David Cho & Mary HK Choi: A Look Back, Some Thanks, A Look Forward
David Cho: I need your help
Mary HK Choi: Yes of course
DC: So
DC: I’m supposed to write this Awl birthday post
DC: But I don’t know how to do it
MHKC: Ok
DC: Would you do an IM with me?
MHKC: Yes
MHKC: I will interview you about it
DC: 🙂
DC: When is good for you
MHKC: Wanna do it now?
MHKC: Let’s do it fucking now
MHKC: Bc if I say later it won’t happen
DC: OK
DC: LET’S DO IT
DC: We might already be doing it
DC: Like this might be in the post
DC: ??!!?!
MHKC: OH LET’S DO IT!
Korean Birthday Traditions!
MHKC: So David
MHKC: It’s a big birthday today
DC: Huge
MHKC: You know how in Korea they count the gestation period and so you technically celebrate your birthday 100 days after your birth
DC: Fun fact about Korean births, my dad’s father cut the umbilical cords of all seven of his children with his teeth
DC: So they’re kind of a kooky people
MHKC: Are you serious?
DC: Yeah
MHKC: Because that isn’t kooky
MHKC: That’s full on demented
MHKC: Also that you know this and are all “la di da” is berserk
DC: Plus you know Koreans used to save umbilical cords in jars and then bury them
DC: Like hide them
DC: From the demons
DC: And what not
MHKC: But that’s like with all awesome peoples
DC: We’re not the most normal peoples
MHKC: But like what’s the birthday that you get to choose from those accessories that dictate your career and life’s work?
MHKC: Is it your 100 days or your 1st birthday?
DC: 100 days
MHKC: Like there’s money, and a brush
MHKC: It’s so crazy to me that they let a teeny baby wield scissors
MHKC: Since scissors are one of the options
MHKC: It means you’re going to be a tailor
MHKC: What did you pick?
DC: I don’t think I had one tbh
DC: I don’t remember much from days 1–900 of my life
MHKC: Anyway
DC: ANYWAY
Happy Birthday The Awl!
MHKC: It’s The Awl’s first birthday today
DC: It is!
MHKC: Longer than a gestation period
DC: It’s insane!
MHKC: Why did you choose to pull this puppy out on 4/20
MHKC: Spring is a time for birth/rebirth granted
DC: It was actually supposed to be earlier
MHKC: That’s so meta weedhead
DC: Because Alex, Choire and I had been talking about doing it for a hot second
DC: And a few things happened
MHKC: Secretly
DC: YES
DC: So secret
MHKC: When did the dramz unfold vis-a-vis RADAR being a total shit heap?
DC: Pretty simultaneously
DC: Like a couple of weeks apart
MHKC: Ah
MHKC: So it was during this time that you guys started colluding
DC: Things that happened:
DC: 1) we had investors who were real estate people who possibly ran into trouble
DC: And essentially would have taken us with them
MHKC: Oh riiiiiiiiight
MHKC: 360 dramz
MHKC: Because the world, it was dying.
DC: So that was like 2 months of getting f’d
DC: And then we didn’t really know what to do
MHKC: Did you cry?
DC: I was pissed
MHKC: God, knowing y’all you didn’t even commiserate really
MHKC: You just STEWED
DC: We found out the day after Christmas
DC: December 26
DC: I got an email saying (essentially)
DC: Sorry we’re poor now, f you
MHKC: Boxing Day
MHKC: In the balls
DC: True story
DC: So then
DC: We were like
DC: F it
DC: We’ll do it live
DC: (LOL Bill O’Reilly)
DC: So then we had a big advertiser pegged to the launch
DC: And it was supposed to be a thing
MHKC: Oh right
MHKC: Bundled
MHKC: And at this time you were, what? 12-years-old? This was the first sadface of your life?
DC: Yeah I was like 17
DC: Which makes me 18 now
DC: So
DC: Ladies?
MHKC: Ahahah
MHKC: Is this thing on?
