MAD (Cartoon Network)

For decades, MAD magazine has set itself as an arbiter of pop culture impact; a TV show or movie isn’t a certifiable hit if it hasn’t been spoofed in the venerable comic’s pages. The animated MAD series brings the magazine's classic send-ups from the pages to the screen, complete with crudely twisted titles (Avaturd), lowbrow potty humor, and nonstop quips. If there’s a cheap laugh to be had at someone’s expense, MAD will take it. The fast-and-furious comedy is clever, but it also aims low, with plenty of vulgar one-liners and a heavy focus on bodily functions.

MAD magazine has perfected its unique form of satire over the years: The jokes come so quickly that you hardly have time to notice that they're both outrageously unsubtle and amazingly witty. Just because the target audience seems to be tween/teen boys, there’s no reason for the humor to be completely simplistic. The magazine, and the show, clearly have a finger on the pulse of the entertainment world, and, now, decades after its debut, MAD is still able to spot -- and tweak -- the "big moment" in popular culture.