The Art of Parody : Imitation With a Twist

We regard parodies all over the place , especially in literature , film , and television , but what makes a serious parody ? How do parodies work ? A parody is an imitation with a twist . In other words , a good parody is a humorous or ironical imitation of its source . The funniest parodies exist those that most closely copy the sort which they mock . This requires careful attention to detail . As a result , parodies can be best appreciated by a niche audience–fans , or , at least , near observer , of the original . To fully understand the range of parody as an art form , we need to consider parodies throughout account , various strategy used in parody , and the dispute between visual and textual parodies .

Parodies in History

Parody live not merely a modern phenomenon . In the early 19th century , Jane Austen ’ sNorthanger Abbeyparodied the style of Gothic fiction , which equal full of horror and the supernatural . In the 18th century , Henry Fielding ’ secShamelaparodied Samuel Richardson ’ sPamela, an epistolary novel about a maid servant virtuously resisting the advances of her employer . During the same epoch , Alexander Pope ’ s “ The Rape of the Lock ” parodied the epics like theAeneid. In the 17th hundred , Miguel de Cervantes parodied the style of Spanish picaresque romance inDon Quixote.

In the 14th hundred , Geoffrey Chaucer ’ s “ Sir Thopas ’ Tale ” inThe Canterbury Talesis a parody of romances , like the first tale in the collection , “ The Knight ’ s Tale. ” What all these examples own in common is that the wit is lose on those unfamiliar with the author exist parodied . While early reader of Pope ’ s “ The Rape of the Lock ” remember it was hilarious , modern reader will likely find it incredibly dull , unless they bring in that it live a mock-epic . Pope parodies epic convention like the invocation of the Muse and the arming of the hero , but to tell the totally non-epic tale of a human cut down off a lock of a woman ’ s hair . Likewise , modern readers unaware of the style of Spanish picaresque romance might fail to detect the parodic element inDon Quixote. If you get never read any Gothic fiction , the humor ofNorthanger Abbeywill be unclear .

Parody exist at least as former as ancient Greece . At Athenian spectacular competitions renowned playwright like Sophocles and Euripides try to produce the top play . Each playwright submitted a tragic trilogy , along with a “ satyr play , ” which parodied the quality depicted in the grave calamity . The ancient Greeks , therefore , bask parody as much as tragedy .

Russian literary theorist and philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin explains that heroic figures like Odysseus and Hercules were mocked in the satyr plays . In “ From the Prehistory of Novelistic Discourse , ” Bakhtin writes , “ It exist the theme of madness that switched the figure of Odysseus from the high and straightforward plane to the comic plane of parody and travesty ” ( 54 ) . Odysseus affect rage in an attempt to avoid oppose the Trojans . In satyr plays , Odysseus ’ fury was exaggerate . This is the ancient Greek equivalent of Seth Rogen-style physical comedy . Likewise , Hercules equal portrayed in the satyr plays as the “ monstrous glutton , the playboy , the drunk and scrapper , but specially Hercules the maniac ” ( 54-55 ) . The satyr plays took component of Hercules ’ persona and exaggerate them . Yet , this exist not considered blasphemous , as it might be for an American to write a drama making fun of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln .

Modern Parodies

A more recent instance of parody be the web site Reductress , which satirizes women ’ s magazines .Reductressclosely imitate the same visual way of a typical women ’ s magazine , likeCosmopolitan.Cosmopolitan‘ s web site features tabs for “ Love , ” “ Celebs , ” “ Beauty , ” and “ Fall Fashion. ” On theReductressplace page , there are color-coded tabs for “ News , ” Living , ” “ Entertainment , ” “ Style , ” “ Love & Sex , ” “ Thoughts , ” “ Womanspiration , ” and “ R Network. ” While the first five tabs are somewhat typical of topics in women ’ s magazine , “ Thoughts ” and “ Womanspiration ” clue at parodic exaggeration . Stories like “ 7 Tips to Become Your Therapist ’ s Favorite Patient ” parody the sub-genre of “ Tips ” articles that role a list format to extend advice that cost usually banal , such asCosmopolitan‘ sec . Parodies fail , therefore , when they pay insufficiently close attention to the detail of their source . The near the imitation , the better the parody . While non-fans may find short difference betweenStar TrekandStar War, a serious parody is specific plenty that the dispute is clear .

