Chuck and Josh grew up on MAD Magazine and we hope you did too. What started out as a comic book that spoofed comic books grew into the foundation of American satire and cultivated a healthy skepticism in generations of kids. Hail to the clods at MAD!
AI Summary
# Summary
Stuff You Should Know dives into the history of Mad Magazine, the groundbreaking satirical publication that changed American humor and shaped modern comedy forever. The hosts explore how Bill Gaines rescued Mad from the ashes of his horror comic empire after the 1950s comic book panic and censorship, and how editor Harvey Kurtzman transformed it from comic spoofs into a cultural institution that taught generations of kids to question authority and think critically. You'll learn about the iconic mascot Alfred E. Neuman, the legendary artists like Mort Drucker who created unforgettable parodies, and how Mad basically invented the template for everything from The Simpsons to The Daily Show.
Being There
1979
2h 10m
★ 7.6
"Being not all there for being there. — Josh mentions a Mad Magazine parody of the film 'Being There' that he read before seeing the actual movie."
— Josh
First Blood
1982
1h 33m
★ 7.5
"I know that there were ones on like Alph and Rambo. — Josh mentions Mad Magazine did parodies of the film 'Rambo' and another film starting with 'Alph'."
— Josh
Happy Gilmore
1996
1h 32m
★ 6.7
"Christopher McDonald, aka Shooter McGGatham from Happy Gilmore. — Referenced in an advertisement for the I Am Rappaport Stereo Podcast discussing Christopher McDonald's famous role."
Kramer vs. Kramer
1979
1h 45m
★ 7.6
"Kramer versus Kramer. It's a great example too. — Chuck mentions Mad Magazine did a parody cover of 'Kramer vs. Kramer,' an adult-oriented film."
— Chuck
"They would also do like adult stuff... They did one of the cover one on LA Law. — Josh notes that Mad Magazine parodied the TV show 'L.A. Law' which was aimed at adults rather than children."
— Josh
"Mad TV is something we should mention. That ran for 15 seasons believe it or not. From 95 to 2009. — Chuck discusses the Fox sketch comedy show 'Mad TV' which was inspired by Mad Magazine and ran for 15 seasons."
— Chuck
Mystery Science Theater 3000
1989
★ 7.7
"I'll bet I was watching Mr. Science Theatre 3000 instead. — Josh mentions he may have been watching 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' instead of 'Mad TV' during that era."
— Josh
The Shining
1980
2h 24m
★ 8.2
"I remember reading a shining parody too, like long before I could see that. — Josh recalls reading a Mad Magazine parody of 'The Shining' as a child before being allowed to watch the actual film."
— Josh
"So in the Simpsons, when Bart and Millhouse are reading Mad Magazine, they're talking about Spiro Agnew. — Josh references a Simpsons joke where characters joke that Spiro Agnew must work at Mad Magazine because he's mentioned so frequently."
— Josh
Westworld
2016
TV-MA
★ 8.0
"currents at Westworld, right? But that Westworld issue was all about tech. — Chuck mentions a Mad Magazine compilation issue that used 'Westworld' as the cover concept for a tech-themed issue."
— Chuck
💬 Comments
Log in to leave a comment.