BAD-MOUTH BEARS

Trigger warning: racist language in trailer and parody. It was 1976.

I know most of us are shocked by things like negative stereotypes and racial slurs, especially in association with beloved institutions such as these. They come up in these parodies once in a while. I'll defend it this time since it establishes what a brat the kid is. When it's in something like Blazing Saddles, that's one thing, but when it's like the sandwich board in Die Hard, I can't approve.

I know a lot of you roll your eyes when I bring things like this up. I know you're tired of hearing it again. I was like you once, but we all have a way to go. Even though we realize how bad they are today, as anyone marginalized will note, micro- and macro-aggressions, whether intended or not, are and were everywhere. Now go back and enjoy your privilege.

BAD NEWS BEARS (1976)
dir: Michael Ritchie

SPLIT SCREAM DEPT.
THE BAD-MOUTH BEARS
MAD #188, January 1977
w: Stan Hart
a: Jack Davis

Another instance where MAD figured if one of their regular artists is doing the movie poster, have them do the parody. Since Jack Davis had done the poster, they decided to have him do the parody. It was half a double feature, hence the name of the department. The other is Missouri Breaks, which we'll get to when we get to the M's.

Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau), single, lazy, and alcoholic, who claims to have pitched for the minors, has decided to pick up a few extra bucks coaching a little league team.

There are all sorts of kids on the team mainly of various ethnic groups, a brainy kid, and a fat kid.

The team keeps losing, so Buttermaker finds someone he knows can play—Amanda (Tatum O'Neal), the daughter of his ex-girlfriend.

The local juvenile delinquent Kelly Leek (Jackie Earle Haley) is a better ball player than anyone on the team, and they try to recruit him for the Bears. Amanda uses her charms to get him.
Now that they have two ringers, the Bears work their way up to second place. Not first because at the last minute Buttermaker throws the last game because wants them all to have fun more than he wants them to win. He explains his motive to rival coach Roy Turner (Vic Morrow).

THE BAD NEWS BORES
Cracked #136, October 1976
a: Bill Powers (John Severin)

The Cracked parody, since it has more pages, includes more from the movie, such as Buttermaker being hired by Mr. Whitewood (Ben Piazza)

There's more with Engleberg (Gary Lee Cavagnaro), Oglivie (Alfred Lutter), and Ahmad (Erin Blunt)

BAD-MOUTH BEARS
Sick #112, October 1976
w:Jim Simon

The movie had two sequels and a TV series. The Davis-esque poster for one of the sequels was drawn by one-time MAD artist Bruce Stark.

An early Saturday Night Live had a sketch called The Bad News Bees when Walter Matthau was the host, where the little leaguers were recurring characters The Bees at summer camp. The joke was one had been caught masturbating. Matthau comes in and said “buzzing off” was a perfectly normal thing to do. The punchline was that everybody started doing it after the lights went out, which you could tell was happening because the bedsprings were creaking. John Belushi reportedly hated doing the Bees sketches.