DC: Lol
DC: So we had the advertiser
DC: And their campaign got pushed back like weeks and weeks
DC: And I kept telling Alex and Choire
DC: Listen
DC: Let’s just wait to launch w this advertiser
MHKC: Weird
MHKC: For a second I was like, who’s Alex?
MHKC: BALK
DC: And then
DC: Literally
DC: Like that Friday, before the campaign was supposed to go live
DC: They pulled out
DC: And I was like
DC: FFFFFFFFFFFFFF
MHKC: Wow they sure did
DC: More stewing
MHKC: Right
DC: So then
MHKC: Stewing solo
DC: We were like
DC: F it
DC: This is happening
DC: And we launched
DC: 4/20
DC: But at the time
DC: It wasn’t even a website
DC: It was password protected
MHKC: Wait
MHKC: Was I your first post?
MHKC: Did I make that up?
DC: I think you might have made that up
MHKC: What was the first post?
DC: Ooh
DC: Let me find it
DC: There’s been like 6000 since then
MHKC: Well, yeah… ONE YEAR
MHKC: *Jeopardy muzak*
DC: HOLD ON
DC: Choire and Alex did like two weeks of “practice blogging”
MHKC: NUH UH
DC: Looking at it now
DC: It’s so ridiculous
MHKC: But they seasoned veterans
DC: Out of practice though
DC: They hadn’t blogged for months
MHKC: OMG
MHKC: GREATEST MONTAGE EVER IN MY HEAD
MHKC: There was a treadmill
MHKC: Balk looked PISSED
DC: You can imagine it though can’t you
DC: In that room
DC: With that table
MHKC: Oh god yes
MHKC: And those ciggie butts
MHKC: Squillions of them
DC: Yeah
DC: Smoke everywhere
MHKC: In total silence
DC: I had to start telling them to stop smoking 15 min before I would come
DC: Because I would always leave there
DC: Reeeeking
DC: And I always made the mistake of showering before I went
MHKC: Ahahhaah they totally didn’t smoke the first day I worked there
DC: And then the cat
DC: Oh the cat
MHKC: But yeah, the no smoking while Choi was there ended by day 2
DC: Hahaha
DC: I didn’t even get a day one
MHKC: It was just way too tense
MHKC: So I was all… NBD guys
MHKC: And it was a wrap
MHKC: So they practice blogged
MHKC: Did you keep any of that stuff?
DC: Yeah
DC: It’s all on the site I think
MHKC: Live?
DC: Yeah
The Original The Awl!
DC: But our first post was definitely at 7:16 am
DC: WTF
MHKC: OMG
MHKC: It’s KarenUhOh and Rod!
DC: Hahaha
MHKC: Those deuce digit bitches
DC: They’re still with us!
DC: Thankfully
MHKC: I KNOW
MHKC: So weird that these are the new, post-redesign sexy avatars tho
MHKC: The early ones were bootleg
MHKC: I mean
MHKC: AWESOME
MHKC: And lo fi
DC: Well
DC: The original website
DC: Was designed by Choire
DC: Because he hated all of the shit I gave him
DC: And he was like
DC: NO HEADLINES
MHKC: AHAHAHHAHHA
DC: NO CONTEXT
DC: RIGHT JUSTIFIED
MHKC: Oh man
MHKC: So your head exploded…
DC: And really the way he had laid out was kind of nice
DC: There were all of these contrasting font sizes and stuff
DC: But it only worked if you were being really deliberate about how you curated it
DC: Like you were like
DC: Ok, four posts in the big brown font
DC: Then two in the small blue one
MHKC: Right
DC: Then three in the green
DC: But
DC: It was more like
DC: Blog
DC: Blog
DC: Blog
DC: Blog
DC: Blog
DC: And they just couldn’t do it
DC: Realistically
MHKC: I know
MHKC: You were always SO numberish
MHKC: Stupid Cho
The Next Awl And Traffic?
