Time

by The Harvard Lampoon

A Harvard lampoon parody.

Paperback

First published May 25, 1989

Reviews

[Charles Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the scattered full-length books (this stretches the definition) to come out of the National Lampoon, Harvard Lampoon offices ("Bored of the Rings" is probably the most famous), this is certainly one of the more obscure ones, a magazine-format simulation of Time Magazine full of gag stories in a manner that was prophetic of The Onion, but written (usually) in a hysterical exaggeration of Time's semi-hipsterish New Journalism style (which I was not as hip to until I went through this). Some material works, some doesn't, and it's a plus that a lof of the humor isn't tied to contemporary-to-1989 events like an old Saturday Night Live rerun. Highlights for me was a gag obituary for mime Marcel Marceau, a murder victim (neighbors could not believe the blood-curdling screams were his), and Ted Turner re-releasing innocent old TV shows with f-words insinuated to make them current. The ads are quite real, including one for Time Magazine itself, who obviously took the kidding around in good spirits.