Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.
I have a soft spot for a good spoof. This is because I love stories, films etc., which make me laugh. I also think there is a huge need for these especially at times when the world seems unremittingly grim as it is right now. The dictionary definition of a spoof is something which mimics something else to comic effect and often uses exaggeration to get the laughs.
Carry On Spoofing
For me, two outstanding spoofs are in the old Carry On series. Yes, really. Carry On Screaming is a fabulous spoof of the Hammer House of Horror films. Carry On Spying is a great spoof of the Bond franchise. Both films are well worth checking out and have great storylines.
Another one in the series, which I see more as a homage than a spoof, is Carry On Cowboy which, to me, salutes that fine western, High Noon. I would say it was an affectionate tribute film and again is well worth checking out. If you don’t know the story of High Noon, you will get the basics of it from watching Cowboy, funnily enough.
Spoofs Across The Arts
Pantomimes can often be spoofs. Indeed, Janet and I will be going to see one next week when we see Camelot The Pantomime to be performed by The Chameleon Theatre Company. If that doesn’t spoof the King Arthur legend, I will be surprised. I do know it will be fun, as a spoof should be.
Spoofs should be clear about what they’re sending up. There should be genuine affection for the original. I don’t see how you could write a good spoof without having an in depth knowledge of the original and it would have to be something you loved to make you want to do this, I think.
Spoofs aren’t just for films. I love Maskerade, one of the witches novels in Sir Terry Pratchett’s marvellous Discworld canon. It manages to spoof opera generally and, in particular, The Phantom of the Opera. Such a funny book but with a great storyline to it.
Then there are books like Bored of the Rings. No prizes for working out which classic fantasy that one is sending up.
But it isn’t enough just to go for the laughs. The storyline should be strong enough to generate those laughs “naturally”. There should still be fully rounded characters (even when it is clear who they are based on originally) and what the story is getting them to do should follow the standard three act structure too. The laughs should come from how the characters handle the situation, though in a spoof often the character names themselves are spoofed for a laugh.
For example, in Bored Of The Rings, some of the characters are Goodgulf (Gandalf), Frito (Frodo), Spam Gangree (Samwise Gamgee). There are others I can’t mention here (Chandler’s Ford Today is a family friendly site after all and that will tell you all you need to know!) but you would know who they are aping though I think my favourite “clean” spoof here is Legolam (Legolas – and yes it does read as leg of lamb!).
Pantomimes and spoofs have much in common then as both use exaggeration and gags/puns to get the laughs. Pantomimes usually spoof the classic fairytales with exceptions like Camelot The Pantomime and Robin Hood, where classic British legends are spoofed instead.
Pantomimes will often use slapstick (and several metric tonnes of make up for the Dame I think!). Spoofs, especially film ones, can do this too. Book spoofs work on you being able to read the gags. Yes, you can read a slapstick scene but it is easier to watch something like that. Having said that, there is plenty of choice.
Spoofs on TV
Sometimes you can get TV programmes which can be classed as spoofs. Red Dwarf, that classic sci-fi comedy, does spoof Star Trek. The main difference is our heroes in Red Dwarf are anything but heroic. In Star Trek, across all of the versions of this, there can be real courage shown. (Best Star Trek film for me is The Wrath of Khan incidentally).
Everything about Red Dwarf spoofs – the vending machines never work properly, the computer (Holly) is not of the kind you’d see in the Star Trek franchises. Mind you, they wouldn’t have a talking toaster who annoys everyone either. Just writing that sentence has put a big grin on my face. If you haven’t seen Red Dwarf, check it out, especially the early series.
The American series, Police Squad, was a wonderful send up of cop TV shows. I can’t imagine anyone else other than Leslie Neilsen in the role of Frank Drebin (who also appeared in The Naked Gun). I will put my hands up and say I haven’t seen the incarnation with Liam Neeson so can’t judge on it. If you have seen it, comments would be welcome! Has Neeson managed to make the role his own? I understand he is playing Frank Drebin, Junior, son of the original which, to me, makes a great deal of sense. Neilsen is a hard comedic act to follow after all.
Humorous Writing -v- Spoofs
There is a difference between writing humorous fiction (P.G. Wodehouse) and spoofs. The latter are genuine send-ups. You can see the nods to the original. You do need this for the spoof to work for you. The former shows a humorous situation (though it it often isn’t for the characters involved – in Wodehouse’s case, Bertie Wooster never found the predicaments he was in funny at all).
The funny thing is the job of writing anything funny is remarkably hard work as Wodehouse makes clear in the various books of his letters which have been published in book form.
Conclusion
There is a close link between parody and spoofs though the latter send up a whole genre, which is why the Carry On ones I mentioned above work so well. Are there spoofs I’d like to see? Hmm… the jury is out as to whether Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister spoofs the political classes. It is so close to the truth it can almost come across as a documentary, I think.
I love all forms of humorous writing, including spoofs. We do need more laughs and we’re certainly not going to be getting that from the news any time soon. But to all the spoof and humour writers out there, well done and keep it up!
Related Posts:-
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
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