What Guys Say vs. What They Really Mean

What he says: “I’ll call you.”What he means: “I’m going to text you. In a week. Maybe.”What he says: “Can we talk about this later?”What he mea... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Sorry to Play Devil’s Advocate, But It’s the Only DVD I Own

Hey, I hate to be that guy. I really do. I hear what you’re saying, but I’m just going to have to play Devil’s Advocate here, because it’s movie ni... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Like the Minimum Wage, I Also Haven’t Changed Since 2009 and It’s Working Out Super Great for Me

I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about raising the minimum wage, which hasn’t changed since 2009. I also haven’t changed since 2009, and why would I... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Duolingo for Decoding Racist Dog-Whistling

LEVEL 1: DOG WHISTLE OVERVIEWDUO THE OWL: Translate the following from Racist Dog Whistle to English:Voter ID laws are important to avoid voter... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, by Sophocles

ACT I, SCENE IEXT. THEBES TOWN CENTER. Evening. The gazebo at town center stands empty but for two cloaked young women, from a distance, perhaps ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

I Am a Neanderthal and I Resent Being Compared to Incompetent Governors

“White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday defended President Biden calling the decision of two GOP governors to lift mask mandates as ‘Nea... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Why I’m Selling My 4-Bed, 3-Bath, 37-Moving-Bookcase Home

I am looking for someone — anyone —to purchase my biggest mistake, my most brutal nightmare, the godless creation of my worst impulses: my 4-bed, 3... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Moms: The Vacation of Your Dreams Awaits You In This Dentist’s Chair

Are you stressed? Worn out? Astonished by the enormous number of mothers who have dropped out of the workforce in the last year since the Coronavir... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Signs You Might Be the Heroine of a Rom-Com Novel

You’re an author with writer’s block, so your agent sends you to her villa in Tuscany for a month-long vacation to help you find your inspiration.... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Okay, Let Me Just Share My Screen… Ah, Nope. Okay, You’re Looking At My Savings Account Now. That Is Not Good.

Not sure how that happened. I did not think my personal stuff was connected to this. So strange. And just a note, this is not my main bank account.... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

I’m All For Letting the Free Market Decide Things Unless It Decides to Stop Publishing Racist Children’s Books

“Now 6 Dr. Seuss books are cancelled too? When history looks back at this time it will be held up as an example of a depraved sociopolitical purge ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Casting Notice for the Next Great British Bake Off

Casting Notice for the Next Great British Bake Off | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

It’s Me, Your Former Junior High School Bully, and I’m Sorry to Inform You That Karma Hasn’t Caught Up With Me Yet

Remember me? The girl who turned all your friends against you in seventh and eighth grade? The one who orchestrated daily loogie hockings to a chor... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

A Graduate School Rejection Letter As Written by My Anxiety Disorder at 3 AM

Dear Applicant,Thank you for your interest in our graduate English program. We regret to inform you that your Imposter Syndrome was woefully misdi... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Literary Alternatives to Social Distancing

Miss Havisham-ingYou’ve been quarantining for twenty years and you’re experiencing major FOMO (Fear Of Marital Overtures). You take all the usual ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Christopher CrossFit FAQs

What is Christopher CrossFit?Christopher CrossFit is an adult-oriented fitness program for men, women, and bodacious cowboys that focuses on stren... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

March Is Teacher Self-Care Month!

All of the administrators at Northvale County Public Schools are committed to work-life balance for all of our teachers and staff during these tryi... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

No, Our Company Is Not “Anti-Union,” We Simply Believe That It Is in Our Best Interest to Quash Any Attempt by Our Employees to Collectively Bargain on Their Behalf

Team, it looks like there has been some concern lately regarding the company’s internal operations and the circumstances surrounding several recent... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

The Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love” for Nihilists

I don’t care if Monday’s blue. God is dead. Or if Tuesday is utterly desaturated to the point where all choice is arbitrary, Wednesday too. Thu... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

As a Staunch Defender of American Liberty, I Refuse to Let Trans People Infringe on My Rights as a White, Straight, Cisgender Congresswoman from Georgia

“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is facing sharp criticism after she posted an anti-transgender sign outside of her office, directly across the hall fr... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

You’re Having a Bad Trip, Charlie Brown!

“Oh, go on! Try it!” his friends taunted. “We always knew you were a blockhead but, we never knew you were a chicken — bawk bawk bah-gawk!” they cl... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

714 Epidemiologists on When We Can Resume Fixating on Petty Bullshit?

“Even with coronavirus vaccines on the way, many epidemiologists do not expect their lives to return to pre-pandemic normal until most Americans ar... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Famous Philosophers in Quarantine

Aristotle: Believes everyone else in his pod is either too cautious or too reckless.Mill: Studiously reads economists’ SSRN preprints to form opin... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

A Grizzled, Months-Old Chrome Tab Welcomes a Fresh-Faced New Tab to My Browser Window

Hey there, youngblood. You must be the new recruit. Welcome to this Chrome window. Well, don’t just stand there with your bookmarks hanging out. Co... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

I Oppose the Democrats’ Plan to Lower Child Poverty. If Kids Want to Eat, They Should Work In Filthy Factories Like They Did in the Good Old Days

“Sending $250/$350 per month/per child to everyone, with no work requirement, is welfare. Being pro-family means being pro-work.” — Sen. Marco Rub... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Are You Preparing Dinner for Children, or Starring in a Post-Apocalyptic Drama?

