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McSweeney's Internet Tendency ·Small delights

I’m Jimothy, the Short-Spined Raccoon Who Has Taken the Internet by Storm, and the Collective Weight of Your Adoration is Breaking My Already-Compromised Back

by Emily Flake

Published 2026-07-20 19:36:00-04:00

If a viral raccoon could look back at the people watching it, what would it see?

0:00 / 5:02 · Narrator Sulafat

Context

A short-spined raccoon in Seattle found sudden fame online, but the animal at the center of the memes has a few things to say about the people watching him. Writing on 20 July 2026, the raccoon, Jimothy, looks past the camera and into the trash cans of the neighbors who adore him. He finds a trail of processed snacks and empty pill bottles that point to a lonely, struggling species. This viral moment asks why humans look for cute distractions on their screens while their actual lives feel so messy.

Show notes

A satirical monologue from the perspective of Jimothy, a raccoon whose short spine made him a viral sensation. The animal criticizes human society by describing the trash he scavenges, from junk food wrappers to discarded medicine bottles. He argues that internet fame cannot fix the isolation and damage to the planet caused by human behavior.

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