MAD Magazine started its online blog, the aptly named Idiotical about a month before my internship started. I wrote or helped write several pieces that were published on the blog, usually a satirical take on a current news story. Here are some of the best Idiotical pieces I helped create.
Alex Trebek Security System – In late July of 2011, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek made the news when he injured himself while chasing a burglar our of his hotel room. MAD Magazine was eager to promote his security services.
The Rough Draft of Rupert Murdoch’s Apology Letter – When the News of the World phone hacking scandal broke, Rupert Murdoch wrote an apology letter that convinced no one. MAD imagined what the rough draft of the letter must have looked like. I took the lead in writing this letter.
The Debt Ceiling – We combined the summer’s two major showdowns; Harry Potter vs. Voldemort over the fate of the wizarding world, and Barack Obama vs. John Boehner over the raising of the debt ceiling. The inter-office debate over how much to photoshop Boehner’s nose took up the better part of the day.
The Iowa Marriage Pledge – When two candidates for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination endorsed a pledge that promoted the sanctity of marriage with some favorable comparisons to slavery, MAD took the whitewashing of history to its logical conclusion.
Prison Porno – A prisoner’s demand for pornography, and claim that it was a fundamental right that he was being denied, prompted us to think of some adult-video titles he probably could get away with. Profoundly immature I know, but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t one of the most fun days I’ve ever had at a job.
