What, Zuck Worry? Mad Magazine "Honors" Mark Zuckerberg With His Own Cover
The cover [Click to embiggen] will complement what will probably be a horribly unfunny piece on the inside of the magazine entitled “The 50 Worst Things About Facebook” and will grace newsstands in about a week.
What’s interesting, I think, is that Mad chose Zuckerberg as a cover-boy at all. While always topical and up-to-date (I remember reading “articles” about Spiro Agnew back when I was a kid and having no idea who he was aside from the fact that his name was an anagram for something dirty), placing a someone who is essentially a business person on the cover is an interesting move, especially for a title that describes itself as “Greasy Kids Stuff.” Obviously Facebook is big with the kids, but how many would know the founder on sight?
I asked Mad’s editor John Ficarra to explain his actions.
TC: Why Mark? Why now?
Ficarra: It was a pure business decision. We got a cool $2 mil from the Winklevoss twins to “poke” him a new one.
TC: What is Mad doing in terms of social media? Do you have a MySpace page?
Ficarra: We don’t have a MySpace page, but we have a very heavy presence on Friendster. Plus, you can usually find us every night…late into the night…on Chatroulette. That’s us with the Zorro mask and the SuperSoaker.
TC: Where is your iPad app? What’s the hold up?
Ficarra: We have a GREAT MAD app! It’s for the Zune and it’s available exclusively at Circuit City. Check it out!
TC: It is my understanding that Mad writers aren’t particularly intelligent. Who spelled Zuckerberg’s name for you?
Ficarra: Any idiot can spell Mark. Duh!