The Onion

About The A.V. Club

F.A.Q.

What is The A.V. Club?

The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. It appears in the print editions of The Onion and online at www.avclub.com.

What does A.V. stand for?

"Audiovisual." Back in olden times, a school's audiovisual club would be composed of a bunch of geeks who actually knew how to run the filmstrip and film projectors and were typically deeply involved in things like audio fidelity and newfangled speakers. We're proud to carry on the tradition of people immersed in pop culture and entertainment media to a somewhat obsessive degree.

So the stuff you write is all fake, like The Onion's "news," right?

No. Not even a little. The A.V. Club features real interviews, reviews, and other entertainment-related articles.

Huh? So what's it doing in The Onion?

The Onion has had reviews since its earliest days. In the mid-'90s, under the stewardship of former editor Stephen Thompson, it became a philosophically aligned section of its own, dedicated to following entertainment culture down its various side and back roads.

Yeah? So what's in it?

The A.V. Club prints interviews with people who interest us, plus reviews of the latest films, music, books, DVDs, and video games. It also features probing investigations into whatever aspects of pop culture we feel like tackling—from movie-star tribute songs to dollar-store eats—and several regular columns. This content can also be accessed online, as can The A.V. Club's freewheeling staff blog. And in cities where The Onion has a print edition, readers will also find recommendations about area events, plus other city-specific content, in the local edition of the paper.

So which cities have print editions?

Currently, The Onion is available as a free newspaper in New York City; Chicago; Minneapolis; Denver/Boulder; Milwaukee; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Austin, TX; Washington D.C.; and Madison, WI.

When will the Onion add a print edition in my city?

For business reasons, we can't comment on whether The Onion is considering adding a franchise in any given city in the future. But keep an eye on the jobs page for clues.

Who writes The A.V. Club?

A carefully assembled team of crack pop-culture enthusiasts. Click one of the names below for bios.

Where is it based?

We have contributors from the cultural hotbeds of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Conway, Arkansas. But over time, Chicago has become the editorial hub of The A.V. Club.

Will you review my CD / book / movie / video game / poetry / pottery?

Maybe. Probably not. But maybe. Please bear in mind that we're presented with an enormous amount of material every day, so it's simply impossible to respond to every item that crosses our desks, much less review it. Items for review consideration can be sent to The A.V. Club at our Chicago office (The Onion, 212 W. Superior St., Suite 200, Chicago, IL, 60610), but we absolutely cannot guarantee that anything you send us will be covered.

Way to support the scene, sellout.

Whatever.

My band's coming to town, will you put us in your calendar? (Or "My film is screening at…" or "I'm doing stand-up in…" or "I'm reading from my new book at…" or any variation thereof.)

Entirely possible. Our local editions feature extensive calendars of current events. Due to our editorial lead time, we strongly recommend getting us your information at least two weeks before the event. Contact your local city calendar at the address below:

Didn't you guys put out a book?

We sure did. It's called The Tenacity Of The Cockroach: Conversations With Entertainment's Most Enduring Outsiders, and it collects dozens of our best interviews. It appeared in late 2002 and can be bought here.

Is it any good?

Oh man, it's fantastic!

Will you ever put out another?

Sure.

I'm a big fan of someone you interviewed. Can you put me in touch with him/her?

Sorry, no. It's rare for us to receive any personal contact information for our interview subjects. In the instances where we do have this information, we do not give it out, nor can we pass on messages, project pitches, etc.

Can I submit articles or reviews or ideas to The A.V. Club?

No. The A.V. Club does not accept outside submissions of any kind.

Well, then, can I come work for you?

We very occasionally have job openings we're looking to fill. See the jobs page for details. It updates as new openings become available.

What about internships? Can I be an intern at The A.V. Club?

Yes, we're periodically looking for interns for our local offices. Interns perform a wide variety of tasks, usually including helping assemble local listings, contributing to local content, and assisting the A.V. Club staff. Candidates should possess strong writing and verbal skills, organizational aptitude, an ability to work reliably with others on deadlines, and an interest in pop culture. Interns work up to 20 hours per week, but the schedule is flexible. A.V. Club internships are unpaid, but they represent great opportunities to work with a nationally recognized paper. Check with your college or university for possible credit. Open internships periodically appear on the jobs page, but you can also contact your local city editor about being considered for an internship. Qualified applicants can send a resume, cover letter, and writing samples (no comedy, please) to their local editor at the e-mail addresses listed above in the calendar section.

You didn't answer my frequently asked question.

Really? Sorry. Visit our contact page to send us a message.

Click on this link to contact the Onion A.V. Club with questions or technical issues.

A.V. Club Staff Bios:

Personal of the Day