My name is Chris Monks and I am the editor of this website, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. I write today from McSweeney’s Boston headquarters, which is neither in Boston nor an actual headquarters. I actually live just outside the city and work from home, usually at my dining room table. It’s from here where I review and respond to submissions, ready articles for publication, and actively avoid the snarky comments on our Facebook page.
About 15 years ago, I was at this same dining room table, writing short humor pieces, desperately trying to get published by McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. I wrote and wrote and wrote, and got rejected and rejected and rejected. Why didn’t I just give up and save myself from the disappointment? Well, because McSweeney’s was unlike anything I had ever read. The website featured irreverent comic voices like John Hodgman, Wendy Molyneux, and Jonathan Ames. It was the kind of site you could get lost in; one funny article led to a silly list, which led to a charming open letter, and before you knew it an hour had gone by and what was it you were you supposed to be doing again? Oh right, helping pilots land planes from this air traffic control tower. So that’s what all the alarm bells and screaming were about. Mystery solved.
I think (i.e. hope!) that McSweeney’s Internet Tendency is still a fun place to get lost in. When I took over editing the site, my main goal was simply not to break the thing. During my time, we’ve exposed the world to Comic Sans’ true nature, Baroness Elsa Schraeder’s bitterness, and, of course, the thrill of decorative gourd season. We’ve helped launch the careers of many writers (both through our daily features and our annual column contest) who’ve gone on to pen acclaimed novels, write funny TV shows, and script award-winning films.
We need your help to continue publishing smart, funny work by both new and established voices. The site is free to enjoy, and ads are minimal, and we rely on contributions from our readers to keep it all going. Thanks to the kind folks who backed our Kickstarter this year, the site will soon be even easier to read and enjoy from wherever you are. But in order for McSweeney’s Internet Tendency to continue humming week after week, your support matters. So if you read and enjoy the site, and occasionally laugh a little too loudly from your office cubicle, please consider making a donation. In return, we promise to keep making the Tendency your one-stop shop for amusing internet distraction. Just be sure those planes land safely!
Happy holidays, and thanks for reading.
— Chris Monks