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

The editors of Mad magazine, who describe themselves as “America’s foremost experts in stupidity,” have given their top award in “The Dumbest People, Events and Things of 2001” 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.”