The Voice
Thought Catalog isn’t your typical blog—it’s helping to define a generation, one great post at a time.
When someone recommends a new blog to me, I usually think, “Great, just what the world needs—another blog.” It turns out, smart, funny, and poignant writing is exactly what the world needs, and it’s coming to us courtesy of the brilliant minds behind Thought Catalog.
My personal favorites include the posts “On The Phrase ‘No Worries’’, “How To Have The Best Weekend of Your Young Adult Life” and essentially everything written by the site’s editor-in-chief, Ryan O’Connell.
I was lucky enough to meet O’Connell in New York City recently, and turns out he’s as fabulous in person as he is on the written page. Check out the interview below, where he gives us the inside scoop on TC, including some of his favorite posts!
What the flip is Thought Catalog? Thought Catalog is a digital magazine for fun, smart and creative content. It runs the gamut from personal essays to more newsy items. It’s like an emotional, funny blog buffet.
How did the idea for Thought Catalog come about? My publisher Chris Lavergne started it because he’s crazy.
Why do you think Thought Catalog has developed such a cult following? I think it’s because we offer such a diverse array of content. You can go to the homepage and find at least one headline that you’ll want to click on. I think it’s also because our content is so personal but also universal. We often strive for relatability with our readers.
What are a few of your alltime favorite posts, either that you’ve written or from contributors, and why? “Couples Counseling” by Brandon Scott-Gorrell because it’s a raw, emotional side of him I’ve never really seen before. I also love everything by this new writer Todd Clayton because he writes about gay life in a way that just makes me want to be his BFF. And, of course, my fave writers will always be Gaby Dunn and Stephanie Georgopulos because, besides being fabulous writers who are able to be both funny and poignant, they are just awesome ladies.
Thought Catalog is starting to produce video content, specifically the Hot or Not video series, Things Straight Men Do That Confuse Gay People, etc. Tell us about these new weekly gems and if there are plans to move more toward video. I stole “Hot Or Not” from Brandon Scott-Gorrell. He made one in list form and I immediately was like “OMG, that would be so funny in video form. Can I TAKE IT?” and he gave me his blessing. It’s just a way for me to try out a new medium and flex my comedic skills a bit. It’s hard writing jokes. I’ve never really done that before. I’m just used to feeding off of other people but I love it! I do the videos with Gaby Dunn and she does an amazing job editing them together. They would be sort of bad without her magic touch because she really understands comedic timing and all the beats you need to hit. There’ll definitely be more video content. Trust.
Snap Magazine: hot or not? Global warming hot.
