MAD joins in the end-of-the-year insanity next week as only the venerable humor magazine can, with its rundown of the "20 Dumbest People, Events and Things of 2013." It's a list that includes the best and brightest -- or is that worst and dimmest? -- from the worlds of politics, sports and entertainment, from President Obama and the U.S. Congress to Miley Cyrus and Paula Deen.
Coming in at No. 6, as MAD has reveals exclusively to ROBOT 6, is Manti Te'o's dead 'girlfriend." As you may recall, the former Notre Dame linebacker rose to prominence not because of his Heisman Trophy candidacy but for the revelation that his girlfriend, who had battled leukemia only to die after a car crash, never existed. It turns out she was the creation of one of Te'o's acquaintances, who admitted to orchestrating the hoax.
"It's unclear if Te'o was in on the scam," the magazine writes, "or just a gullible romantic who got got catfished -- but either way, the whole thing is hard to swallow."
The full list can be found in MAD #525, which goes on sale Dec. 18.