Website:http://www.mcsweeneys.net
Monthly Traffic: 103,612 visitors (as of 7/20/09)
Description: Highbrow comedy articles, essays and works of satire
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What is Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency?:

Award-winning novelist and screenwriter Dave Eggers started independent publishing house McSweeneys and the literary journal "Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern" in the 1990s and the highbrow humor site Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency soon after.

Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency, often referred to simply as "McSweeneys," specializes in satirical articles, essays and lists that tend to lean towards the literary. The article "Essay Prompts for the 2009 Senior Advanced Placement High School English Exam for Women" is a great example of the kind of humor that thrives on "McSweeney's" -- it's hyper-specific, it hinges on knowing things about The Great Gatsby and other great novels, it's satirizing a topic (in this case, Advanced Placement tests) that often don't receive the satire treatment and it's really quite funny.

But outside of the site's philosophy, you really should head to "McSweeney's" because it's funny. A list, "Iran or Star Wars?", where the reader is given names of people and governmental and religious agencies, such as "Supreme Chancellor" and "Army of the Guardians," and asked to guess if the term comes from modern day Iran or the film Star Wars.

Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency Features:

• Funny "Late Show with David Letterman"-style comedy lists

• Humorous short stories
• Satirical articles and essays

The entire lists section is a howl, but the articles and essays aren't too shabby either.

Why Should I Visit "McSweeney's"?:

From the site's layout and design to the comedy lists to its satirical essays, everything at "McSweeney's" is done with a flair for originality. In a world of flashy Internet videos and animation, a site as dry, quiet and reserved as "McSweeney's" really stands out. Its humor is, in many ways, a quiet rebellion on the web. "McSweeney's" is the only humor site that dares to not only banish video content but also refuse to publish in color too.

The Best of "McSweeney's":

Here are some of the funniest lists on the site:

• Iran or Star Wars?
• Aesop's Wife's Fables
• 1980s TV Shows for Plants
• Tweets from the Roman Senate During Cicero's First Oration Against Catiline
• Non-Safety Schools

And here are some of the best articles and essays:

• Although I Like a Good George W. Bush Joke as Much as the Next Guy, Some of Them Seem Gratuitous and Mean-Spirited
• The Boy in the Bubble Reviews New York City's Most Fashionable and Trendy New Restaurants
• A Toast to Randy, the Oldest Son in My Secret Family
• Lit 101 Class in Three Lines or Less