DC: But yeah
DC: So then
DC: We did another version of the site
DC: With headlines
DC: Like months later
DC: And then we picked up you and Dave Bry
DC: Which was huge
DC: And then traffic actually got really good for a hot second
DC: There’s a graphic of it online
MHKC: Totally, I remember I was dropping off Stumptown coffee for Choire
MHKC: And was like, PSHAW I SHOULD WRITE FOR YOU
MHKC: And he said yes
MHKC: And then I did and they smoked their stanky ass cigs all up in my hurr
DC: October 09 = MHKC/DB
MHKC: I remember this!
DC: It was weird
DC: And then it kept going
MHKC: It was TOTALLY JUSTIFIED
DC: It’s even bigger than that now
MHKC: For sure
DC: March was our biggest month
DC: And hopefully April will follow suit
MHKC: So
MHKC: April
MHKC: How does it feel?
DC: It feels good
DC: I think we’re in a good place
MHKC: You’ve been totally grumpymudgeonly all month
DC: Hahah
DC: Well
MHKC: Are you stressed out?
MHKC: With great power…
DC: I think always
DC: It’s weird
DC: The longer we do it, the stakes just get higher
DC: But I think April is good
DC: I think May will be better
DC: And the summer will be VERY GOOD
Comparisons? The Future?
MHKC: OK
MHKC: Here’s my question
DC: Yes?
DC: Question?
DC: You there
DC: Asian
DC: In the bright red lipstick
DC: Pretty hair
MHKC: Ooh pick me!
MHKC: So The Awl was always billed as the Gawker pirate ship
MHKC: Ramshackle motley Mickey Mouse haus
MHKC: BUT
MHKC: Now you’re doing big things
DC: Medium things
DC: Small-to-medium things
MHKC: Well smedium things
DC: Yes
DC: Smedium
DC: (Insert Urban Dictionary link here)
MHKC: Like, a little young in the sleeves but otherwise totally fetch
MHKC: SO
DC: SO
MHKC: How is your identity evolving?
MHKC: I mean, not that I ever thought it was defined by the Denton relationship
DC: Ooh
DC: That’s a good one
DC: I think what we’ve done now
DC: Lately
DC: And naturally
DC: And what will eventually be our bread and butter
DC: Is voice
MHKC: OF COURSE
DC: That’s why I loved you
MHKC: Aw
DC: *LOVE
MHKC: Past tense
MHKC: :’( :’( :’( :’( :’(
DC: And that’s why I think David Bry and Maura
DC: Are both so phenomenal
MHKC: Yes
MHKC: I love Dave’s voice
DC: And I think that’s what’s most important
DC: Anything we do
DC: Should be driven by good writing voice
DC: So while our purview at times is a little
DC: Maybe
DC: Inconsistent
DC: It’s always coming with a certain voice
DC: Whether that’s Alex
DC: Or Choire
DC: Or whomever
DC: I think that’s what we’ve kind of solidified for ourselves
DC: I think the next natural progression is to make sure that we have the right content mix
MHKC: More food
DC: And as far as growth, I think if/when the right resources come into place, we want to create extensions of the brand that are driven by voice
DC: But maybe under the auspices of content verticals
MHKC: What, like content verts spearheaded by personalities?
DC: Heh
DC: Yerp!
DC: But
DC: We’ll see
MHKC: Well that’s certainly an interesting business model
DC: Hopefully soon we can start planning for that
MHKC: It makes sense
MHKC: It’s like monetizing Tumblr basically
DC: Hmmmm
DC: Sort of
DC: Except less Azn teens
MHKC: Well sure
MHKC: I was going to say less gays
DC: But that wouldn’t have been right
Thank yous! And LAX vs. Burbank!
