# Your favorite Parody?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 30, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582 "2011-11-30T18:14:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/21 "2011-11-30T21:01:08Z")

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Most of [The Dragonhiker’s Guide to Battlefield Covenant at Dune’s Edge: Odyssey Two](http://www.amazon.com/Dragonhikers-Guide-Battlefield-Covenant-Dunes/dp/0947578013) (a collection of parodies by thirty-time Hugo winner David Langford). I recall the Elric parody as especially good.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/22 "2011-11-30T22:53:51Z")

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> [@DigitalC](#):
>
> Fear of a black hat, it’s the “This is Spinal Tap” of 90’s gangsta rap.

you + Charlotte = beer

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/23 "2011-11-30T23:42:06Z")

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I enjoyed _Doon_ and _Fistful of Yen_ way more than their inspirations.

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/24 "2011-11-30T23:45:40Z")

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Does Weird Al count? 'Cuz he’s got a boatload. If I had to pick a favorite it would probably be [White & Nerdy](http://youtu.be/N9qYF9DZPdw).

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**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/25 "2011-11-30T23:47:25Z")

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_Murder by Death_ is among my favorites. You gotta love a movie that has a character named Lionel Twain.

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/26 "2011-11-30T23:51:12Z")

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> [@Labtrash](#):
>
> _Airplane!_

Same here, which is funny, because I’ve never actually watched the movies it was parodying.

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**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/27 "2011-11-30T23:54:16Z")

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Stephen Colbert

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**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/28 "2011-12-01T00:00:00Z")

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[Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers](http://randall120.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/star-smashers-of-the-galaxy-ranger-harry-harrison/) Harry Harrison’s parody of every dumb SF trope ever, but particularly of EE Smith’s Lensmen series. However, dont worry if you haven’t read Lensmen, Harrison parodies EVERYTHING in SF, and to hilarious effect.

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/29 "2011-12-01T00:15:16Z")

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_Twisted Tales from Shakespeare_, by Richard Armour. I read his hilarious take on the Bard long before I read the originals, and I credit his book for motivating me to take Shakespeare classes in high school and college.

_“Lady Macbeth rubs her hands with Glee, a Scottish detergent of those days . . . .”_

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/30 "2011-12-01T01:06:06Z")

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Sherlock Holmes has been parodied about ten zillion times, and yet the top twenty were all written by one person: Robert L. Fish. [Schlock Homes: The Complete Bagel Street Saga](http://www.amazon.com/Schlock-Homes-Complete-Bagel-Street/dp/0934468168) has them all.

David Langford is probably the best science fiction parodist. The best generalist parodist of mysteries is Jon L. Breen. Yet his collected parodies, [Hair of the Sleuthhound](http://www.amazon.com/Hair-Sleuthhound-Parodies-Mystery-Fiction/dp/0810815052/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322700279&sr=1-1), sold about three copies.

There’s one collection of mystery parodies by regular humorists, [The Defective Detective](http://www.amazon.com/Defective-Detective-Mystery-Parodies-Humorists/dp/0806513675/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322700383&sr=1-4), and that sold about two copies.

And for Eve, the best of all parodists flourished in the 1920s, doing a monthly parody of bestsellers and major authors for _Vanity Fair_ magazine. Corey Ford released three collections under the pseudonym John Riddell: _Meaning No Offense_, _The John Riddell Murder Case_, and (the title taken from a review of his earlier books) _In The Worst Possible Taste_. Those books are major collectibles today (in first editions with dustjackets) because even though they were bestsellers in the day they were never reprinted in any form, ever.

Until last month. Incredibly, [Meaning No Offense](http://www.amazon.com/Meaning-No-Offense-Adventures-Opinions/dp/1258213060%3FSubscriptionId%3D1NNRF7QZ418V218YP1R2%26tag%3Dbf-dt-home-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1258213060) just came out in a pricey new edition. If you search Amazon you can find cheap reading copies of the original, though. Find one and try him. Nobody remembers him today, though he was considered up there with Benchley and Perelman in the 1920s, and I try to champion him whenever possible.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/31 "2011-12-01T02:02:40Z")

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I’m reminded of Mad’s parody of Star Trek IV, including a scene, paraphrased from memory, of time-tossed Kirk and company trying to get directions to the naval base:

Kirk: Uhura, get over there and hustle those sailors.

Uhura: Admiral, may I remind you we’re in San Francisco?

Kirk: You’re right. Sulu, get over there and hustle those sailors.  
…and this was about twenty years before George Takei came out publicly.

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**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/32 "2011-12-01T02:09:48Z")

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Blazing Saddles

“How did he do such great stunts with such small hands?”

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**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/33 "2011-12-01T02:12:12Z")

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Love **Top Secret**. Both a spoof of Elvis and spy movies at the same time.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/34 "2011-12-01T02:12:17Z")

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I think it was “How could he jump so high with such little feet?”

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**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/35 "2011-12-01T05:21:56Z")

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Oh yes, BotR has a permanent spot on my bookshelf. MP’s Holy Grail (and Jabberwocky) I think permanently changed medieval films, they had to switch from stupidly clean to grungy overnight or be laughed out of the cinema. But Life of Brian pretty much takes the cake I think.

> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> I’m reminded of Mad’s parody of Star Trek IV, including a scene, paraphrased from memory, of time-tossed Kirk and company trying to get directions to the naval base:
> 
> Kirk: Uhura, get over there and hustle those sailors.
> 
> Uhura: Admiral, may I remind you we’re in San Francisco?
> 
> Kirk: You’re right. Sulu, get over there and hustle those sailors.  
> …and this was about twenty years before George Takei came out publicly.

Spock (listening to some broadcast): Captain, I can’t believe my ears!  
Kirk: Spock,\* no-one\* can believe your ears.

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**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/36 "2011-12-01T06:02:06Z")

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All this love for Bored of the Rings, and none at all for the utterly brilliant [Breadbox edition of Fellowship](http://www.west-of-the-moon.net/servlet/ReadGenStory?storyID=56)?

STRIDER

I’ve come to guide you to the next plot point.  
We need to set it up so the audience thinks  
the Black Riders are killing you, while you  
are actually somewhere safe with me.

BLACK RIDERS stab beds, while shots of SAM are shown. INFANTS and SMALL DOGS are not fooled. BLACK RIDERS scream like a CARNIVAL RIDE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP.

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**Author:** ![leemadison11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a5b964/32.png) [@leemadison11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leemadison11)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/37 "2011-12-01T06:25:53Z")

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Scary movie franchise is damn funny and i can’t get over it. I have watched it end number of times. Then we have those Charlie Sheen movie Hot Shot franchise which was also funniest of all times.

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**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/38 "2011-12-01T10:17:31Z")

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I forgot all about _Young Doctors in Love._  
~VOW

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**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/39 "2011-12-01T10:43:21Z")

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Saturday Night’s Navy Recruitment Commercial, probably not a much of a parody.😃

[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL-OtsN9VdM)

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**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-parody/604582/40 "2011-12-01T18:32:28Z")

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Maybe more of a spoof than pure parody, but Rustler’s Rhapsody is a terrific send up of the singing cowboy genre. Most of the time, I even prefer it to Blazing Saddles (heresy, I know).

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