Jack Probst
@jackprobst.com
writer of sappy personal essays about music, comedy, and film. also writing a book about growing up with a rare bone disorder. it’ll be funny, i swear.
✍️: merry-go-round mag, paste, pitchfork, creem, nme, etc.
✍️: merry-go-round mag, paste, pitchfork, creem, nme, etc.
Pinned
Jack Probst
@jackprobst.com
· 23d
Surviving 24 Hours at Music Box of Horrors - Merry-Go-Round Magazine
Repertory, art house, and indie theaters across the country come alive during October with horror programming, especially the all night marathon. But what is it like to actually survive one? Jack Probst offers a full log of just that experience at Chicago's Music Box of Horrors!
merrygoroundmagazine.com
Two weeks ago, my buddy Jon and I attend a 24-hour horror movie marathon at the @musicboxtheatre.bsky.social. I wrote about my love for horror movies, lifelong friendships, and the experience of watching films in a theatre full of like-minded folks for @mgrmagazine.bsky.social.
Join me, won’t you? (I’m right in the middle!)
Mortalization at MaxFunHQ isn't forever, but forever ain't what it used to be.
We're a long way from running out of Post-its, so if you want in, grab a fiver and head to maximumfun.org/movingday
We're a long way from running out of Post-its, so if you want in, grab a fiver and head to maximumfun.org/movingday
November 23, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Join me, won’t you? (I’m right in the middle!)
Reposted by Jack Probst
All music is ambient music if you’re far enough away from it bro ❤️
November 22, 2025 at 10:09 PM
All music is ambient music if you’re far enough away from it bro ❤️
For writing, I have been cursed to think about everything that’s ever happened to me on an endless loop and it helps to just get some of it down on paper.
November 22, 2025 at 9:55 PM
For writing, I have been cursed to think about everything that’s ever happened to me on an endless loop and it helps to just get some of it down on paper.
“Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette,” Vincent Van Gogh
November 22, 2025 at 6:17 AM
“Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette,” Vincent Van Gogh
They keep saying Björk is 60, and I refuse to believe an ice elf like her is any less than ten thousand years old.
November 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM
They keep saying Björk is 60, and I refuse to believe an ice elf like her is any less than ten thousand years old.
Revisiting Wicked before we see part 2 tomorrow, and I forgot that the most fantastically unbelievable thing about it is that the school is called Shiz.
November 22, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Revisiting Wicked before we see part 2 tomorrow, and I forgot that the most fantastically unbelievable thing about it is that the school is called Shiz.
Reposted by Jack Probst
Watching Plur1bus and Brittany just revealed she refers to her as Rhea Seahorse. I love my wife so much.
November 21, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Watching Plur1bus and Brittany just revealed she refers to her as Rhea Seahorse. I love my wife so much.
Brittany’s learning Italian, so I might try learning another language so we can have Dueling Lingos.
November 21, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Brittany’s learning Italian, so I might try learning another language so we can have Dueling Lingos.
Work tip: If someone messages you, "Got a sec?" what they actually mean is, "I am going to call you to ask questions you don't know the answer to."
November 21, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Work tip: If someone messages you, "Got a sec?" what they actually mean is, "I am going to call you to ask questions you don't know the answer to."
Me on Fridays: I can’t wait to check out new releases!
Also me: Listens to “Tongue” by R.E.M. three times in a row.
Also me: Listens to “Tongue” by R.E.M. three times in a row.
November 21, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Me on Fridays: I can’t wait to check out new releases!
Also me: Listens to “Tongue” by R.E.M. three times in a row.
Also me: Listens to “Tongue” by R.E.M. three times in a row.
This is fantastic. I loved writing for Paste, especially for the comedy section. It was a place where I could go “here’s a dumb thing I love that makes me laugh and I want to write about how it makes me not want to die” and Claire Martin always let me just go for it.
I've been having a lot of feelings about the changes at Paste Magazine the past few days. So, in true Leila fashion, I wrote 2.5k words about it. You can read it here:
open.substack.com/pub/leilajor...
open.substack.com/pub/leilajor...
"I love this idea, go for it:" an ode to the Paste Magazine I knew
With the announcement that Paste Media is pivoting away from most its verticals except Music for its flagship magazine, I'm paying tribute to the website that gave me a career
open.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:36 PM
This is fantastic. I loved writing for Paste, especially for the comedy section. It was a place where I could go “here’s a dumb thing I love that makes me laugh and I want to write about how it makes me not want to die” and Claire Martin always let me just go for it.
