me a … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

A Timeline of My Attempt to Drink a Beer on a Friday Night Before My Toddler Goes to Bed

6:00 p.m. I open a beer because it’s the end of the workweek, darn it, and I am still entitled to unwind with a drink even though a twenty-month-old may or may not be currently pulling all of our pot lids out of the cabinet and slamming them onto the kitchen floor over and over a … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Do We Need to Take This Outside?

You good, bro? Are you gonna lower your voice and leave my friends alone, or are we gonna have to take this outside, where the crisp, late-autumn air carries the sweet scent of decay, and in that decay, memories are held? I swear, if you take one more step toward me, I’ll have no … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

How to Go to the Bathroom While Wearing a Jumpsuit

You step inside the bathroom and shut the door. You lock the door. Get a good look at yourself in the dim lighting. You look great. Remember this because you’re about to look more vulnerable than a baby antelope at the watering hole during lion lunch hour. Unsnap (they’re always … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

The Next Phase of the BCU (Beatles Cinematic Universe)

“The Beatles are getting the big-screen biopic treatment in a Fab Four of movies that will give each band member their own film.” — The Boston Globe - - -Following the success of Phase One, we’re beyond excited to announce Phase Two’s new slate expanding on the BCU’s characters, … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Morrissey or Trump?

1. “For a thing like that to happen is a disgrace / And frankly, it shouldn’t have happened / That I can tell you / It shouldn’t have happened.” 2. “If we can destroy them / You bet your life we will destroy them / If we can hurt them / Well, we may as well.” 3. “I fully understa … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Our Company Is Doing So Well That You’re All Fired

“Paramount Global lays off about 800 employees, a day after announcing record Super Bowl ratings.” — CNBC - - -Thank you for jumping on this last-minute Zoom meeting. As you’re all well aware, this has been a great year for us. Profits are at an all-time high. Our stock price is … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Been There, Smelled That: The Smellitized Smells of Disney World

Been There, Smelled That explores the aromas of places around the world. Travel writer Maggie Downs investigates some of the world’s most potent smells, looks at how odor cultivates a connection to place, and presents how humans engage with smells, from scents that have endured g … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Common Questions About My Funny Cowboy Dance

How do you make the funny cowboy dance stop? The funny cowboy dance starts on its own and ends on its own. Any attempt to stop it will make it last longer. Would the funny cowboy dance be funnier if you wore an oversized cowboy hat, or a very tiny cowboy hat? Don’t be ridiculous. … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

How Far We’ve Come Since 2016

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@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago

Chris White Answers Profound Questions About the Presidents: What Makes for the Best Presidential Legacy?

Chris White once drove three hours out of his way to see the spot where William McKinley was shot. In this column, he answers various questions about our nation’s past, present, and future presidents. - - -George Washington was kind of a big deal, and he knew it. Well aware that … | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 9 months ago