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Comedy is dying. Help me save it.

Published 3 days ago • 1 min read

Guess how many websites there are that pay comedy writers?

Seven.

That’s not a typo. Across the entire world wide web, I found seven humor publishers with an open submission policy and guaranteed payments. Chortle is one of them.

Some of the others have been around for decades and have big institutional backing. The New Yorker has a zillion rich subscribers. McSweeney’s was founded by Dave Eggers (an author slightly more celebrated than I).

But even that kind of support isn’t always enough to keep the laughter rolling. I personally know people who were laid off when MAD Magazine folded. Same with CollegeHumor. And Funny or Die. And Cracked. 😵‍💫

It’s not just websites. Comedy is disappearing. Hollywood doesn’t think it’s worth making. Tech platforms are controlled by the world’s least funny people. I started Chortle because I love to make people laugh, and there was nowhere else to do it.

But Chortle needs money to keep going.

If you've ever laughed at something we published, or forwarded a piece to a friend, or just felt a little less doomed reading something on Chortle, I hope you'll consider upgrading to a paid subscription. The money goes straight to our writers, so we can keep growing something weird and worthwhile.

It’s $5/month or $50/year—and it truly makes a difference.

Help Chortle save comedy!

Thanks for reading,
Greg

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