The Ennui Vision

WE first came up with the idea for Ennui while dowsing ourselves in alcohol in the community pool outside our house in sunny Los Angeles, California. It was one of those days when all we could do was complain about various problems in the world, while gently sloshing through our drunk roommate’s urine.

“The world is going to hell in a handbasket,” said our lovely ninety-year-old neighbor with a heavy German accent, as she sipped away her whiskey on the chaise-longue nearby. Someone else pronounced the word “Ennui,” but it sounded like “anyway,” so we assumed he was merely uttering another listless sigh that had become such a common feature of our sun-burnt vegetation.

But he didn’t stay silent- he spelled the word out, and explained it. “It’s pronounced ‘ahn-WEE,’ retard,” we gently corrected him. Still, he had a point. We did have ennui, and all the sunlight and lack of ozone in the world was not enough to burn away our bleakness. So, like the demon child in The Ring, we knew that our only way out would be to spread our contagion, and that was when the concept of this magazine was born.

Along the way, one of us suggested that the end-all purpose of our publication would be “to diagnose the post-post-modern malaise.” Another one kept insisting on writing comparisons between Vampires and Zombies. Still, a third one wanted eloquent reviews of all the fine dining and plebian entertainment in our fair city.

The one fact we agreed on, firmly, was that we were all extremely interesting people, and had to share our gifts with the world. “I really like reading me,” said one of us. Another quickly agreed. A third one vomited. The following day, as the hangover wore off, we officially launched this magazine.

What you will find here is a pulse. You might wonder, why would you need to look for a pulse on a website? The answer is, because alone, we are pulseless. You are here now, so that you might join us in our community, with the hope that together, we might live, a little. As we work to expand this publication, we will be offering you everything from reviews to interviews, from quasi-political rambles to juicy stories of celebrity copulation.

Whatever it is that we will put up, suffice it to say that it will all adhere to a strict standard- to provide you with a little bit of respite against the doldrums of your air-conditioned offices and the storms of your significant others’ apartments. You can read this at home or at work, in the downstairs coffee shop or the penthouse bathroom. And you can always send us your suggestions, opinions, or blank checks. So, please relax, and enjoy yourself!