# Has Cracked ever been humourous? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 14, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835 "2017-02-14T18:07:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/81 "2017-02-19T11:03:32Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Ah the gamergate boogeyman. The ultimate SJW excuse. …its not a boogyman. Its what actually happened. And what are my fellow SJW’s excusing? Your comment makes no sense at all. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/82 "2017-02-19T15:43:38Z")
In this context, I’m guessing the excuse is “Cracked isn’t funny anymore because of Gamergate.” ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/83 "2017-02-19T16:25:04Z")
I honestly still don’t get why striving for social justice is a bad thing to begin with. And I’m not even sure if that’s what is meant when SJW gets hurled as an insult anyway. It seems to get used in a way to imply sarcasm like “Nothing’s going to change anyway so you’re wasting your time Noob” but history would seem to disagree with that. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/84 "2017-02-19T19:54:55Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > And I’m not even sure if that’s what is meant when SJW gets hurled as an insult anyway. While the use of “Social Justice” in the context of this term does seem to imply at least some skepticism of the concept in general, I think the “Warrior” bit is the operative word; with a connotation of zealotry, and/or questionable overdevotion. You know, rather like “[Fighter Mafia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighter_Mafia),” or “[McMansion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMansion),” or “[God Warrior](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuAvRCSWu8I&t=2m03s).” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/85 "2017-02-19T21:29:48Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > When _Mad_ started to flourish, publisher Bill Gaines stuck pins in a voodoo doll representing each of the competing humor magazines that imitated _Mad._ As each one disappeared he removed its pin. According to writer Frank Jacobs in _The MAD World of William M. Gaines,_ it was probably the only religious rite that Gaines, an avowed atheist, ever observed. When Gaines died, _Cracked_’s pin was the only one left. > Cracked had some risqué humor in its early years–sexy pictures of women like Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield (who, in one article, as “Jayne Womansfield,” drove interviewer Mike Wallace to distraction); and pictures such as a woman in a car in a parade tossing her underwear to the crowd; and an article about colleges…a triptik of pictures of cheerleaders went a little too far: in the middle shot the girls’ panties have fallen down around their knees, and in the third picture they have fallen off altogether (the girls are wearing those usual short pleated skirts); the girls have shocked expressions as they see the panties fall off and land on the ground! :eek: I always remember Cracked as having more realistic art, but not being close to as insisghtful as Mad was. Add to that their near obsession with repeat-ressurecting what was popular in odd mash-ups (“Its Star Wars meets the Six Million Dollar Man”…, and now another story about “Jaws!”). They might have a good quip or two, but it was overall felt like lowest common demoninator pandering. I mean, Mad would make fun of R rated movies that their core audience would have trouble getting in to see, Cracked just stuck with the popular PG set. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/86 "2017-02-19T21:32:17Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > While the use of “Social Justice” in the context of this term does seem to imply at least some skepticism of the concept in general, I think the “Warrior” bit is the operative word; with a connotation of zealotry, and/or questionable overdevotion. You know, rather like “[Fighter Mafia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighter_Mafia),” or “[McMansion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMansion),” or “[God Warrior](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuAvRCSWu8I&t=2m03s).” Its a term reduced to meaninglessness as it has been used against anyone who even shows the slightest bit of empathy for a hate-crime victim or person who suffered from being a minority. Somehow we are supposed to feel bad for feeling sorry for someone who has been a subject of a harassment campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/87 "2017-02-19T22:41:53Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Its a term reduced to meaninglessness as it has been used against anyone who even shows the slightest bit of empathy for a hate-crime victim or person who suffered from being a minority. More to it, it’s a term intended to get a rise out of people and it still accomplishes that about 100% of the time. Hence its continued use in the face of its “meaninglessness”. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/88 "2017-02-20T01:02:44Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Its a term reduced to meaninglessness as it has been used against anyone who even shows the slightest bit of empathy for a hate-crime victim or person who suffered from being a minority. Somehow we are supposed to feel bad for feeling sorry for someone who has been a subject of a harassment campaign. :dubious: Well, _I’ve_ more typically seen it applied to sets of people loudly protesting the “cultural appropriation” of a university teaching a yoga class. In fact, I don’t think I’ve actually seen it popularly applied anywhere _near_ as loosely as, say, “fascist,” “feminist,” or “nerd,” much less “to anyone who shows the slightest bit of empathy.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/89 "2017-02-20T15:39:04Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > :dubious: > > Well, _I’ve_ more typically seen it applied to sets of people loudly protesting the “cultural appropriation” of a university teaching a yoga class. > > In fact, I don’t think I’ve actually seen it popularly applied anywhere _near_ as loosely as, say, “fascist,” “feminist,” or “nerd,” much less “to anyone who shows the slightest bit of empathy.” Post #79. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/90 "2017-02-21T00:16:25Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I honestly still don’t get why striving for social justice is a bad thing to begin with. If you wanted to start a thread on that I think it’d make for interesting reading. I’ve got some thoughts on the subject but I don’t want to derail this thread. As for the OP: I used to be a regular Cracked reader but it’s dropped off a lot lately, the misleading headlines, the “Ugh, white guys, amirite?” tone and the “You’re wrong and here’s why” aspects are rather off-putting. Having said that, they do have some excellent stories at time - I really enjoy the “I have an unusual job” pieces they run, and some of John Cheese’s early features on being really poor in America were quite enlightening too. I still stop by semi-regularly but it’s no longer my go-to “just stuffing around on the internet” website anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/91 "2017-03-20T10:32:54Z")
Interestingly, I notice the site has got a lot more advertorial stuff on it - articles sponsored by some movie I’ve never heard of, listicles advertising their own merch… wonder what’s happening behind the scenes there? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/92 "2017-03-20T13:09:44Z")
I posted upthread about a month ago after Cracked ran an “article” that was just advertising for three VPN services. It wasn’t marked as sponsored content and, in fact, the article was titled something that would make you think it was a regular article (“Three Products Designed To Hide Your Filthy Internet Habits” or something like that) where you’d think they were going to mock three silly devices or services. Instead, it was just some gushing commentary about how you NEED a VPN service and it should really be one of these three, etc. I’m guessing the reader response from that one was pretty terrible since I haven’t seen them try anything that blatant since. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/93 "2017-03-20T13:47:05Z")
Several comments on their advertorial-type articles have often been “Seriously, Cracked? is this what you’ve become?” I get the impression they’ve seriously mis-read their audience… ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/94 "2017-03-20T13:58:55Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Interestingly, I notice the site has got a lot more advertorial stuff on it - articles sponsored by some movie I’ve never heard of, listicles advertising their own merch… wonder what’s happening behind the scenes there? “MoneyMoneyMoney… MON-ey!” For most, the entire point of building a site and audience is to drive in a money tap, no matter what has to be done thereafter to keep the tap flowing. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/95 "2017-03-20T16:20:12Z")
I remember reading Cracked had been bought by…Scripts? Maybe? A bigger company in any event. That may have something to do with the sponsored content. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/96 "2017-03-21T00:27:39Z")
E. W. Scripps, not Scripts. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/97 "2017-03-21T13:34:19Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > E. W. Scripps, not Scripts. Ah. That damned old crank. Thought he was dead. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835/98 "2017-03-21T19:07:55Z")
I enjoyed John Cheese’s [investigation into poor folks’ abuse of the system](http://www.cracked.com/blog/what-poor-are-really-doing-with-our-taxes/). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-cracked-ever-been-humourous/779835.md?page=4)