FAQ for Not Wearing a Mask

It feels weird and cold where my mask used to be. Is this normal?It’s normal to feel uncomfortable without a mask in public after wearing one for ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

FAQ for Not Wearing Wearing a Mask

It feels weird and cold where my mask used to be. Is this normal?It’s normal to feel uncomfortable without a mask in public after wearing one for ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

What to Expect at the Upcoming Big Gathering of People in Your Neigborhood

Everyone! This coming weekend, there’s going to be a big gathering of people! The big gathering of people will be in a neighborhood! This will be t... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Firing Me for Calling the Police on a Black Man Minding His Business Is Racial Discrimination

“Amy Cooper, a white woman who last year became a symbol of the routine racism that Black people face in their daily lives, is suing her former emp... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Walt Whitman’s Doctor Annotates His Patient Intake Form

NAME: Whitman, WalterPhysician Notes: Goes by “Walt.”ADDRESS: The GrassNotes: Is this a housing development? Clarify with patient.AGE:I, no... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Enjoy Our Bedtime Tea, Which We Really Hope Is Enough

Bedtime TeaFrom our family to yours, enjoy our perfectly crafted bedtime tea made with soothing chamomile and a touch of relaxing lavender.Bedtim... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

May the Telehealth Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

Thank you for your patience as we continue with our telehealth platform for all non-urgent doctor appointments. Be sure to follow the directions be... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

An Oral History of the Interstitial Ska Music on Friends

With the Friends reunion out on HBO Max, there’s never been a better time to talk about the most under-examined element of the hit sitcom: the icon... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Now That Half of Middle-earth Is Immune to the One Ring’s Powers, I Don’t Think This Fellowship Is Really Necessary

“The United States reached a new milestone in the fight against COVID-19 on Tuesday: 50 percent of adults are now fully vaccinated against the viru... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Unsolicited Advice on How to Get Pregnant from Your Neighbor Jenna, Kath from Book Club, and Ancient Sumerian Fertility Deity Ninkharsag

1. Just relax!2. Go on a vacation.3. Have you tried charting your cycle?4. Offer a libation to the goddess of vegetation.5. Get drunk. I can’t ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

I, William Shakespeare, Also Went Through a Pandemic

It hath come to my attention that you 21st-century humans are slowly emerging from the “COVID-19 pandemic.” I too survived a great pestilence durin... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

It Was Not an Insurrection — It Was a Group of Innocent Patriots on Their Way to 2-for-1 Taco Night at Chili’s

“Republican lawmakers have recently downplayed or outright denied the violence of the January 6 insurrection as a bipartisan agreement to investiga... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Why I, the COVID Vaccine, Will Never Get Chad from Tampa

Freedom is not a given. We’re always one generation away from accepting the unthinkable.Forcing me, a good vaccine, to inject myself into the life... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Sample Lesson Plan by the Texas Education Agency: “This Is Not Who Leatherface Is”

“The Texas Senate voted along party lines to limit how public school teachers handle discussions of race and racism in the classroom. House Bill 39... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

A Productive Meeting Between the District and Teachers About the Next School Year

SCHOOL DISTRICT: As this school year comes to a close, we would like to thank you for all the hard work you put in over the course of this truly un... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

61 Die Hard Sequels We’d Like to See

Die 6Hard SevenDH8The Die and the HardRain, Rain, Go Away, Die Hard Again Another DayDie Hard in HellAll McClanes Go to HeavenJohn McClaneH... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Bob Dylan’s Zombie Blood on the Tracks

“Tangled Up in Goo”Early one morning the sun was shiningI was laying in dreadWondering if she’d changed at allIf she still was undeadHer folks... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Boyfriend Patch Notes

Hotfix 3.1.0 promises upgrades, maintenance, and an overall improved experience with the Boyfriend in your life. The dev team here at Your 20s™ is ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

The Netflix Algorithm for Parenting

Because You Enjoyed- Because you enjoyed Getting Your Kids into Winter Clothes, you might also enjoy Applying Sunscreen to Your Kids- Because you... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Please, the Only Way I Can Parallel Park Is If You Constantly Stare at Me

Yes, you there with the inquisitive look. I have performance issues, you see. One that requires undivided attention from random strangers walking b... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

An Interview with Emerson Whitney, Author of Heaven

Emerson Whitney’s Heaven was recently named a finalist for the Believer Book Awards. In celebration of this and Heaven’s one-year anniversary, we c... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

An Excerpt From Emerson Whitney’s Heaven

- - -I used to watch Mom on TV, would pull the videos out of the back of the cupboard while I was home sick as a teenager, they were in green VHS ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

The Current Real Estate Market Scoffs at Your Competitive Offer

First off, congratulations on your decision to put an offer in on your dream house. With record-low interest rates and the ability to work from hom... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

