© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

A Love Letter (and Tomatoes) to the Usual Gang of Idiots

Jonathan McNicol
/
WNPR

Before Stephen Colbert and John Oliver, before Jon Stewart and Conan O’Brien, before "The Simpsons," before David Letterman, before "Saturday Night Live," before The National Lampoon… before all the great subversive American satirists that we’ve all grown… used to — before all that, there was MAD magazine.

Yep. MAD magazine. That goofy kids’ comic book with the gap-toothed idiot on the cover. That dumb mag with the groan-inducing puns and the booger jokes and the silly movie parodies and the ridiculous caricatures.

This hour, we look at MAD magazine as just maybe the genesis of the American sense of humor. We look at where MAD came from 63 (63!) years ago. And we look at the future of "humor in a jugular vein."

GUESTS:

  • John Ficarra – Executive Editor of MAD
  • Bill Oakley – Television writer and producer
  • Bill Schelly – Author of Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created MAD and Revolutionized Humor in America

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.

Jonathan is a producer for ‘The Colin McEnroe Show.’ His work has been heard nationally on NPR and locally on Connecticut Public’s talk shows and news magazines. He’s as likely to host a podcast on minor league baseball as he is to cover a presidential debate almost by accident. Jonathan can be reached at jmcnicol@ctpublic.org.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content