Not a parody of prestige tv, but there was Kevin Can F*$& Himself, which mocked the subtle/overt misogyny, class buffoonery, and fakery in sitcoms by switching between a sitcom with note-perfect lighting/laff track/stage set/3 cameras and a darkly lit realistic drama about class and abusive relationships.
Why is parody considered the apex of the humorist's art? Parody pays a backhanded compliment to the object of ridicule. There are more important aspects of the human condition that need attention.
I actually agree with you. I think comedy people love parody more than regular folks. If I had to guess why it’s that they particularly get off on the exactness of emulation—it feels concrete, whereas the rest of comedy is so abstract. “I made a great joke” is debatable, but “I copied this perfectly” is not.
What is this new term, "prestige TV?" I know you explain it at the beginning, but seems to me this is just what we used to call "TV." Back when even the big 3 networks made really good shows occasionally.
I feel like that would be at the core of a "prestige TV" parody. That even though they're critically acclaimed and win awards, more people still end up watching things like THE BIG BANG THEORY or reruns of WINGS
Glad you liked. I found the question itself interesting, because I remember a time when parody itself was much rarer, and definitely countercultural. (MAD survived for decades solely on this association.) Before 1980, not everything was parodied, and certainly not with a high degree of precision. I worry that this is all utterly boring, so I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Not a parody of prestige tv, but there was Kevin Can F*$& Himself, which mocked the subtle/overt misogyny, class buffoonery, and fakery in sitcoms by switching between a sitcom with note-perfect lighting/laff track/stage set/3 cameras and a darkly lit realistic drama about class and abusive relationships.
Didn’t MAX kill prestige tv?
Why is parody considered the apex of the humorist's art? Parody pays a backhanded compliment to the object of ridicule. There are more important aspects of the human condition that need attention.
I actually agree with you. I think comedy people love parody more than regular folks. If I had to guess why it’s that they particularly get off on the exactness of emulation—it feels concrete, whereas the rest of comedy is so abstract. “I made a great joke” is debatable, but “I copied this perfectly” is not.
Yup
What is this new term, "prestige TV?" I know you explain it at the beginning, but seems to me this is just what we used to call "TV." Back when even the big 3 networks made really good shows occasionally.
I feel like that would be at the core of a "prestige TV" parody. That even though they're critically acclaimed and win awards, more people still end up watching things like THE BIG BANG THEORY or reruns of WINGS
Thanks for the answer, Mike/Kate! All quite reasonable and thoroughly explained.
To be clear, I'm not eager for any of these parodies. The question came from a place of noodling over comedy and The Culture.
Glad you liked. I found the question itself interesting, because I remember a time when parody itself was much rarer, and definitely countercultural. (MAD survived for decades solely on this association.) Before 1980, not everything was parodied, and certainly not with a high degree of precision. I worry that this is all utterly boring, so I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent