Lampoon Releases Spoof Of Entertainment Weekly

After a five-year drought of Harvard Lampoon magazine parodies, would-be readers may finally head for the newsstands--an alternative version of Entertainment Weekly, courtesy of the Bow Street gang, is scheduled to go on sale November 1.

"We do one whenever a good target appears," said Lampoon president John Aboud III, who is also a Crimson editor. The Lampoon's last victim was Forbes magazine.

The Lampoon, a semi-secret social organization which used to occasionally publish a so-called humor magazine, first contacted Entertainment Weekly staff about doing a parody of the magazine in August 1993.

"We had to make sure they were comfortable with being made fun of," said Aboud.

Magazines have the right to prevent the Lampoon from doing a parody, Aboud said. In fact, a potential lawsuit discouraged the Lampoon from producing a parody of Vanity Fair, he said.

Entertainment Weekly was bestowed the honor because it is a good platform for quick visual jokes, Aboud said. "It's very easy to make fun of," he said.

The parody features actress Sandra Bullock, last seen in the recent summer thriller "Speed," on the cover. It is labeled as the fall/winter issue.

The article on Bullock focuses on her "method acting," alleging that she "founded a Cultural Studies program at Berkeley, became Counselor on Urban Affairs to Governor Wilson, and edited the business section of the Los Angeles Times" in preparation for her role in the movie "Demolition Man."

Fuzzy purple Ronald McDonald sidekick Grimace is the subject of another story. The biologically unidentifiable creature is said to have suffered three physical and mental breakdowns since he was last in the public eye.

The failure of Euro Disney and the opening of Baltic Disney is the subject of a "News and Notes" brief. Other "News and Notes" briefs announce the arrest of Star Wars robot C-3PO, the love affair between Soon-Yi Farrow and her sister's Ken doll and the rise of Jams-wearing baby shower terrorists.

Entertainment reviews include a commendation of "Chicken," the sequel to "Wolf," accompanied by a graphic picture.

Aboud said the Entertainment Weekly staff liked the parody.

"They were impressed by how closely we could ape their form," he said. "We sent them a couple copies to show what was done....They thought it was funny."

Indeed, the real magazine took out a two-page advertisement in the parody, which reads in part, "(This is an actual ad from Entertainment Weekly. We paid for it. Swear to God!)"

Aboud said he is especially proud of the polar bear Rumple Minze ad on page 25 of the magazine. "We haven't seen it since back issues of National Lampoon and Playboy," he said

"They were impressed by how closely we could ape their form," he said. "We sent them a couple copies to show what was done....They thought it was funny."

Indeed, the real magazine took out a two-page advertisement in the parody, which reads in part, "(This is an actual ad from Entertainment Weekly. We paid for it. Swear to God!)"

Aboud said he is especially proud of the polar bear Rumple Minze ad on page 25 of the magazine. "We haven't seen it since back issues of National Lampoon and Playboy," he said