The Completely Normal, Totally Reasonable Unwritten Rules of Baseball

“We were taught from day one to respect the game, respect the competition, respect the opponent… You don’t swing 3-0 when you’re up by that big a l... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

An Open Letter to Sleep: We Need to Talk

Dear Sleep,We’ve been together for a while now, and I am tired of doing all the heavy lifting in our relationship. I feel like you’ve been phoning... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Caring For Your Geriatric Millennial

“If you are close to 40 years old, you are no longer a kid. Now the buzzword is ‘geriatric millennial.’ This definition, which has sparked controve... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

35 Things You Never Knew About Peter Gabriel’s So Album

1. The original working title of So was Jo as Peter Gabriel intended to make an album devoted to Facts of Life’s Jo Polniaczek.2. Peter wanted t... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

If Billionaires Are “Immoral” and “Shouldn’t Exist,” Then Why Do I Want to Be One So Bad?

It’s a tale as old as time. Democrats propose some pie-in-the-sky bill that involves a ton of government spending, and then, when you ask them how ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Beaver of Fine Arts: This Week’s Pop Quiz: Your Enne-dam Personality Type

Beaver of Fine Arts: This Week's Pop Quiz: Your Enne-dam Personality Type | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Sorry I’ve Been So Weird During This Alligator Attack

Jen, I am so sorry. It has been too long since we’ve gotten to catch up! I’ve been dropping the ball as a friend lately. But I guess that’s just wh... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Our Frat Boy Handmaiden Supreme Court Is Ready to Rule on Women’s Right to Choose

“The Supreme Court said on Monday it will hear a challenge to a Mississippi law barring almost all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, setting u... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

My Boss Kevin Waves Frantically As I Stray from This Zoom Call’s Agenda

Maybe this work Zoom call isn’t the time for what I’m about to do here, but our boss Kevin has shared his screen to display a prompt that literally... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Bruce Springsteen Is Reflective, Mindful, and on Fire

Hey little girl. Pardon. Young lady? Hello, young lady. Is your daddy home? I mean, your father? I mean, is there an adult home?Or are you, in fa... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

My Increasingly Desperate Attempts to Recreate the Theater Experience During the Pandemic

Shouted “5! 6! 7! 8!” in the grocery store, just to see if anyone would break into a little soft-shoe.Made the other five members of my household ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Introducing Kaybl: The New Service That Bundles Your Favorite Content for One Flat Monthly Fee!

Let’s face it: streaming is broken. Content constantly disappears from your favorite platforms, new services pop up every day, and each streamer co... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

A B-List Celebrity’s Rider or a Toddler’s Food Demands?

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@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

I’m Not Emotionally Available Enough to Be in a Relationship Right Now Because I Have a Lot Going on with My Thesis and I Was Raised by Jaguars in the Peruvian Amazon

It’s not that I don’t care about you. It’s just that I’m really busy writing my thesis. Also, if you were to come to me crying, I would perceive yo... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Important New Findings on American Stress-Cheese Consumption During the Pandemic

(Mobile readers: rotate screen to landscape for better view of charts.)- - -“Over a third of consumers (36%) say their consumption of cheese has i... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

A/B testing “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

Hi guys. LOVING the poem here in Analytics and sorry for the delay on the review. Just a couple of suggestions to amp up engagement and SEO. As you... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Who Wore It Better: A Professionally Styled Model, or Me?

Model in a baseball cap: Chic, easy-breezy, sporty yet feminine.Me in a baseball cap: Garth from Wayne’s World.- - -Model in overalls: Sun-dapple... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Teachable Moments with the Anti-Vaxxer Family

StrangersMOM: So if a strange man says I asked him to pick you up after school, what do you do, Henry?TODDLER: Ask him what my name is. If he get... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Field Roast Vegan Fruffalo Wings

Wings are my vice. I love ripping meat off the bone with my teeth. Is there a poem yet about the refreshing feeling of wet naps after wing night? T... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Welcome to the Tortured Artists Writers’ Residency

Welcome to Tortured Artists, a writing residency where you’ll be forced to endure the profession you claim to love for more than 30 minutes at a ti... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Palestine and Israel: A Western Media Glossary

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@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Excerpts from McSweeney’s Quarterly: Peony

Illustration by Arne Bellstorf.- - -This piece originally appeared in McSweeney’s 63. To read more from this issue, subscribe by July 15. - - -T... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

I’m Skipping the Second Dose of the COVID Vaccine Because I’m an Insufferable Centrist

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@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Bow Down to Me, Pathetic Mortals, For I Have a Loud Engine

It has arrived, oh feeble ones, the time for my automobile to barrel through your vicinity and announce my prowess—my vital and irrefutable masculi... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Philly Is Your Friend from College Who Will Always Be Three Credits Shy of Graduating

Philadelphia is her government name. You can call her “Philly,” if you’re family.Philly knows how to say water. Don’t tell her how to use her u’s... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago