Presentation for online ENGL 309, University of Idaho

1. how to create
a Genre Parody

2. 1. They arise from a social need (what is
prompting the need for communicative action?).
2. They are rhetorical: they have purposes and
audiences, and they are circulated in distinctive
ways.
3. They develop and evolve over time, in response
to changing circumstances.
4. They have a style and distinctive features,
though individual instances of the genre can vary
considerably.
As you’ll recall, genres have
certain characteristics:

3. Identifying the distinct features and style of a genre
will help you begin to parody it. (Remember that
parody involves imitating something very closely,
with either amplification or some kind of twist.

4. Basic Steps for Creating a
Genre Parody
1. Find a genre to parody. (Ideally, it should
choose you – that is, it should be something
you already find inherently funny.)
2. Read, reread, and analyze many examples of
the genre – make yourself an expert on the
genre’s distinctive features.
3. Zero in on the feature that seems most
distinct.
4. Mimic that feature with a twist – the twist is
what will call attention to that feature (and
that’s what makes parodies funny).

5. the twist
REAL EXAMPLE OF THE
GENRE
PARODY

6. OK, so this isn’t a terribly
funny example of a parody.
However, you can see that it
does mimic the genre
features of an obituary fairly
closely (see Project 1,
Slidedoc 1). You have to look
twice before realizing that it’s
not a real obituary, but a
reference to the show
Breaking Bad.
Can you think of ways in
which this or another obituary
parody could be funnier?
Another Parody Example: Obituary

7. Four Ways to Parody a Genre
1. Call direct attention to the conventions of the genre
(e.g., Charlie Brooker's "How to Report the News," Will
Stephens' "How to Sound Smart in a TED Talk").
2. Flout the conventions of the genre, thereby calling
attention to them (e.g. ”How to Meal-Prep for the Week
Ahead, Become the Queen of Enlightenment.”)
3. Take elements or features of the genre out of context
(Weird Al's "Mission Statement").
4. Highlight one or more of the typical "failures" or
missteps of the genre - where it often goes wrong or
awry: columnists giving bad advice, corporate mssion
statements using euphemistic language or empty
words, etc.