1. Every single day, the sun hangs low on the horizon, and its slanting rays fill you with dread at the horrors to come.2. You’re not sure how you... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Frequently Asked Questions by Middle-Aged White Pundits About When it’s Appropriate to Use a Particular Racial Slur

Q: When is it appropriate for me, a middle-aged white guy who hosts a podcast, or writes op-eds, or posts as a prominent blogger with a healthy Twi... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Beaver of Fine Arts: “Your Self Portrait Was Due Yesterday”: Student Reactions According to Their Zodiac Sign

Beaver of Fine Arts: "Your Self Portrait Was Due Yesterday": Student Reactions According to Their Zodiac Sign | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

In Remembrance of Lawrence Ferlinghetti

All of us here at McSweeney’s mourn the passing of Lawrence Ferlinghetti. He was our north star and compatriot in this small but feisty world of Sa... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Will Hunting on Why He Shouldn’t Get an MFA

Why shouldn’t I get an MFA? That’s a tough one, but I’ll take a shot. Say I’m getting an MFA, and my professor puts a canvas on my desk, something ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Can’t You See I’m Listening to a Goddamn Podcast?

My mind is expanding, my horizons are broadening. I’m washing the dishes while having a cutting-edge audio experience learning about the Plague of ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Pa and Laura Ingalls Discuss the Merits of High-Stakes Testing During a Public Health Crisis

“States still must give standardized tests this year, Biden Administration announces.” — Education Week, 2/22/21- - -“Laura! Mary! Carrie! Time fo... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

The UX on this Small Child Is Terrible

Not only am I VP of Reproduction for this household, but I’ve also been the end-user of this Small Child for over three years now. I’m going to giv... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Problematic Classic Films Slightly Improved by Adding a Character Who Sews Clothing Out of Curtains

Love, ActuallyLAURA LINNEY’S CHARACTER: Want to have sex, hot guy from my office?HOT GUY FROM HER OFFICE: Sure!LLC (answering her phone): Hey, b... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Dragon Hoarding Enormous Pile of Treasure Seeks Unpaid Intern

Dragon seeks smart, motivated intern to help manage a sprawling cavern of various golden treasures. This is the perfect opportunity for a go-getter... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

I’m a Short Afternoon Walk and You’re Putting Way Too Much Pressure on Me

Hey, it’s me: Short Afternoon Walk. As you may have noticed, you’re all turning to me an awful lot these days. Don’t get me wrong, I love what we h... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

The Best Games to Play with Your Children after Nearly a Year in Quarantine

I SpyThe children stealthily watch out of the front windows to see who can be the first to spy with their little eyes the delivery person who will... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Excerpts from the Novel I Wrote with the Express Intention of Selling It As a TV Show

Jane looked in the mirror discontentedly. Every time she saw her reflection, she was reminded that despite being 14 and hot, she looked like an 18-... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Abandoning Your Freezing Constituents? Come to Cancún!

“As Texas was battered by an icy storm and widespread power losses that left millions of residents freezing and fearing for their safety, Senator T... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Introducing the Relationship Subscription Box

Is dating a challenge for you? Do you find it hard meeting the right person? Well, sulk no more because now an emotionally damaged human can be de... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

American Infrastructure Checks In to Remind You That It Isn’t Actually Supposed to Work

“As Texas faced record-low temperatures this February and snow and ice made roads impassable, the state’s electric grid operator lost control of th... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Mac ‘N Cheese

I am not a picky eater. I regularly eat boxed mac and cheese, not just Kraft but the $0.35 generic box that tastes little more than bleach flour an... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

I’ve Never Tried Your Idea, and Now Everything Is on Fire, and That’s How I Know Your Idea Is Bad

“This shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America.” — Texas Governor Greg Abbott on the massive cold-weath... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

Hey, It’s Me, God. You Can Take Lent Off This Year

Hey, all. It’s Me, God. I just wanted to let everyone know I’ve decided to give you Lent off this year. Instead of the usual “give up something imp... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

I Am a Local. Where Are You From?

I am a local. That means I am from here. Where are you from?Never heard of it.I was born and raised here. Not born technically, but raised. Well,... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

As a Superhero Teacher, I Can’t Wait to Sacrifice My Unvaccinated Life for Your Child

“The nation’s top public health agency said Friday that in-person schooling can resume safely with masks, social distancing and other strategies, a... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

How to Write About Iran: A Guide for Journalists, Analysts, and Policymakers

Whether you are working from your DC office or your home in LA or New York, here’s all you need to know to become an expert on Iran.1. Always refe... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago

I’m the Guy Who Wears Shorts in the Winter, and One Day You Will All Bow Before My Bare Weatherproof Legs

Oh, hey there. I couldn’t help but notice that you were staring at my legs. No, you did not slip on a patch of ice and somehow wake up on a tennis ... | Continue reading


@mcsweeneys.net | 3 years ago