Entertainment

The 'Serial'-Inspired "MailKimp" Sweatshirt Sadly Isn't Real, So Here Are Some Other Souvenirs for Fans of the Podcast

Whatever else happened in 2014, it's irrelevant to the godsend that is the Serial podcast, a show that Sarah Koenig blessed us with in October of this year. If you've been living under a rock or on a space shuttle, Serial is the magnificent production from This American Life and WBEZ Chicago that is one story told in episodes each week, with Sarah Koenig examining the 1999 murder of Baltimore high school student Hae Min Lee. Adnan Syed, Hae's ex-boyfriend and the man convicted of her murder, has almost become a household name. What else has become a household name? Oddly and delightfully enough, MailChimp, or more lovingly, MailKimp.

As you may know as an avid Serial listener, support for Serial is brought to you MailChimp, an emailing platform, and in the opening ad for it, a young girl pronounces it hesitantly, "mail... kimp?"

And that one second clip of audio has become a viral sensation. MailChimp even BOUGHT the domain mailkimp.com. I (and many others) have changed our Twitter names to MailKimp. And continuing in good spirits, MailChimp released this photo of a collegiate-style MailKimp sweatshirt, which heartbreakingly is not actually available for purchase. Fret not, though. Even though Serial's last episode of its first season (sob) is next week, there ARE some real items out there available for purchase to express your Serial/Sarah Koenig love.

Image: Serial

by Maitri Suhas

Mail... Kimp?

I long so much for this sweatshirt, the way I long for Thursdays to roll around when there’s a fresh new Serial episode in my podcast app. Sadly, though, this one is just for show.

Image: MailChimp/Instagram

MailKimp Tee

Fortunately, though, this MailKimp tee from Zazzle is very, very real. Comes in a variety of flattering, podcasty colors.

Image: Zazzle

'Serial' Notebook

The This American Life store has these beautiful red leather Serial notebooks available for pre-order, so you can keep track of all your own mysteries in the new year, like “Where did that $20 go?”

Image: This American Life

Wireless Transmitter

If you’re one of the many commuters who listens to Serial on the go, you gotta have a sweet audio hookup to bump that Sarah Koenig bass on the road. This one from iClever works with almost all smartphones.

Image: Amazon.

Serious Headphones

If you’re listening to the podcast at home or at the gym or anywhere private, you need some truly supreme headphones to pick up all the littlest bits of audio. Here are some from SkullCandy in Serial’s signature red and black.

Image: Amazon

Shrimp Sale Shirt

If you’re like Sarah Koenig’s producer Dana, you’re probably also jazzed about the shrimp sale at the Crab Crib. Show off your enthusiasm with this tee.

Image: Zazzle

Public Radio Totebag

Chances are if you’re a Serial fan, you’re also a serial public radio listener. My love for Serial pales only in comparison to my love for This American Life, which I’ve been listening to since high school. I obviously also love Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! and Fresh Air. Here’s a cheeky tote bag with a sense of humor about donation prizes.

Image: This American Life

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