Nothing Better Than Parody [better] May 2026

Consider the ultimate parody: one that parodies nothing . That has no target except the very act of meaning-making. —Monty Python’s dead parrot, Beckett’s Waiting for Godot , the memetic nonsense of “loss.jpg”—approaches a kind of sublime emptiness.

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Mean-spirited mockery is easy. Great parody requires empathy. You cannot skewer something you don’t secretly admire. When The Simpsons parodies The Shining (“The Shinning”), it’s not Kubrick-bashing—it’s two geniuses dancing. Parody says: “I see you. I get you. And I can play your game better than you.” nothing better than parody

The original has to sell its premise straight. Parody gets to whisper: “Isn’t this a little ridiculous? Don’t you feel it too?” That shared wink is a form of honesty. Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein is funnier, smarter, and more affectionate toward monster movies than any straight horror film of its era. Consider the ultimate parody: one that parodies nothing