# What pop culture do you only know of from parody? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 1, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899 "2008-07-01T14:11:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/41 "2008-07-01T22:11:38Z")
I don’t know if this counts as parody, but I can quote every early 80’s comedy movie word for word, not because I ever saw them, but because the dirty kid on the school bus used to recite them daily. Police Academy, Caddyshack, etc. Later on at band practice, I’d get a similar treatment with Monty Python from the older band nerds. I hear the originals are much better, but honestly I don’t think I could stomach them at this point except to see whether the boobs are as huge as described. ---
**Author:** ![This\_ll\_Do](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/this_ll_do/32/3023_2.png) [@This\_ll\_Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_ll_Do)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/42 "2008-07-01T22:21:56Z")
[QUOTE=Half Man Half Wit] \*Their origin that I did miss only know 'em spoofed like this Burma Shave\* [/QUOTE] Good one! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/43 "2008-07-01T22:52:47Z")
[QUOTE=GargoyleWB] I only know Ayn Rand from the various parodies and homages…The Simpsons (Maggie’s great escape), Bioshock, eavesdropping in coffeehouses. [/QUOTE] That’s me as well. I’ve gone as far as reading critiques and summaries of her works and views, but have never felt it worthwhile to churn through her books. Vincent Price and various other old time actors, I have little or no knowledge of save for their parodies in Bugs Bunny cartoon. Burma shave, as mentioned. I only know anything of Pokemon from noticing all of the Pokemon porn that’s out there, and from parodies like [this](http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=1). ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/44 "2008-07-01T23:00:22Z")
I used to only know of the Godfather from things like “The Simpsons” till about last year. Citizen Kane, Planet of the Apes, most things Charlton Heston was in, Ayn Rand, also Eurivision (know about it from “Father Ted” though). ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/45 "2008-07-02T00:13:20Z")
My first acquaintance with Firefly/Serenity was from watching a parody play by The Usual Suspects at Balticon. It was not only a good intro to the show, it was very funny even if you knew nothing about the show. I knew most of the Dracula saga from parodies, random quotes and cartoons before I ever read the novel, which turned out to be very unlike the pop-culture version. I still haven’t seen the Bela Lugosi movie, which did more than the book to shape the pop culture. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/46 "2008-07-02T00:17:45Z")
[QUOTE=RiverRunner] My familiarity with _Howdy Doody_ is similar: I know several things about it, but mainly from a _Mad Magazine_ parody (_iHowdy Dooit!_). _Mad_ also provided my only view of _The French Connection_, which I have never seen. [/QUOTE] As soon as I thread the thread title, Mad’s version of _The French Connection_ is the first thing that popped into my mind. Spooky. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/47 "2008-07-02T00:20:59Z")
[QUOTE=Ichbin Dubist] I’ve seen the Eurovision Song Contest mocked on Monty Python, Benny Hill, _The Young Ones_, etc., but I’ve never actually seen it for real. [/QUOTE] “It’s only University Challenge, Rick! It’s only University Challenge!” It wasn’t until years later that I learned that what was being parodied was a real show. Or that [Alan Whicker](http://www.alanwhicker.co.uk/) wasn’t invented from whole cloth by the Pythons. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/48 "2008-07-02T00:29:32Z")
[QUOTE=Not Actually Der Trihs] I’ve gone as far as reading critiques and summaries of her works and views, but have never felt it worthwhile to churn through her books. [/QUOTE] Oops; this was actually a quote of **GargoyleWB** , but somehow it got stuck in my main post. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/49 "2008-07-02T00:31:41Z")
The Phantom of the Opera. I went as him for Halloween when I was 7 years old or so, I have still never actually seen it, but I think at the time I was just delighted to figure out where all those cartoon references came from. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/50 "2008-07-02T00:54:31Z")
