As a kid, I loved to read. My parents subscribed to Newsweek, I was addicted to TV Guide, and when I made a little spending money, I got a subscription to the Sporting News. But the magazine that shaped me the most was MAD.
The satirical monthly made fun of political leaders and parodied the top TV shows and movies. That irreverent style influenced my sense of humor, and my family has had to live with that ever since. One of my favorite MAD features was “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions.
” Basically, the writers said in print what most of us wanted to say out loud. For example, one cartoon showed a woman looking up at a drip from the ceiling, asking a plumber, “Is that from a leaking pipe?” The plumber, with a deadpan expression, replied, “No, somebody upstairs is watering their lawn.” Another showed a wrecked car wrapped around a tree.
An onlooker asked, “Have an accident?” The driver replied, “No thanks! Already had one.” You may not be laughing now, but when I was 10, I was rolling on the floor. Of course, people are still asking stupid questions today.
My wife, the dear angel, leads a church ministry that provides snacks for elementary students. Every week she fills a shopping cart with juice boxes, chips, crackers and fruit. She cannot make it to the checkout counter without bystanders offering their unsolicited commentary and questions.
She accepts it all with a smile, but I know what she’s thinking deep down inside. “Well, someone’s throwing .
