McSweeney's use of fonts

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/

I wish that I could snidely talk about fonts and their different features like all my graphic designer friends, but I can't. I don't know the names of most fonts, and I don't know why they look good for certain publications other than the fact that they "just look good." I have a hatred of Comic Sans MS, but aside from that abhorrent font, I'm no expert.

I like the look of McSweeney's because it's not obnoxious. There are a lot of colorful articles to read on the website, but the font doesn't reflect that -- and that's what I like about it. A font shouldn't distract a reader from content (unless it's supposed to). Fonts can take authority away from an article, and McSweeney's does not do that.

Most of the text appears to be in your typical Times New Roman. I'm not sure which font is used for the titles and headers, but I like the fact that the letters are spaced far apart. It gives the site a slightly "old-timey" look and reminds me of ice cream parlors. I like that all of the text is black because there's nothing worse than reading a bright color against a white background.

In a way, the simplicity of the fonts gives way to a little irony. Though everything is simplistic and clean-cut, there's currently an article on the front page about a 24-year-old female software writer who is secretly an escort. Her article is well-written and hilarious.

I like that the site looks like it's designed for pompous writers but is actually the complete opposite.