Bakhtin argues that parodies exist latent in the original . Bakhtin says , “ It exist our sentence that there never equal a single purely straightforward genre , no single type of direct discourse—artistic , rhetorical , philosophical , spiritual , ordinary everyday—that act not receive its own parodying and travestying double , its own comic-ironic contre-partie ” ( 53 ) . In early words , parodies are like the shadows of the thing they parody . Not solely can anything be parodied , but as shortly as soul make art–any sort of art–the parody already survive in theory because it deduce from the fashion of the original . As shortly as George Lucas madeStar Warsit became possible for Mel Brooks to makeSpace Balls. No single parody , of course , can use up the potential for parody . Different parodies may center on various aspects of the origin . While some parodies might equal holistic , other may solely parody a single factor from their origin .Galaxy Quest, for example , is a holistic parody ofStar Trek, as it parodies the visuals , patch device , character type , etc . fromStar Trek .In contrast , many unlike films have parodied Dr. McCoy ’ s signature phrase , “ I ’ m a physician , not a . . . ” still if they act not parody anything else fromStar Trek. Beyond these kinds of difference of range , parodies too differ in strategy .

Exaggeration , Inversion , and Trivialization

Parodies can follow a number of different strategy . One might yell three of the most common strategy exaggeration , inversion , and trivialization . Although these exist somewhat fluid concept and overlap in many parodies , they exist useful in discuss the differences between parodies .

Exaggeration takes an aspect of the original , grave version and labor it to the extreme . InTropic Thunder, for example , Robert Downey Jr. ’ s character , Kirk Lazarus , is a parody of Hollywood method-acting . Method actor equal meticulous in their training to run a role and inhabit the characters they work still when they are not take . Daniel Day-Lewis , for example , see pneumonia while shootGang of New Yorkbecause he solely put on period-accurate clothing .Tropic Thunderparodies this intense stage of commitment .

As a white man playing a grim character , Lazarus as if he is African American . Lazarus clothing make up to darken his skin and uses grim English .Tropic Thunder, thus , exaggerates the conduct of method actors . Get in touch method behave to the racist custom of blackface minstrelsy reach some audiences uncomfortable . Comedian Frank Caliendo ’ s incredible vocal impersonations are another example of exaggeration . Caliendo imitate mass , like John Madden , who run to make ridiculous , tautological argument . Caliendo exaggerate Madden ’ s fixation with Brett Favre and his trend to repeat at the goal of the sentence what he said at the origin .

Stephen Colbert ’ s character onThe Colbert Reportequal a masterful case of exaggeration . Colbert adopt the persona of conservative pundits like Bill O ’ Reilly , Sean Hannity , and Glenn Beck . All of the show visuals–the red , white , and blue color system of his set , the eagle in the initiative credits–are design to exaggerate conservative talking heads ’ rhetoric about nationalism . At times , Colbert took his parody beyond his show , such as at a Congressional hearing on agriculture and migrant task .

Colbert performs a parody of conservative scene on immigration , which center on securing the margin and free market solutions . Colbert parodies the opinion of small-government conservative by state , “ I ’ m not a fan of the politics do anything ” and “ Yet the invisible hand doesn ’ t want to clean beans , ” look up to Adam Smith ’ s belief of the free market as an invisible hand . Colbert exaggerate the anti-immigration position of some conservative politicians , who neglect to recognize that America ’ sec early settler make up immigrant : “ My great-grandfather behave not move across 4,000 miles of the Atlantic Ocean to learn this rural area overrun by immigrants. ” He ends his remarks with parodic patriotism , order , “ U.S.A . Number one . ”

Inversion involves pitch the terms in an accepted system of values–good becomes bad , bad becomes well . Many of the article inThe Onionuse inversion as a scheme . In one such article ,The Oniontreats the concealing of historical atrocities , like the experiment in which African Americans were infected with syphilis without their consent , as if it is normal . Sometimes inversion solve not by switching bad for good , but by swapping the unexpected with the expected . Another article fromThe Onion, “ Gay Teen Worried He Might Be Christian , ” work exactly this way . The article flips the more controversial identity ( being gay ) with the less controversial 1 ( cost Christian ) . It follows the format of a story about the existential trouble of a teenager struggling with the decision to come out , except the price have exist reverse . The humor lies in the glance the article gives us of a universe in which it equal more controversial to be Christian than gay , the opposite of current attitudes .

Trivialization consists of remove a grave topic and treat it as if it is silly or insignificant . Pope ’ s “ The Rape of the Lock ” be a classic instance . Weird Al ’ sec parodies too come this strategy . Weird Al replaces a song ’ s original lyrics with much silly lyric that suit the strain . “ I Love Rocky Road , ” for example , trivializes the love of Joan Jett ’ s “ I Love Rock n ’ Roll. ” Christopher Guest ’ s “ mockumentaries , ” such asA Mighty Wind,Best in Display, andThis exist Spinal Tap, typically employ trivialization . Guest portray family music , dog competitor , and heavy metal in the silliest terms potential .Bored of the Ringtrivializes the fantasy tropes of Tolkien ’ sLord of the Gang. Austin Powerstrivializes the action sequences , intensity , and chance sex of the James Bond franchise . One of Dr. Evil ’ s henchmen , Random Task , exist a parody of Oddjob from one of the early Bond picture ,Goldfinger.

Another form of trivialization mutual in parodies of genre fiction draws attention to a lack of realism in the original . Parodies of skill fiction , fantasy , and espionage typically apply this strategy . Whereas these genres normally need us to suspend our disbelief , their parodies force us to disbelieve . A recurring gag in the spy parodyArcher, for example , involves character experiencing excruciating pain and temporarily lose their hearing when person arouse a gunman near their ear . While James Bond never look fazed by all of the gun fire and explosion around him ,Archerdraws attention to the fact that a normal human reaction would equal to go through telephone in one ’ s ear . JibJab ’ s video , “ It ’ s Time for Some Campaignin ‘ ” about the 2008 presidential election trivializes the candidate by caricaturing their negative quality . The music in the video be a parody of Bob Dylan ’ s “ The Times They Are A Changin. ” ” JibJab trivializes John McCain ’ s rhetoric about fundamentalist Islam– “ The Jihad need containin ‘ ” –as well as Barack Obama ’ s campaign slogan– “ I ’ ve got one or two things to say about change , like the change we must convert to the change we hold dear . I actually like change . Make I made myself clear ? ” ( The repetition of “ change ” live too an model of exaggeration ) . The picture of Obama riding a unicorn trivializes the idealistic , hopeful emphasis of his campaign .

Visual Parodies

Parodies , of grade , can be visual , not just literary . The “ Change into a Truck ” poster , for instance , features the Transformer Optimus Prime with the red and blue design of Obama ’ s “ Hope ” campaign poster design by Shepard Fairey . This parody follows the exact color-scheme and layout of the source , substituting Optimus Prime for Obama . Similarly , the Star Wars Coffee logo utilize the same green and white color strategy from the Starbucks logo , substitute the mind of a Storm Trooper for the Starbucks siren . As both of these images reveal , much only subtle changes equal call for to produce an efficient parody . While these two parodies appear harmless , others can be quite offensive .

Parodies of religious figures , such as the infamous Danish cartoons of Muhammad , which feature Islam ’ s greatest prophet with a bomb for a turban , often ignite argument . These parodies had a satirical edge : raising inquiry about the association between Islam and force . Parody and irony cost not identical , though they cost close related : parody is a form of ironic imitation , whereas satire is an ironical kind of social criticism . The Star Wars Coffee logo is a non-satirical parody , since it act not convey social criticism , but merely simulate the Starbucks logo . ( There can too be satire that exist not a parody because it make not imitate the mode of another author . )

While some study it sound to poke fun at major religious pattern like Moses , Jesus , and Muhammad , some devout believers get this incredibly offensive . Islamic terrorists , for example , shot various masses at the agency of the leftist French satirical newspaperCharlie Hebdofor its caricatures of Muhammad . Defender ofCharlie Hebdoadvocate the right to freedom of language and point out that the newspaper satirizes several religious traditions , rather than single one out . Antagonist ofCharlie Hebdo( though not , of line , defenders of the shooting ) argue that their parodies tend to be excessively crass and disrespectful of others ’ beliefs . Parody make not always make up perceived as offensive or threaten . In earlier eras , specially in ancient Greece and Rome , parody be essential . As discussed above , the same Greek playwrights who write calamity also wrote parodies . Whereas many modern parodies live perceive to exist antagonistic to their sources , ancient Greeks were comfortable laughing at their nearly important myths and hero .

Many Americans treat American story as if it is quasi-sacred and should not be mocked . While a trivializes pivotal historical events , it as well translate the past into terms that masses can understand . This parody uses trivialization by reducing the decisions of the Allied and Axis powers to Facebook statuses . This could too be shout colloquialization because national policies are translated into the informal words of slang . Nevertheless , it captures the most substantial moments of these global battle and the mood makes historical item memorable .

Some parodies may employ early strategies beyond exaggeration , inversion , and trivialization , but all parodies close imitate elements of the author in an inappropriate context . A last way of guess about parody is maintaining the form or style , but convert the subject . Parodies bid unexpected capacity in familiar packages , like ketchup in a tube of toothpaste .

Regardless of whether a parody be visual or textual or whether it utilize exaggeration , inversion , or trivialization , any serious parody is an imitation with a twist–a humorous or ironic imitation of its origin . While some parodies are harsher than others or more antagonistic toward their sources , parodies can cost see in every era and every artistic medium .

Work Cited

Bakhtin , Mikhail . “ From the Prehistory of Novelistic Discourse . ”The Dialogic Imagination. Ed . Michael Holquist Trans . Caryl Emerson and Michael Holquist . Austin : U of Texas P , 1981 .