Favorite sister-in-law is in town. 🙌
November 20, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Favorite sister-in-law is in town. 🙌
There are 4 types of guys online. No exceptions.
November 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM
There are 4 types of guys online. No exceptions.
Reposted by Jack Probst
The 25th anniversary celebration continues! This week's show was recorded live in Santa Cruz. We are joined by Glynn Washington of “Snap Judgment,” Boots Riley of “Sorry to Bother You,” and Adam Scott of “Severance.” Plus, live tunes from The Mermen, and standup from Scott Simpson: buff.ly/1uksrMi
November 18, 2025 at 7:16 PM
The 25th anniversary celebration continues! This week's show was recorded live in Santa Cruz. We are joined by Glynn Washington of “Snap Judgment,” Boots Riley of “Sorry to Bother You,” and Adam Scott of “Severance.” Plus, live tunes from The Mermen, and standup from Scott Simpson: buff.ly/1uksrMi
Reposted by Jack Probst
"It really wasn’t a question of would I die, it was when. I’m really grateful I didn’t, and that now I don’t think I’m gonna die—I hope I make it past 30, I think I will. I don’t think it’ll be my own doing, I know that much."
Interview: Collapsing With Nussy Andrews - Merry-Go-Round Magazine
When Nussy Andrews tells me she’s an open book, I believe her. On her stellar 2024 album, VENUS, BABY, the New York City-based, New Jersey-raised singer-songwriter is morosely honest. “Autopsy,” the r...
merrygoroundmagazine.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:59 PM
"It really wasn’t a question of would I die, it was when. I’m really grateful I didn’t, and that now I don’t think I’m gonna die—I hope I make it past 30, I think I will. I don’t think it’ll be my own doing, I know that much."
Please enjoy the brilliant fall decorations at my Grandma’s house this year.
November 18, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Please enjoy the brilliant fall decorations at my Grandma’s house this year.
I have about 6 Bargain Bin essays in the hopper, but I keep getting stuck, so none of them are done. Get stuck, move to next, repeat, repeat, repeat.
November 18, 2025 at 4:22 PM
I have about 6 Bargain Bin essays in the hopper, but I keep getting stuck, so none of them are done. Get stuck, move to next, repeat, repeat, repeat.
Ope, it's time to retire calling things “oddly satisfying.”
November 18, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Ope, it's time to retire calling things “oddly satisfying.”
I was personally gutted when Paste cut the Comedy section a while back, once the perfect place for so many of my silly essays about funny things that make life bearable, but losing all these amazing people and sections that Paste has been covering for decades is infinitely worse. What the fuck.
This brings to an end my couple of years as an associate film editor at Paste. I had an astonishing amount of freedom there as both a freelancer and later in my part-time gig, and the sheer number of movies they were willing to review or otherwise cover put a lot of movies-first pubs to shame!
Today, Paste Magazine shuttered all its non-music verticals, a choice I am both professionally and personally heartbroken about. Sadly, I am once again looking for a place that wants to let me write about Books and TV on the regular, so hit me up if that’s you or anyone you know.
November 17, 2025 at 7:02 PM
I was personally gutted when Paste cut the Comedy section a while back, once the perfect place for so many of my silly essays about funny things that make life bearable, but losing all these amazing people and sections that Paste has been covering for decades is infinitely worse. What the fuck.
I’m starting to wonder if Pennywise is in Welcome to Derry.
We explore the many reasons why Pennywise the Dancing Clown doesn't run into the Running Man in the new film.
Why Isn’t Pennywise in The Running Man?
bit.ly
November 17, 2025 at 3:17 AM
I’m starting to wonder if Pennywise is in Welcome to Derry.
Aha Shake Heartbreak, indeed.
Happy 20th anniversary to the Sony BMG copy protection rootkit scandal, in which the company secretly installed software to hide DRM technology on CD buyers’ PCs. XCP was a security risk that led to public outcry, class action lawsuits, and, 20 years ago today, a recall of dozens of album titles.
November 17, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Aha Shake Heartbreak, indeed.
What perfect album came out the year you turned 16?
November 17, 2025 at 1:56 AM
What perfect album came out the year you turned 16?
In the family Music League, dropping the saddest song from the most heartbreaking album to exist for the saddest song ever category, and rocketing myself to 2nd place.
Seaweed by Mount Eerie on Apple Music
Song · 2017 · Duration 3:01
music.apple.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:53 AM
In the family Music League, dropping the saddest song from the most heartbreaking album to exist for the saddest song ever category, and rocketing myself to 2nd place.