Monty Python’s Life of Brian, a religious satire about a young Jewish Roman man Brian Cohen who is born the same day, and next door to Jesus. Brian grows into an idealistic young man, and becomes infatuated with a young rebel Judith when listening to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In his attempts to woo Judith, he joins the political activist group, the Judean Peoples Front, which are more like squabbling siblings. When escaping the Romans, he starts preaching and is subsequently mistaken for the Messiah. At one point the reluctant messiah is preaching “think for yourselves” and the crowd parrot it back in robotic fashion. He is recaptured by the Romans and sentenced to crucifixion. The movie ends with Brian almost escaping crucification after a crack suicide squad from the Judean Peoples’ Front charges and forces the Roman soldiers to flee. However the suicide squad performs mass suicide as a form of political protest. Condemned to a slow and painful death, Brian’s spirits are lifted by his fellow sufferers singing “Always look on the bright side of life”. It is a hilarious diss on both Toxic positivity and mindless forms of religious practice.

I’m relatively religious but enjoyed the parody of my religion … MONTY PYTHON were geniuses at expressing that much of life is absurd in really funny ways.

Word Crimes, by Weird Al

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc

Anonymous wrote:I learned at the Planet Word museum that there's a difference between spoof and parody.

Parody is probably Weird Al - Trapped in the Drive Through. But really anything Weird Al. He's freakishly good.

Spoof - Springtime for Hitler.

The South Park guys are masters at spoof songs.

Not sure if this counts as parody, but I'm An A****le by Denis Leary is hilarious.

Here's a good one: Key and Peele's "LMFAO's Non Stop Party"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxWzsrj8bZE&ab_channel=ComedyCentral

Riding Nerdy. Weird Al.

Anonymous wrote:Just Eat It

This. "Have a banana, have a whole bunch."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love all Weird Al songs, but my favorite is "White and Nerdy"
I relate to way too many of the cultural touchpoints despite not being white. Nerdy must be it's own race.


I have major love for Donny Osmond totally getting into his role in the background.

This is a video of them doing take #1 and you can see Osmond's full dance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq6OncN6_Fo

Lol, Donny dances like my DH. Props to him for giving it 100%.

They Might Be Giants

I learned at the Planet Word museum that there's a difference between spoof and parody.

Parody is probably Weird Al - Trapped in the Drive Through. But really anything Weird Al. He's freakishly good.

Spoof - Springtime for Hitler.

Anonymous wrote:As Pp’s have said Weird Al.
I also really like Randy Rainbow.

Separately, while not strictly counting as parody (and I don’t think the Gilligan’s Island example counts as parody either), I’d suggest Spike Jones similarly adapted songs for humorous effect.

Also of note:
Ray Stevens - The Mississippi Squirrel Revival
Jeannie C. Riley - Harper Valley PTA
MTA - Kingston Trio
Allan Sherman - Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah
Johnny Cash - One Piece at a Time

Anonymous wrote:Hilarious parody of O Fortuna from Misheard Lyrics:

Ha, thanks! I was trying to explain to my kids that O Fortuna actually had words. This will be hilarious.

Anonymous wrote:No Pigeons (rebuttal to TLC's No Scrubs). Hilarious. Mean, but hilarious.

"This ain't my car like that ain't your hair."