Parody

In contemporary usage, parody is a form of satire that imitates another work of art in order to ridicule it.

Evolution of film genres

Some genre film theorists see parody as a natural development in the life cycle of any genre, especially in film. Western movies, for example, after the classic stage defined the conventions of the genre, underwent a parody stage, in which those same conventions were lampooned. Because audiences had seen these classic Westerns, they had expectations for any new Westerns, and when these expectations were inverted, the audience laughed.

Related Topics:
Genre film theorists - Genre - Western movie

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Sometimes the reputation of a parody outlasts the reputation of what is being parodied. A notable case is the novel Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding (1742), which was a parody of the gloomy epistolary novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740) by Samuel Richardson. Many of Lewis Carroll's parodies, such as "You Are Old, Father William", are much better known than the originals.

Related Topics:
Novel - Joseph Andrews - Henry Fielding - 1742 - Epistolary novel - Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded - 1740 - Samuel Richardson - Lewis Carroll - You Are Old, Father William

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A subset of parody is self-parody in which artists satirize themselves or their work, or an artist or genre repeats elements of earlier works to the point that originality is lost.

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