The Chive
 | |
Type of site | photoblog and entertainment website |
|---|---|
| Owner | Resignation Media LLC |
| Created by | Leo Resig and John Resig |
| URL | thechive.com |
theCHIVE, or theCHIVE.com, is a photo-entertainment website independently owned and operated by Resignation, LLC.[2] Images appearing on theCHIVE.com are selected by staff from searches of both international and domestic websites as well as daily submissions.[2]
theCHIVE gained attention[3] for a series of internet hoaxes[4] that began in 2007 and were reported as true stories by mainstream media outlets.[5]
History
John and Leo Resig founded Resignation, LLC in August 2007[6] and then launched theCHIVE.com in November, 2008.[7] The CHIVE name was born from combining the two cities in which the brothers lived: Leo was in Chicago (CHI) and John was in Venice Beach (VE).[8] The brothers went on to create additional photo-entertainment websites, all of which are staffed and managed by members of the Resig family.[6][9] On Monday, July 22, 2013 the Austin American Statesman reported that during the summer of 2013 the parent company of The Chive (Resignation Media) was re-locating to a renovated space in downtown Austin, TX.[10]
Hoaxes
Between 2007 and 2010, Leo and John Resig conducted a string of internet hoaxes that, according to Leo, were designed "to entertain and inspire, not to inform."[5]
Donald Trump Tips
In 2007, the "Donald Trump tip" hoax involved a doctored photo of a Santa Monica restaurant receipt that was supposedly signed by Donald Trump indicating that a $10,000 tip was left on a bill of $82.27. Trump denied the story's accuracy to Fox News Channel, which had originally published the story as real.[11] Other media agencies also ran the story, including The Huffington Post, E! News, and Access Hollywood.
Teenage texting disaster
The "Teenage texting disaster" hoax occurred in 2008 and involved a fictitious teenager who had accidentally sent a text message to her father stating that she had lost her virginity on the beach.[12] This became an internet meme and was broadcast as a true story by several media outlets.[13]
Jenny quits on dry erase board
Arguably the most famous hoax was in 2010, with "Girl quits her job on dry erase board, emails entire office", which showed several photographs of a woman quitting her job by telling a story with a dry-erase whiteboard.[14] This hoax was also reported as true.[15]
The next day, TheChive.com ran a follow-up series of photos revealing the woman's true identity as a hired actress named Elyse Porterfield.[16] Some news sources suggested the hoax was inspired by the dramatic resignation of JetBlue flight-attendant Steven Slater that took place the day before.[17] However, the Resig brothers told reporters that the idea for the hoax was conceived about a month earlier at a bar in Santa Monica. The pair wrote down the details on paper napkins. The casting for "Jenny" and her photo shoot was conducted a week prior to the JetBlue incident.[5]
Chive Charities
theCHIVE also runs a charity organization called Chive Charities, in which they raise awareness and funds for specific individuals in need of assistance. They have donated to veterans, children with birth defects, shooting victims,[18] fire departments, rescue squads, and many others in need.
The community of people who regularly visit theCHIVE, known as Chivers, have donated over $100,000 to several causes within hours.[18]
References
Notes
- ^ "Thechive.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
- ^ a b Loerzel, Robert. "Confirmed: 'HOPA' hoaxsters are Chicagoans". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ Blake, Heidi (2010-08-11). "Pictures of office worker who exposed sexist boss in whiteboard messages were a hoax". London: The Telegraph, UK. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
- ^ Lazar, Shira (2010-08-11). "Elyse Porterfield, HOPA Dry Erase Girl Exclusive Interview". CBS News. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ a b c Tsotsis, Alexia. "Confirmed: HOPA Dry Erase Girl Is A Hoax, Identity Revealed". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ a b "Overview of Resignation, LLC". theCHIVE.com. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
- ^ "theCHIVE Business Profile". Discovering Startups. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
- ^ "How theCHIVE got its name". theCHIVE.com. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^ Kafka, Peter. "Meet the Prankster Brothers Behind 'Jenny,' the Whiteboard-Using, Farmville-Exposing, HPOA Girl". All Things Digital. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
- ^ "Calif. company behind popular humor website moving to Austin". mystatesman.com. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
- ^ "Report: Donald Trump Leaves $10,000 Tip on $82 Bill". Fox News Channel. 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
- ^ "Original Teen Texting Hoax on TheChive". theCHIVE.com. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
- ^ "YouTube compilation of hoax coverage". Various Sources. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
- ^ "Original Jenny Quits Hoax on theCHIVE". theChive.com. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
- ^ Tate, Ryan. "The Quitting Tale That Suckered the Whole Internet". Gawker. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
- ^ "A word from Jenny". theCHIVE.com. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
- ^ Huff, Steve. "Shattered Dreams: Jenny the Dry Erase Board Girl is Fake". The New York Observer. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
- ^ a b "Fox31 report on Farrah Soudani". Fox31. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
Further reading
- Suddath, Claire (October 17, 2013). "The Chive's Smut With a Smile". Bloomberg Businessweek.