{{Short description|American men's magazine}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox magazine | logo = frameless|class=skin-invert | title = MEL | image_file = | editor = Josh Schollmeyer | editor_title = Editor in Chief | image_alt = border | category = Lifestyle and culture | publisher = Michael Dubin | frequency = | founder = Josh Schollmeyer, Michael Dubin | company = Literally Media | founded = 2015 | country = United States | based = Marina del Rey, California | language = English | website = {{Official URL}} | finaldate = 2022 | issn= }} '''''MEL''''' was a men's magazine headquartered in Marina del Rey, California.<ref name="Miller 2020" /> Originally funded by Dollar Shave Club, ''Mel'' was described by ''New York Times'' journalist Amanda Hess as "the rare men's magazine that has taken upon itself to investigate masculinity, not enforce it".<ref name="The New York Times 2017">{{cite web | first=Amanda | last=Hess | title=What We're Reading | website=The New York Times | date=May 2, 2017 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/02/insider/what-were-reading.html | access-date=December 7, 2020 | archive-date=March 24, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324214255/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/02/insider/what-were-reading.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The magazine had no advertisements.<ref name="Weissman 2018">{{cite web | last=Weissman | first=Cale Guthrie | title=Dollar Shave Club's men's magazine "Mel" grows up | website=Fast Company | date=August 15, 2018 | url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90217210/dollar-shave-clubs-mens-magazine-mel-grows-up | access-date=November 27, 2020 | archive-date=April 9, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409151052/https://www.fastcompany.com/90217210/dollar-shave-clubs-mens-magazine-mel-grows-up | url-status=live }}</ref>
''MEL'' was started in 2015 as a newsletter with five to seven employees.<ref name="Weissman 2018" /><ref name="Digiday 2020">{{cite web | title=Mel Magazine co-founder Josh Schollmeyer on how the site's 'never been there to push razors' | website=Digiday | date=April 7, 2020 | first=Pierre | last=Bienaime | url=https://digiday.com/media/mel-magazine-co-founder-josh-schollmeyer-on-how-the-sites-never-been-there-to-push-razors/ | access-date=November 27, 2020 | archive-date=May 5, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505010236/https://digiday.com/media/mel-magazine-co-founder-josh-schollmeyer-on-how-the-sites-never-been-there-to-push-razors/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Perlberg 2015">{{cite web | last=Perlberg | first=Steven | title=Dollar Shave Club Launches Men's Interest Editorial Destination Called 'MEL' | website=WSJ | date=November 11, 2015 | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dollar-shave-club-launches-mens-interest-editorial-destination-called-mel-1447270170 | access-date=December 7, 2020 | archive-date=March 6, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306204415/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dollar-shave-club-launches-mens-interest-editorial-destination-called-mel-1447270170 | url-status=live }}</ref> It was originally published on the third-party site Medium.<ref name="Weissman 2018" /> In 2018, ''MEL'' reworked the site and transitioned from Medium to a stand-alone website.<ref name="Weissman 2018" /> In 2017, ''MEL'' had approximately 1.4 million monthly unique visitors, which grew to 2.8 million by July 2018.<ref name="Weissman 2018" /> In 2020, traffic grew 30 percent, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 4 million unique monthly visitors.<ref name="Miller 2020">{{cite web | last=Miller | first=Harry | title=MEL Magazine's Cofounder On How The Brand-Supported Media Model Weathers A Pandemic – Forbes | website=Canada News Media | date=May 15, 2020 | url=https://canadanewsmedia.ca/mel-magazines-cofounder-on-how-the-brand-supported-media-model-weathers-a-pandemic-forbes/ | access-date=November 27, 2020 | archive-date=March 24, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324214144/https://canadanewsmedia.ca/mel-magazines-cofounder-on-how-the-brand-supported-media-model-weathers-a-pandemic-forbes/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Adweek 2020">{{cite web | title=The 2020 Publishing Hot List: Rising To Covid's Challenges | website=Adweek | date=October 26, 2020 | url=https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/the-2020-publishing-hot-list-the-print-and-media-brands-rising-to-covid-19s-challenges/ | access-date=December 7, 2020 | archive-date=May 5, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505010237/https://www.adweek.com/convergent-tv/the-2020-publishing-hot-list-the-print-and-media-brands-rising-to-covid-19s-challenges/ | url-status=live }}</ref> On March 24, 2021, ''MEL'' ceased publishing,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chan|first=J. Clara|date=2021-03-24|title=MEL Magazine to Stop Publishing After Mass Layoffs From Owner Dollar Shave Club|url=https://www.thewrap.com/mel-magazine-stop-publishing-mass-layoffs-dollar-shave-club/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-16|website=TheWrap|archive-date=2021-09-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916225832/https://www.thewrap.com/mel-magazine-stop-publishing-mass-layoffs-dollar-shave-club/}}</ref> and all staff were laid off.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/dollar-shave-club-cuts-entire-staff-of-men-s-lifestyle-website-mel/ar-BB1eVL5Y|title=Dollar Shave Club Cuts Entire Staff of Men's Lifestyle Website MEL|website=www.msn.com|access-date=2021-03-25|archive-date=2022-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505010234/https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/dollar-shave-club-cuts-entire-staff-of-men-s-lifestyle-website-mel/ar-BB1eVL5Y|url-status=live}}</ref>
On July 7, 2021, it was announced that ''MEL'' had been acquired by Recurrent Ventures,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stenberg|first=Mark|date=2021-07-09|title=Get to Know Mel Magazine's New Owners, Recurrent Ventures – Adweek|url=https://www.adweek.com/media/mel-magazine-new-owners-recurrent-ventures/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-16|website=Adweek |archive-date=2022-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505010237/https://www.adweek.com/media/mel-magazine-new-owners-recurrent-ventures/}}</ref> and would be relaunching under longtime editor-in-chief Josh Schollmeyer.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fischer|first=Sara|date=2021-07-07|title=Exclusive: MEL Magazine acquired from Dollar Shave Club by Recurrent Ventures|url=https://www.axios.com/mel-magazine-dollar-shave-club-recurrent-dc6d1893-3717-419f-a2f6-950458514446.html|url-status=live|website=Axios|access-date=2021-08-04|archive-date=2021-08-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804215828/https://www.axios.com/mel-magazine-dollar-shave-club-recurrent-dc6d1893-3717-419f-a2f6-950458514446.html}}</ref> On July 22, 2022, ''MEL'' staff were laid off again.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stenberg |first=Mark |date=2022-07-22 |title=Recurrent Ventures Lays Off Entire Mel Magazine Staff |url=https://www.adweek.com/media/recurrent-ventures-lays-off-mel-magazine/ |access-date=2022-08-31 |website=AdWeek}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-22 |title=Mel Magazine Lays off Its Staff, Again |url=https://observer.com/2022/07/mel-magazine-lays-off-its-staff-again/ |access-date=2022-08-31 |website=Observer}}</ref> In December 2023, digital media group Literally Media, which also owns brands such as Cracked.com, I Can Has Cheezburger?, Know Your Meme, and eBaum's World, purchased ''MEL'' for an undisclosed amount.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-22 |title=Literally Media Acquires MEL Magazine to Restore the Once Beloved Men’s Lifestyle and Culture Brand |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231222157537/en/Literally-Media-Acquires-MEL-Magazine-to-Restore-the-Once-Beloved-Men%E2%80%99s-Lifestyle-and-Culture-Brand |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=www.businesswire.com}}</ref> As of {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}, articles up to the 2022 shutdown of operations are still live on the website, though Literally Media has not started publishing new articles. ==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:MEL (magazine)}} Category:2015 establishments in the United States Category:2022 disestablishments in the United States Category:Men's magazines published in the United States Category:Monthly magazines published in the United States Category:Magazines established in 2015 Category:Magazines disestablished in 2022 Category:Magazines published in California Category:Political magazines published in the United States Category:2023 mergers and acquisitions