DC: So
DC: You really bailed me out
DC: Because I was trying to write a post
DC: Thanking people
DC: Because like
DC: The site now
DC: Is such such such such
DC: A product of people helping us
DC: And like just being nice
DC: People like you
DC: Maura
DC: Bry
DC: And then like
MHKC: F’real
DC: A bunch of people who never get dapped out
MHKC: On some fam shit
DC: Like
DC: Ryan Vail brown
DC: Who is this super smart guy who works for Famegame and other stuff who always hears me bitch and moan about everything and helps as a sounding board when I’m trying to figure out how to make things work
DC: Or like my best friend from 2nd grade who wants to remain nameless
DC: But has programmed everything for the site
DC: Originally for no $$$
DC: Which was like
DC: So dope of him
MHKC: Aw
MHKC: Cryings
DC: Wait
DC: I have a few more
MHKC: BUBUBUWAITITGETSWORSE
DC: Katie Baker
DC: Because
DC: She also hears me bitch and moan a lot but is still so supportive and wants it to do well
MHKC: Well she’s a champ
DC: But like
DC: Even you
DC: Like you have been so great
DC: Losing you
DC: I remember that day
DC: You went to California
DC: And we had like a legit sad IM convo
DC: And that was sad for me
DC: I was telling someone that day who asked why I was so grumpy
DC: It was bc I lost you
MHKC: OMG and you sent me End Of The Road mp3
MHKC: That shit was SO SAD
DC: Yes
DC: Not mp3
DC: But Youtube link
DC: Also Water Runs Dry
MHKC: Dude that was dirty
DC: OTHER PEOPLE TO THANK
DC: Wait
DC: So
DC: John Shankman
DC: Was our OG ad sales dude
DC: Who helped us get our shit together
DC: And we now have a lot of good strategic partnerships bc of him
DC: Like there’s going to be ___, ____, and ____ ads on the site
DC: Thanks to him
DC: Which is so great of him
MHKC: Sorry but ad sales dude named Shankman?
MHKC: Awesome
DC: Anddddd
DC: Natasha Vargas-Cooper
DC: Who OG was like the most supportive
DC: And so great to me
DC: And once drove me to LAX once when no one else would
DC: Legit sweetheart
MHKC: EW you made someone drive you to LAX?
MHKC: BURBANK kid
DC: I HAD TO GET BACK TO NEW YORK
MHKC: Dang what’s wrong with you
DC: F Burbank
DC: That is the most overrated bullshit
DC: Burbank
DC: Psh
DC: That’s like people who say Burger Joint is better than Shake Shack
DC: Contrarian for the sake of being contrarian about an inferior product
MHKC: Ew
MHKC: “Burger Joint”
DC: I think I have like
DC: A few more
DC: Rebecca Wiener
DC: Who helped put the site together design wise
DC: Sat with me while we did that
DC: Matthew Tribe our accountant
DC: Who is awesome
DC: And AUSTRALIAN
DC: ANNNNNDDDDDDDDD
DC: Kevin Wu great person who works in ads who has always championed us so hard
Asians Talk About Choire!
DC: Wait
DC: Can we talk about Alex
DC: and Choire
MHKC: YES
DC: Each of them specifically
MHKC: Yes
MHKC: Because they are the BEST
MHKC: Can you call Alex Balk tho
DC: Who do you want to talk about first
MHKC: Let’s do Choire first
DC: LOL
DC: I WONDER IF ANYONE’S EVER SAID THAT
DC: (Sexually)
DC: Probably
MHKC: LOTS
MHKC: ahahahah
MHKC: He’s handsome
DC: He is isn’t he?
MHKC: Totally
MHKC: And his eyes get SO blue around this time of year
MHKC: It’s obscene
MHKC: Especially when he switches them on
DC: One time
DC: When Choire and I first sort of new each other
DC: We met at some thing
DC: Like a talk for something
DC: And I was with my friend
DC: And Choire came
DC: And I was like
MHKC: Mm hmmm
DC: “Yo sit over here with us.”
DC: And then he came up
DC: AND I HUGGED HIM
DC: And I was like
DC: WTF
DC: Did I just hug this guy
MHKC: AHAHAHAH
DC: It was SOOOO weird
DC: I don’t think I’ve touched him since
DC: That was like two years ago?
