Mad Magazine and game show parodies

[whewfan]

With the recent announcement of Mad Magazine no longer doing new issues, I wonder about your recollections of game show parodies done with Mad over the years... I remember...

"Hard subjects for The $25,000 Pyramid"- Years after the staff of 20K Pyramid did it themselves in the finale, Mad Magazine did a page on this in response that they felt the game was too easy.

Someone once posted a Mad Magazine parody of the Cullen TPIR too.

I also remember "Double Damp", parody of Double Dare with host Muck Slummer, announcer Hardly, references to how the show rips off Beat the Clock, and a very dangerous obstacle course. Marc Summers himself made several references to the Mad Magazine parody on one show.

[SuperMatch93]

I used to have a copy of the Mad issue with the Jeopardy parody on the cover.

[Jimmy Owen]

Anybody remember "Make a Perfect Square"

[colonial]

I recall a WOF parody sometime in the mid-80s. Only jokes I remember …

-- The entire show stops working because the first vowel purchased was not "E" (with Sajak saying it was the "first time in show history" that had happened)

-- The final panel has Sajak turning the show into "Wheel of Foreclosure"


JD

[The Ol' Guy]

Remember both the Perfect Square and the Cullen TPIR parodies. Also remember an "interview" with "Mad's TV Game Show Originator Of the Year," script by Stan Hart, art by Joe Orlando; The producer of low-brow, embarrassment-oriented game shows is interviewed (Mad Super Special 1970 description). The producer, a Chuck Barris type, is showing the reporter around the studios where his shows were being taped. The reporter is watching The Dating Game, where the male contestant asked, "Girl number one...would you...?" The reporter asks Chuck, "What's the rest of the question?" Chuck says, "That's it." The reporter replies, "And you send these couple off on dates with little supervision. Couldn't things get a bit...wild?" "Yes", he replies. "It's helping me with my new show, Paternity Suit. Care to see a pilot?" Rest well, MAD.

[WhammyPower]

Apparently, there was once a 6-page comic titled "What's My Shine?" that seems to be a parody of the McCarthy hearings.

[gromit82]

There's a significant connection between Mad magazine and game shows. Dick DeBartolo, one of Mad's most prolific writers, has also been a writer for "Match Game" and other game shows.

[whewfan]

I also now remember a Wheel parody, with Dr. Ruth as one of the contestants, but you only saw her arm as she was too short to be seen above the podium!

[That Don Guy]

The only one I can think of was "Family Fools" (which, halfway through the story, changed to "Celebrity Family Fools")

[Marc412]

One of the issues of Mad I own contains a round of “Jeopardy!” where the clues are more or less straightforward, but their responses are funny. 

[Card Shark]

I recall a WOF parody sometime in the mid-80s. Only jokes I remember …

-- The entire show stops working because the first vowel purchased was not "E" (with Sajak saying it was the "first time in show history" that had happened)

-- The final panel has Sajak turning the show into "Wheel of Foreclosure"


JD

For some reason, this one I distinctly remember. Yes, the host was Jack Saypat and hostess Voida Whitt. Dr. Ruth was a guest and she couldn't reach the wheel. She is asked to guess a letter. She says, "Y." Jack's response is something to the effect of "if you don't, you lose your turn." Dr. Ruth retorts with, "The letter Y, you idiot." Not direct quotes, but I just remember some kid on my bus having this in the spring in 1986 and thinking it was pretty clever.

[MyronMMeyer]

I recall a WOF parody sometime in the mid-80s. Only jokes I remember …

-- The entire show stops working because the first vowel purchased was not "E" (with Sajak saying it was the "first time in show history" that had happened)

-- The final panel has Sajak turning the show into "Wheel of Foreclosure"


JD

For some reason, this one I distinctly remember. Yes, the host was Jack Saypat and hostess Voida Whitt. Dr. Ruth was a guest and she couldn't reach the wheel. She is asked to guess a letter. She says, "Y." Jack's response is something to the effect of "if you don't, you lose your turn." Dr. Ruth retorts with, "The letter Y, you idiot." Not direct quotes, but I just remember some kid on my bus having this in the spring in 1986 and thinking it was pretty clever.

This was Cracked, not Mad. September 1986 issue.



The Mad parody came out in the issue dated one month later, October 1986.

[MSTieScott]

Now I see why it wasn't news when Cracked magazine closed up shop.

[calliaume]

Now I see why it wasn't news when Cracked magazine closed up shop.

Cracked was running on fumes and Don Martin (who had been lured over from Mad after money arguments) for a long time.  I've got a better game show parody series from them that ran in 1975 - see below.  (The images are too big to post here without being annoying.)

https://alliaumeyesterdaytodaytomorrow.blogspot.com/2019/07/cracked-gs-parody-1.html

[Neumms]

My favorite line from Mad's Wheel was when Pat asked a guy if he wanted to buy a vowel. "Sure. What have you got?"