Circuit City headquarters has ordered their stores to “destroy all copies” of the latest issue of Mad Magazine, according to an anonymous tipster. The retailer apparently isn’t amused by the 4-page spoof of “Sucker City.” Inside, Mad’s 1-page preview and headquarters’ response.
UPDATE: Circuit City Sorry For Commanding Employees To Destroy Mad Mag’s “Sucker City” Parody
The spoof:
The response:
What’s wrong Circuit City? It’s funny because it’s true!
Issue #492 [Mad Magazine]
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My favorite part is the map showing a Best Buy across the street.
@Ben Popken: Same here, incredibly accurate!
When did Circuit City carry Mad Magazine, or magazines in general?
I like the bit about the employees hiding wii`s in the back room
Man, when did Mad Magazine get so egregiously unfunny? They have as much sense of humor as Circuit City, apparently.
@cubensis: I happen to be a sales drone there, and I’ve never been hassled to get any CCA on any magazines.
@TonyTriple: I don’t know what that means, CCA?
lol, I have a copy of this, when I first say it, i just thought it was true.
Yeah, Mad Magazine hasn’t been funny in years.
Or maybe I simply grew up.
I guess the only way Circuit City can make a buck is by selling Mad Magazine?
@humorbot: It doesn’t happen at any specific point in time, per se – just whenever you pass the seventh grade.
Most excellent, Mad, well done. Love the Epilepsy Victim Wii game!
Can’t take a joke, eh, Circuit City?
Clemens on the Shiitake TV shot is a nice touch
@HomersBrain:
with a video of Hitler, inside Fox News, inside Spongebob Squarepants.
Now everyone knows magazines don’t get inventoried.
I wouldn’t be surprised if unscrupulous employees gave themselves a few free subscriptions.
@Clold: No, I bet corporate just deleted that issue from all inventories to avoid excuses for management to keep it on sale.
Ahhh, Mad Magazine hasn’t been good since around 1993 anyway. No big loss.
That’s exactly how I got my Wii, and the only thing I’ve bought at CC in 8 years. Hah!
Unfortunately for Circuit City, I never would have read this tragically unfunny bit were it not for their over-the-top
“response.”
The information in the memo is practically and invitation to employees to steal magazines. They are not inventoried so there is no “shrink” when they go missing. Maybe they should advertise that on employment applications as an employee benefit!
-picture in picture in picture in picture. Nice!
Dear Circuit City Investors,
The reason why your stock is tanking might have something to do with the fact that there is a person in Corporate Operations who is being paid to sit on her ass and tell employees to remove magazines from the shelves. You know, “s-h-e-l-v-e-s” …those horizontal planks that should contain awesome products that customers actually want to buy. Cause the few times I’ve been in there since Xmas 07, I couldn’t find a darned thing reasonable priced or interesting enough to use my $100.00 gift card on. Just a heads up
KTHXBAI!
Sincerely,
Ex-Circuit City Shopper Who Now Frequents Costco.
Since when did CC start selling Mad Magazine?
Is anyone else going to go to Circuit City and ask where to find the Mad Magazine’s?
This is GREAT! Nice find!
LOLOLOLOL!
I’m just as shocked at Circuit City’s search and destroy policy as I am at Mad Magazine for printing a piece that hasn’t already been regurgitated three times from their archives.
I’ve never seen a magazine there for the year and half I’ve worked there. The format for the message fits our internal message system, so either it is real or the person who made it works there.
I use to be a “Mad” man, when I was a young lad. “Cracked” was okay, but just not the same. These days, I find a lot of the content of the new online “Cracked” to be quite amusing…although I miss that janitor character.
Wow, somebody just can’t take a joke, can they?
Perhaps they are upset because it really isnt parody, but the truth!
Way to go, Circuit City. Your response to this means it’s the first time anybody has paid attention to Mad Magazine in fifteen years.
@mhlaxp: The Streisand effect is in play!
[en.wikipedia.org]
Shircut City just got parodied on The Simpsons, too…will they pull their already incomplete stock of Simpsons DVD’s?
Oh damn well…they still have some DVD’s for less that Wal-Mart. I’ll never figure that out…
“Destroy all copies. They are not inventoried, and your store will not incur shrink.”
So aren’t they saying to take all copies without paying Mad Magazine, Inc for “using” them, then taking advantage of the fact that Mad Magazine trusts them enough not to make them account for every copy? In other words, isn’t Circuit City scamming Mad Magazine?
If they choose to destroy them, they should have to pay Mad. You break it, you bought it!
I’m surprised so many people didn’t find this amusing. I didn’t laugh out loud, but I saw the humour in it.
I LOL’D at this. Circuit Shitty needs to learn how satire works.
I haven’t laughed that hard at something in Mad Magazine in over 40 years, which just about corresponds with the time I started reading National Lampoon . . . and I haven’t laughed at anything in the latter in over 30 years.
Why, because Mad Magazine is right?
I saw this in my son’s issue of Mad a few weeks ago. There’s several pages of funny stuff there.
This is one of those things where you wouldn’t really think it that funny (or at least I wouldn’t), but the panicky over-reaction makes it hilarious, because as I’m reading the ad I’m imagining various incompetent stuffed suits back at corporate going ‘holy crap they’re on to us, we’ve got to shut this down!’ And then by trying to shut it down they make people 10 times more aware of it.
Now that’s funny.
@Trai_Dep: They probably don’t pay for them at all. Magazine’s are notoriously ad-driven. I’ve had a combination of four or five free magazine subscriptions ever since I discovered the intarnets.
@Trai_Dep:
Paperback books and Magazines generally aren’t stocked by major stores, they have a service which comes in and takes care of it for them. Carrying magazines never results in a loss, because you “destroy” the unsold copies by taking the front cover off and mail that back to your Magazine distributor or give it to the magazine service. If you get 6 copies of Mad in and mail back 5 covers, you’re only charged for the one issue you sold.
You’ll see a notice in paperbacks that says something along the lines of:
“If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher.”
Circuit City is pulling all copies of Mad off the shelf, pulling the covers off and reporting them all as unsold because they lose absolutely no money by doing so.
I didn’t even know that magazine still existed or that Circuit City sold magazines… or people shopped at Circuit City…
Was funny in its own way though, wouldn’t call it hysterical though.
Since when did Circuit City *sell* Mad Magazine?
Just sent a “Congratulations!!!!! Your famous” note to them. link included
I love doing that.
Mad Magazine does a parody of Ciruit City, some of the Mad Magazine readers notice it.
Circuit City removes Mad Magazine from their shelfs, and the whole Internet reads it.
Circuit City 0
… well no one won here, Circuit City just shot themselves in the foot.
@BillyShears: perhaps it’s notification of a plot to break into other stores and steal their magazines. CC Ninjas.
No, Circuit City sells magazines here, as does Best Buy. Mostly Gadget Mags (PC Magazine, Wired), Lad Mags (Maxim, FHM), Gaming magazines, and other stuff that appeals to 15 year old boys.
Being an avid MAD Magazine reader… CC can go fuck themselves. I was laughing at the products not the seller but now I am laughing at CC. Who the heck runs their PR dept? Ahh… what do I care, they will be out of business in a few more months anyway.
That’s freaking hilarious, Circuit city’s reaction is even funnier.
Hehe, I’m going to have to go to the local CC and ask for the latest MAD Magazine now …
This is so true. Best Buy just opened a store here last year 30 FEET from Circuit City. The delivery trucks only have to turn around in the parking lot to make both deliveries.
@cubensis: Circuit City Advantage–their warranty/replacement/service plan crap.