06.23.09 MAYBE THIS WASN’T ED MCMAHON’S BEST GIG

As the nation continues its day of mourning for Ed McMahon, I’d like to shed light on something that likely won’t make McMahon’s list of credits: he hosted the second (and final) episode of “Legends of the Superheroes,” a 1979 special on NBC designed to be a live-action version of “Super Friends,” the popular cartoon featuring DC Comics’ famed Justice League of America.

McMahon’s purpose here?  Emcee of a roast of the Super Friends (minus Superman and Wonder Woman, who were busy with movie and TV commitments, respectively).  Sounds bad, right?  I haven’t even gotten to the “celebrity” “roaster”: supposed superhero Ghetto Man (Brad Sanders), a casually racist caricature of an inner-city black man in the ’70s.  Yikes.  You’ll notice NBC uses a laugh track here.  It works; I can’t imagine real laughter following these jokes.

(thanks to Mike for the tip)