MAD Magazine editor to visit Valley

By CARMEN SUMMERFIELD

Valley Arts Alliance

WASILLA — Valley Arts Alliance and Friends of the Wasilla Public Library will co-host an appearance by Joe Raiola, senior editor of MAD Magazine, at the former Mat-Su Cinema in Wasilla on Aug. 7.

Raiola is an American comedian, comedy writer and producer. He has been a member of the editorial staff of MAD Magazine since 1985.

He insists his senior editor title “means nothing since I work at the only place in America where if you mature, you get fired.”

At 4 p.m., Raiola will present “The Wild (And Idiotic!) History of MAD Magazine,” a special program for high school students (and adults) that traces MAD’s unlikely rise from what Time Magazine once called “a short-lived satirical pulp” to a dynamic cultural force, inspiring generations of comedy writers. The program also includes a multimedia segment featuring some of MAD’s best material from the 1950s to recent postings on its daily humor blog, MADMagazine.com.

At 7 p.m., Raiola will present “The Joy of Censorship,” a humorous, illuminating and sometimes satiric look into banned books, movie ratings, Internet filters and the true meaning of obscenity.

Raiola said his research on censorship has revealed some horrible and nonsensical abuses of the First Amendment that are as scary as they are funny.

“Censorship is always about fear,” he said. “People want to protect us from what frightens them, or censorship allows them to retain power in some way over others. That’s always been true. There have always been uptight censors — mostly from the right, but some from the left, as well — and there always will be. I’d like to say we’ve evolved, but I don’t think we have.”

The former Mat-Su Cinema building is located at 2430 E. Parks Highway. Donations will be accepted at the door.

For more information, visit ValleyArtsAlliance.com.