We also look back at airport baggage scanners, moms struggling to understand the internet, high school sweethearts breaking up, and a column about guns.
As you know, I'm a lifelong Mad Magazine fan, and I haven't forgotten some of the pieces that made me howl with laughter. You are correct that there is a sensibility to that type of humor that sticks with you across genre's. Here's one: In naming "The World's Thinnest Books", one was "Neil Simon's Flop Plays", but the best one was "The Impact of the Nehru Jacket On Men's Fashion".
As it happens, yesterday I bought a Mad "collector's edition" of sci-fi parodies which goes back to the 70s or so-- another look at changing standards in comedy and satire. But I'd forgotten about Blecchistan and the Onion-Mad Beef! I must admit that the "Area Man Finds Headline Amusing, But That's It" article isn't totally unfair.
Oh that's really interesting. I really don't remember a lot of Mad specifically, just that I liked it. But I wonder what holds up now.
And I think Mad's take on The Onion was fair. And it had a slightly different personality, so a Mad's takedown approach makes sense. But it also feels to me that Mad was unhappy with The Onion's article.
As you know, I'm a lifelong Mad Magazine fan, and I haven't forgotten some of the pieces that made me howl with laughter. You are correct that there is a sensibility to that type of humor that sticks with you across genre's. Here's one: In naming "The World's Thinnest Books", one was "Neil Simon's Flop Plays", but the best one was "The Impact of the Nehru Jacket On Men's Fashion".
As it happens, yesterday I bought a Mad "collector's edition" of sci-fi parodies which goes back to the 70s or so-- another look at changing standards in comedy and satire. But I'd forgotten about Blecchistan and the Onion-Mad Beef! I must admit that the "Area Man Finds Headline Amusing, But That's It" article isn't totally unfair.
Oh that's really interesting. I really don't remember a lot of Mad specifically, just that I liked it. But I wonder what holds up now.
And I think Mad's take on The Onion was fair. And it had a slightly different personality, so a Mad's takedown approach makes sense. But it also feels to me that Mad was unhappy with The Onion's article.