National Lampoon
August 1976
August, 1976, and the top single in the land is from Elton John and Kiki Dee (sporting a fine 70s 'shag' hairdo): 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart.' In the second spot is 'You Should Be Dancing' by the Bee Gees, because disco music has the country in its grip - ! At number 7 is a Mellow Seventies classic from England Dan and John Ford Coley.
Some good stuff on the chart, 50 years ago....
The front cover of the August National Lampoon promises lots of illicit thrills - 'Compulsory Summer Sex Issue !,' but the cold reality is that this issue is a dud........
Advertising-wise, we have a new album from James Taylor, In the Pocket, with the track 'Shower the People' soon to become another anthem of the Mellow Seventies Sound. Jethro Tull, another act that peaked in that decade, has their own new album out: Too Old to Rock n' Roll: Too Young to Die. And there are lots of cool Lampoon tee shirts available, showcasing regulars from the magazine's 'Funny Pages.' Back in '76, a full color tee shirt cost less than $6.50.
In the humor department, well, Lampoon cartoonist Sam Gross does some tasteless, offensive stuff with his portfolio 'Jammin' with Sam.'
Back in the days when singles looking for love and adventure used the Personal Ads in the paper (Tinder had yet to be invented), the Lampoon boys made fun of their own market value....
Also taking aim at the singles scene in New York City is Ellis Weiner's 'Looking for Ms. Goodbod,' a satire of the popular novel 'Looking for Mr. Goodbar' by Judith Rossner.
Weiner's protagonist is a nerdy but sincere Jewish guy named Ronald Green, who plays the oboe and '....subscribed to the Penthouse Forum.' It's a pretty good piece, but at the same time, I felt Lampoon writer Chris Miller could have taken the premise and done something memorable with it.
The Funny Pages have their usual giggles, but do feature a rare contribution- 'Dementia Americana' - from underground comix legend Jim Osborn.
If all else fails, well, the Lampoon and 'Foto Funnies' do come through with some boobies !
So that's pretty much it for our August issue. Hopefully, the issues ahead for the remainder of the year are more rewarding.........?!
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