MHKC: Choire’s not a hugger
DC: Hahaha
DC: NOPE
DC: He’s not a toucher
DC: Except for that cat
DC: Do you have a favorite Choire memory?
MHKC: Memory? That sounds so morbid
MHKC: I love Choire because he bakes
MHKC: I love Choire when he feeds me shit
DC: Choire’s never made me ANYTHING
MHKC: Choire’s full on fed me fresh choco chip cookes and grilled lobster on the same day
DC: WHAT?!!
MHKC: So dude is in there like swimwear
DC: Ughhhhh
MHKC: That sucks for you
MHKC: because IT’S SO GOOD
DC: I only see the pictures
DC: Wait
DC: Can we talk about young Choire
MHKC: I’m going through my Choire slides…
DC: Have you seen pictures
MHKC: YES
MHKC: SO HOT
MHKC: YES
DC: Omg
MHKC: it’s RIDIC
DC: Like
DC: What a little scenester
MHKC: Ahahahhaha
DC: I mean
DC: Choire still looks young
MHKC: Well yeah
MHKC: Shady young
DC: You would never know he was 52
MHKC: Totally
DC: But like
DC: Eeks
MHKC: Aging framed painting shit
DC: I wonder what it would look like if he shaved
DC: Like baby faced
MHKC: Are you like treating Choire like one of those big barbie heads in your head?
MHKC: Now add a bandana
MHKC: …
DC: I’m going to put in a lot of young Choire pics
DC: Here
DC: Here
DC: And
DC: Here
DC: Hahahah
DC: Choire’s attire
DC: Love his camo hoody
MHKC: And his randomly HELLA expensive shoes
DC: Also
DC: INSANELY expensive polos
MHKC: Weren’t we supposed to talk about Choire’s work or something
DC: What?
DC: Yeah
MHKC: OH TOTALLY
DC: Choire’s a great writer
MHKC: It’s the best!
DC: He like
DC: Has legit gayed up my writing style
MHKC: Well hi
MHKC: We stole all caps
MHKC: Flagrantly
DC: My exclamation and parenth usage got A LOT MORE GAY
DC: Post Choire
DC: I also stole “dog”
DC: Because he started that
DC: And I def just made it my own
MHKC: Well he’s the VOICEIEST VOICE
MHKC: People are constantly questioning your sexuality on the internets
MHKC: Ahahah
DC: Yeah WTF
DC: Wait
DC: Also
DC: Me = not gay
DC: Sorry dudes
DC: IRL not really a gay vibe
DC: I guess on the internet though
MHKC: It’s the bangs I think
MHKC: But what do I know
DC: I think Rod Townsend once accused me of “tweeting like a mo”
MHKC: He did
MHKC: I was there
MHKC: it was awesome
DC: Sigh
DC: ANYWAYS
DC: Choire
MHKC: Choire’s the best top editor too
MHKC: He taught be about good SEO heds
MHKC: Not really
MHKC: But he taught me about how to do funny heds
DC: Hahah yeah
MHKC: And he always changes my lead images
DC: He does SEO heds sometimes
MHKC: Bc they’re shit otherwise
DC: Oh god
DC: You know what Choire taught Alex
MHKC: *Balk*
DC: That I hate
MHKC: AHAHAHA
MHKC: What
DC: Like
DC: I don’t hate much
DC: But I hate this
DC: THOSE STUPID THUMBNAILS THEY DO WHEN THEY CROP IT SO THAT THERE’S LIKE A WEIRD PART OF THEIR FACE AND THAT’S IT
DC: So like
DC: Two weeks ago
DC: They did an ‘up in the air’ post
DC: And it was like
DC: Half of George Clooney’s face
DC: In a wonky picture
DC: And I was like
DC: I’m sorry
DC: I have to change this
DC: Speaking of Alex
DC: “Balk”
DC: ON TO BALK
MHKC: but it’s funny when they do that
MHKC: Hackcrop
MHKC: You’re always like, what in bish this be?