I make it a point to play a lot of retro games, but a few, such as the older Metal Gear 2 I know exclusively from Let’s Plays like this: [http://www.slowbeef.com/MG2/](http://www.slowbeef.com/MG2/) (warning: long, yet very funny). I also know Resident Evil 4 exclusively from a goldmined (archived) Let’s Play on the (of course) SA forums. I don’t frequent Something Awful, but I get linked now and then when they’re really funny. Also until I was bored for a bit and decided to check it out (note: not recommended) I only knew 4chan/anon (and by extension, /b/) through parody and reference to them. Now I wish I had kept it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/51 "2008-07-02T01:06:56Z")
There’s a ton of older (relative to me) stuff that I first encountered that way, mostly through the Simpsons, but since then I’ve tried to see all that old stuff before I see it parodied. Obviously that’s impossible… I’ve never seen a John Wayne movie, at least not that I can remember. I haven’t read any Ayn Rand - well, beyond the first few pages of The Fountainhead, which didn’t interest me - and I’ve only read about half of Moby Dick. I haven’t read the whole Bible either, but I think I know most of the famous stories at least. I’ve never read any Jane Austen- seen parts of some Austen-based movies, though. I’m familiar with some of Freud’s theories but I’ve never read his work. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/52 "2008-07-02T01:08:52Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] Sounds serious to me. And don’t call him Shirley. [/QUOTE] this thread is Oveur ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/53 "2008-07-02T03:28:06Z")
Most of the celebrities lampooned in old Warner Brothers cartoons are still icons, or at least still recognizable today. I’m guessing even most kids are familiar with Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney and Bing Crosby. But I’m 47, and I’ve never seen the real, flesh-and-blood Jerry Colonna in anything. I’ve seen caricatures of Colonna in dozens of cartoons (the enormous mustache, the exaggerated, “Ahhhh yesssss! Greetings!”), but I have no idea if those caricatures are accurate. Also, I’ve heard Cheech & Chong’s “Basketball Jones” numerous times, but still have never heard “Love Jones,” the Seventies soul song it was supposed to be spoofing. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/54 "2008-07-02T03:28:16Z")
[QUOTE=delphica] I recently saw a commercial featuring Mr. Bill, from Saturday Night Live, and was a little amazed – do young people now even know who Mr. Bill is/was? [/QUOTE] I was about to say, “I do!” until I realized I’m not a young people anymore. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/55 "2008-07-02T03:36:20Z")
[QUOTE=NaturalBlondChap] this thread is Oveur [/QUOTE] Roger, Roger. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/56 "2008-07-02T04:11:32Z")
[QUOTE=rowrrbazzle] I forget whether I had heard Tom’s “The Elements” before I had heard the Major-General’s song from “The Pirates of Penzance”. [/QUOTE] I don’t think the former is a reference to the latter. They’re both just patter songs. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/57 "2008-07-02T04:12:47Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] I don’t think the former is a reference to the latter. They’re both just patter songs. [/QUOTE] They’re sung to the same tune, so I would say it was a reference. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/58 "2008-07-02T04:13:46Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] They’re sung to the same tune, so I would say it was a reference. [/QUOTE] I’ll have to re-listen to the Lehrer song. They don’t sound identical in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/59 "2008-07-02T05:06:26Z")
[QUOTE=Student Driver] When I was a kid, I wasn’t allowed to listen to much current music (a school thing, not a family restriction), but I was a huge Weird Al Yankovic fan… so most of his parodies were, to me, just funny songs, and it wasn’t until years later that I began hearing the originals. [/QUOTE] Like **Yllaria** , I’m coming at it from the opposite side as the current music passes me by and the only version I hear is Weird Al’s (I still think _Gump_ makes a lot more sense than _Lump_). From my own youth, more than anyone else Edward G. Robinson and Peter Lorre are familiar to me as Bugs Bunny parodies. I could recognize their faces and voices instantly despite never having watched any of their films. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899/60 "2008-07-02T05:23:04Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] I’ll have to re-listen to the Lehrer song. They don’t sound identical in my head. [/QUOTE] In the live version, he mentions that it is to a possibly recognizable tune, so it’s definitely the Major General’s song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-pop-culture-do-you-only-know-of-from-parody/454899.md?page=4)