Falwell Wins Mad Magazine’s ‘Dumbest People’ Grand Prize

WASHINGTON â€”  The editors of Mad magazine, who describe themselves as “America’s foremost experts in stupidity,â€� have given their top award in “The Dumbest People, Events and Things of 2001â€� to Jerry Falwell, former head of the now-defunct Moral Majority.

John Ficarra, co-editor, said: “We thought Falwell had reached his personal pinnacle of dumbness a few years ago when he accused the Teletubbies of promoting homosexuality. . . . We underestimated him.�

Falwell won the award for charging that “abortionists, feminists, gays and lesbians� were responsible for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Other political events and persons awarded spots on Mad’s dumbest list were:

* “Bill Clinton Gets a Sweet $10 Million Book Deal.�

* “The Supreme Court Snuffs Out Medical Marijuana.�

* “Fuzzy Math: The Bush Tax Rebate.�

* “Weird Beard: Al Gore Grows Facial Hair.�

* “Bush Daughters’ Drunken Adventure.�

* “The Gary Condit Affair.