Mad #215 (Albert Feldstein) - Energy Crisis Issue - June 1980

The second oil crisis of the 1970s started in 1979 when Iran ousted the Shah and scrambled the oil market.  These events also led to the downfall of the Carter administration as Iran held U.S. hostages until Ronald Reagan won the election in November 1980.  The editors of Mad were well aware of this cultural phenomena and they sent their writers out to make jokes about it.  Paul Peter Porges provided two of the three articles in the issue devoted to energy or the lack of it.  The first, drawn by Harry North, was "A Mad Look at the Future with the Energy Crunch" wherein the Hell's Angels become a scooter gang and rock bands use cue-cards to replace loud music.  In the second, drawn by Porges, auto lovers are forced to find car substitutes during the gasoline shortage ("Things You Can Do to Remember Your Car By").  Finally, Frank Jacobs again displayed his poetry skills with "Mad's Energy Crisis Mother Goose."  After thirty years, the poems are as true today as they were in 1980 when Jacobs wrote them.

Lou Silverstone's examination of the military draft, in the guise of a Sixty Minutes parody ("Six Minutes"), was an exceptional article (with Jack Davis drawings) even though it was ten years too late for me.  Silverstone uses four interviewers to question military leaders, veterans, students and political leaders.  There is more truth than fiction in this one.  However, by 1980 I had completed my tour of duty and was totally occupied with career, family and mortgage problems.  I think the students won this argument as the draft was ended in 1973, the same year that I finished my four-year enlistment.

Angelo Torres deserves the artistic humor award of the issue for his sight gags in an otherwise dull article ("Diff'rent Jokes") about the Gary Coleman (1968-2010) situation comedy.  Five Sesame Street characters make appearances including Miss Piggy on a plate.  The teapot serves 7-Up.  Mrs. Carrot uses "Eyes of Newts" in her stew.  And, the "Marble-Row" cigarettes make another appearance (see Mad #107 & More Trash from Mad #6). [JAM 10/30/2010]

Departments:
Hell, No ... Don't Go! - A Crock O' Blip! Now
Don Martin - One Day on a Desert Island; Another Day on a Desert Island; The Last Day on a Desert Island
No Fueling Around - A Mad Look at the Future with the Energy Crunch
Programming Their Interests - Mad's "TV Guide" Text Book
Put Your Funny Where Your Mouth Is - An Al Jaffee "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions" Jogging Incident
Notice Operendi - Signs We'd Like to See
Auto Neurotica - Things You Can Do to Remember Your Car By
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side of the Idiot Box
The Rhymes, They Are A-Changing - Mad's Energy Crisis Mother Goose
Joke And Dagger - Spy vs. Spy
Induc-Tease - "Six Minutes" on the Return of the Draft
Stiff 'Em Stuff - Mad "No Tip" Cards
Kiddie Litter - Diff'rent Jokes

Fold-In - Loonie