[Jhensy]

As a connoisseur of the classic-era National Lampoon (1970-79), I can tell you John Hughes was a fantastic and hilarious addition in the late 70's. I remember the "Pants-Down Republican" piece well... it summed up the feelings of many a young Republican rebel at the dawn of the Reagan era: a return to the values of the old America of our Dads and a rejection of hippie liberalism, but without the uptight stick-in-the-mud "fogeyism" the left branded the right with.

When the great Doug Kenney left the Lampoon around '75, publisher Matty Simmons handed the reins to PJ O'Rourke, to the horror of the staff left-wingers like Tony Hendra and Sean Kelly. These guys have held grudges to this day against O'Rourke, always bad-mouthing him, while PJ was responsible for some of the funniest material they ever did, including the High School Yearbook Parody (with Kenney) and the brilliant Sunday Newspaper parody, among many, many other pieces. O'Rourke and Hughes were SO funny, you would literally shake with laughter. They were that good.

It goes without saying that Hendra and Kelly were never, ever funny. Intellectual, yes. Funny, no. I have the back issues to prove it.

[Steely Tom]

Underwear for the Deaf. The Bulgemobile. "Time has passed him by, and so shall we."

[MarkL]

including the High School Yearbook Parody

I don't remember which parody it was (the one with the cheerleader without the panties), but something I found really interesting was the choice of the school sports mascot... A Kangaroo.

University of MO, Kansas City has "The Fighting Kangaroos!" People wonder why I break out in laughter whenever the talk about "The Roos!"

Mark

[MediaMole]

The Sunday Newspaper parody -- The Dacron Republican-Democrat.

That is still the funniest thing I have ever read. Too bad it was printed on real newsprint and my copy is falling apart.