John McDermott
Esquire
Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Past articles by John:
Spencer Pratt on Reality TV, Kim Kardashian, Fame, Crystals, Fatherhood
At 38 years old, reality TV’s original bad boy is wiser, calmer, and more charming—but he's still searching for one thing: "I want a hit show so fucking bad." → Read More
Jack Alcott Killed Your Favorite TV Serial Killer. He’s Just Getting Started.
Having just killed off one of the most iconic characters in television history, Jack Alcott knows he’s in for a torrent of angry tweets, Instagram DMs and blog posts from legions of Dexter fans irate that Alcott has finally, officially, laid the titular character to rest. → Read More
How Alan Lefkowitz Became Comedy's Go-To Therapist
Therapist Alan Lefkowitz never intended to corner the market on New York’s stand-ups comedy scene. It just so happened he was perfect for the gig: Clown Whisperer. → Read More
Becoming Michael Myers: 9 Men Who've Portrayed 'The Shape' on Halloween's Enduring Legacy
This is what it’s like to portray one of the most legendary—and least emotive—characters in cinema history. → Read More
The Fortunes Won—and Lost—in the Mind-Boggling Rise of r/WallStreetBets
WallStreetBets is seen as renegade trolls trying to make millions by betting big on “meme stocks,” like GameStop. It also marks a historic reshuffling of power in the world of finance. → Read More
Why Robinhood Blocked Gamestop Stock: Latest on the Wall Street Controversy
What began as WallStreetBets trying to make a quick buck in GameStop stock has turned into a sociopolitical debate about the nature of wealth, involving Wall Street, Robinhood, Citadel, and more. → Read More
How WallStreetBets Redditors Used Their Collective Power to Manipulate the Stock Market
The WallStreetBets subreddit took the financial world by storm this week, putting hedge funds at the edge of their seat. Here's everything you need to be equipped for the inevitable conversation about why GameStop's stock is rising, what short squeeze means, and how a Reddit trader sparked the Wall Street revolution. → Read More
The Men Who Are Convinced We’re All Living in a Simulation
‘If Trump and the Cubs can win, anything is possible.’ Are we all characters in a universe-sized version of ‘The Sims’? → Read More
Bitcoin Millionaire: How One Early Investor Got a $5 Million Fortune
Bitcoin price today is near $30,000, but back in 2012, one guy opened a Bitcoin mining rig to buy drugs on the Silk Road and got super-rich instead → Read More
'People Don’t Understand How Hard We Work': Life Inside an L.A. Mansion Full of TikTok Influencers
Millions follow them on social media, but the twenty-somethings living together in the “Clubhouse” say few really have a clue what goes down in a day. → Read More
A Comprehensive History of 'Loose Change'—and the Seeds It Planted in Our Politics
Fifteen years ago, three men created a 9/11-conspiracy-theory film that laid the groundwork for a culture of outrageous misinformation. → Read More
Inside LA's Pandemic-Induced Underground Gym Scene
As COVID-19 closures keep their sanctuaries on lockdown, Los Angeles's trainers and gym rats are finding new ways to get their fix. → Read More
Stories From People Who Didn't Watch the Moon Landing
Three people who were alive and lucid in 1969 explain why they missed the next great leap for mankind. → Read More
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Won't Live Up to Your Fan Boy Dreams. But the Cantina Is Cool.
An immersive Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park opened at Disneyland, complete with Oga's Cantina. But it can't quite deliver on the fan boy dream. → Read More
Snapchat’s Gender-Swap and Baby Filters Doubled Downloads of the App
On May 8, Snapchat released a photo filter (a “Lens” in Snapchat parlance) that, by rounding a users’ face and smoothing away their wrinkles, transforms them into a toddler. Over the next two days… → Read More
John McDermott
John McDermott is a writer whose work has appeared in Chicago Tribune, Vice, The Atlantic, Fast Company and MEL, among other publications. He lives in Los Angeles. → Read More
For the First Time in His Life, Michael Ian Black Isn’t Sure What to Say
The sardonic comedian Michael Ian Black has taken it upon himself to be one of the leading male voices on issues facing men. And he has no idea what he’s doing. → Read More
CBD Might Help the NFL with Its Concussion Problem, Which Might Force It to Solve Its Weed Problem…
At the very least, it boxes the league into a corner to admit that medical marijuana might be the best pain reliever it can provide... → Read More
Pulling Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps Is Actually Impossible
Republicans jammed through their tax cut late last year, which means it’s only a matter of time before they try to cut entitlements to make... → Read More
Nestle Debuts a New Chocolate in KitKat-Crazed Japan
KitKat's new chocolate debuts in Japan, just in time for Valentine's Day. Credit: Nestlé Japan Nestlé will sweeten Japan's Valentine's Day with ruby-chocolate KitKats, choosing one of the world's most candy-obsessed markets for the debut of the first new type of natural chocolate in more than 80 years. Nestlé struck a deal with Zurich-based Barry Callebaut, the developer of ruby chocolate,… → Read More