MHKC: And then you click
MHKC: It’s totally baittastic
MHKC: And funny
DC: Hahah
MHKC: It can’t always be pretty
DC: THEYRE NOT DOING IT TO BE BAIT-TASTIC
DC: They’re doing it to be EDGY
DC: And like
DC: Artsy and shit
DC: It’s like
DC: STOP
MHKC: You’re so ageist
DC: I’m 15
DC: Who cares
DC: You can’t tell me what to do
DC: You’re not my dad
Asians on Alex Balk!
DC: What are your thoughts on Alex
MHKC: I love Balk
MHKC: He’s dumb smart
MHKC: And it’s scary
MHKC: And there’s that glittery darkness that he has
MHKC: That’s also scary
MHKC: But then he’s SO GREAT
DC: Define glittery darkness
DC: Like Twilight?
MHKC: No, like he’s a flavor of smart where you know he’s already completely assessed the situation and knows how the conversation ends so he’s already moved onto the part where he’s judging what’s transpired and you can see it in his eyes and that makes me totally antsy about what grade I’m gonna get cause I love grades and the whole process is GREAT
DC: hahaha
DC: AGREE
DC: Completely
MHKC: It’s a gift
DC: Alex is great
DC: Because he’s so patient w me
DC: Pretty much I just whine a lot
DC: And he’s like
DC: Ok David
DC: Ok David
DC: Choire actually does that a lot too
DC: So do you
DC: Choire has to put up with it more because he’s online all day long
MHKC: RIGHT because it turns out that he’s not at all like the type of dickswinging asshole that then grabs the fleshy part of your upper arm to say goodbye or whatever
MHKC: He’s extremely supportive
DC: So supportive
MHKC: Like, he could have EVERYTHING
MHKC: Bc he’s basically smarter than humans
DC: I used to get really discouraged at Radar
DC: And like
DC: Frustrated
DC: And Alex would take me to this shit bar around there
DC: And always buy me booze
DC: And be like
DC: Listen
DC: You have to figure out a way to beat this
DC: Great guy
MHKC: I wonder if they’ll hate how we’re talking about this personal shit
DC: Probably
DC: But
DC: Nothing disparaging
DC: So
DC: Can’t be too mad
MHKC: Yeah but they’re so seafoam about what they’re “like” IRL
DC: Haa
MHKC: Hans Christian Anderson seafoam not like the color
DC: HAHAHAAHAH
DC: Understood
EPILOGUE!
DC: How do you want to close it down
MHKC: Well
MHKC: I feel like Trey Songz ‘Say Aah’ should play as an outtro
MHKC: But it’s your birthday
MHKC: It’s a big one
MHKC: Next year will be better than the first
DC: I think it should be
MHKC: It will
DC: The Awl has had a lot of bounces go against it
MHKC: This year was hard
MHKC: I mean
MHKC: Summer of death
MHKC: SO HARD
DC: And I think that’s why I’ve been grumpy
DC: But like
DC: The way things are shaping up
DC: The way things are looking
MHKC: Don’t say anything jinxy
DC: I’m really excited
MHKC: ok
MHKC: you should be
DC: I told Alex this actually
MHKC: Who?
MHKC: Ahahahha
DC: Like last week
DC: I was like
DC: We might actually be doing this
DC: It might actually be happening
MHKC: You know what?
MHKC: Not for nothing
MHKC: I wouldn’t work for free for anyone else as happily as I did y’all
MHKC: Because I love that you guys own it
DC: Hopefully in the near future you wont have to.
DC: END
DC: FIN
DC: THAT’S IT
MHKC: NAH SON
DC: CLIFFHANGER
DC: Hahahaha
MHKC: LEMME FINISH
MHKC: ahahha
DC: OK
DC: finish
MHKC: I’m kidding
DC: I’ll put it back in the edit
MHKC: OH
MHKC: Your commenters
MHKC: Rule
MHKC: Our commenters
MHKC: The end
MHKC: FIN
DC: AGREE