The Chive

The Chive (styled theCHIVE) is a website owned and operated by Resignation, LLC.[1] Images appearing on thechive.com are selected by staff from searches of both international and domestic websites as well as daily submissions.[1]

This article is about the web site. For other uses, see Chives (disambiguation).
The Chive
Chive logo
Type of site
photoblog and entertainment website
OwnerResignation Media LLC
Created byLeo Resig and John Resig
URLthechive.com
Launched2008
Current statusOnline

The Chive gained attention[2] for a series of internet hoaxes[3] that began in 2007 and were reported as true stories by mainstream media outlets.[4]

History

John and Leo Resig founded Resignation Media, LLC in August 2007[5] and then launched thechive.com in November, 2008.[6] Initially, it was claimed that the website's name came from combining 'Chicago' and 'Venice' Beach;[7] however, Resig later admitted that the name was actually inspired by The Onion.[8] The brothers went on to create additional photo-entertainment websites, all of which are staffed and managed by members of the Resig family.[5][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 relocating to a renovated space in downtown Austin, Texas.[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."[4]

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, The Chive 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.[4]

Chive Charities

The Chive also runs a charity organization called Chive Charities, in which they raise awareness and funds for specific individuals in need of assistance. Every t-shirt purchased from the Chivery store donates $1 to Chive Charities. As of May 2019, they have donated over $1,800,000. 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 The Chive, known as Chivers, have donated over $100,000 to several causes within hours.[18]

References
  1. Loerzel, Robert. "Confirmed: 'HOPA' hoaxsters are Chicagoans". Crain's Chicago Business. Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved Aug 17, 2010.
  2. Blake, Heidi (Aug 11, 2010). "Pictures of office worker who exposed sexist boss in whiteboard messages were a hoax". London: The Telegraph, UK. Retrieved Aug 11, 2010.
  3. Lazar, Shira (Aug 11, 2010). "Elyse Porterfield, HOPA Dry Erase Girl Exclusive Interview". CBS News. Archived from the original (Flash video) on Aug 14, 2010. Retrieved Aug 12, 2010. (flash no longer supported, 2021)
  4. Tsotsis, Alexia (11 August 2010). "Confirmed: HOPA Dry Erase Girl Is A Hoax, Identity Revealed". Tech Crunch. Retrieved Aug 12, 2010.
  5. "Overview of Resignation, LLC". theCHIVE.com. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  6. "theCHIVE Business Profile". Discovering Startups. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  7. "How theCHIVE got its name". theCHIVE.com. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
  8. Schiffer, Zoe (28 April 2020). "How The Chive built an empire out of bro-bait". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  9. Kafka, Peter. "Meet the Prankster Brothers Behind 'Jenny,' the Whiteboard-Using, Farmville-Exposing, HPOA Girl". All Things Digital. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
  10. "Calif. company behind popular humor website moving to Austin". mystatesman.com. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  11. "Report: Donald Trump Leaves $10,000 Tip on $82 Bill". Fox News Channel. 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  12. "Original Teen Texting Hoax on TheChive". theCHIVE.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  13. "Compilation of hoax coverage". YouTube. Various sources. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved Feb 5, 2009.
  14. Leo. "Girl quits her job on dry erase board, emails entire office (33 Photos)". The Chive. Retrieved Aug 8, 2010.
  15. Tate, Ryan (10 August 2010). "The Quitting Tale That Suckered the Whole Internet". Gawker. Retrieved Aug 10, 2010.
  16. Resig, John (11 August 2010). "A word from Jenny (16 Photos)". The Chive. Retrieved Aug 11, 2010.
  17. Huff, Steve. "Shattered Dreams: Jenny the Dry Erase Board Girl is Fake". New York Observer. Archived from the original on Aug 16, 2010. Retrieved Aug 11, 2010.
  18. "Fox31 report on Farrah Soudani". Fox31. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2012-10-02.

Further reading
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