▁ ▁" The ▁Mad ▁ 2 0 " ▁Since ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁in ▁every ▁January ▁issue , ▁Mad ▁has ▁comm emor ated ▁the ▁" 2 0 ▁D umb est ▁People , ▁Events ▁and ▁Things " ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁These ▁emphas ize ▁the ▁visual ▁mot if ▁above ▁all ▁else , ▁par ody ing ▁such ▁things ▁as ▁movie ▁post ers , ▁famous ▁paint ings , ▁or ▁magazine ▁covers , ▁though ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁text - he avier ▁take offs ▁are ▁usually ▁spr ink led ▁into ▁each ▁year ' s ▁ass ort ment . ▁The ▁feature ▁is ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Sp y ▁Magazine ''' s ▁" S py ▁ 1 0 0 " ▁list , ▁which ▁pur port ed ▁to ▁catalog ue ▁" O ur ▁Ann ual ▁Census ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 0 0 ▁Most ▁An no ying , ▁Al arm ing , ▁and ▁App alling ▁People , ▁Places ▁and ▁Things ". ▁ ▁Though ▁the ▁" 2 0 ▁D umb est ▁People , ▁Events ▁and ▁Things " ▁are ▁number ed ▁ 1 - 2 0 , ▁the ▁" rank ings " ▁appear ▁to ▁be ▁essentially ▁random . ▁The ▁" 2 0 th ▁d umb est " ▁slot ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁was ▁awarded ▁to ▁Mad ▁itself ▁for ▁its ▁" slide ▁down ▁the ▁sli pp ery ▁slope ▁of ▁gre edy ▁commercial ism " ▁in ▁finally ▁perm itting ▁advert ising ▁in ▁its ▁pages . ▁ ▁Keep ing ▁in ▁mind ▁the ▁ind isc rim inate ▁position ing , ▁these