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Humor/Parody

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Across most of the groups and issues, humor is used as a common tactic for making media artefacts entertaining and their messages resonate. Whether it be exploring social injustices, mocking conservative political advertisements, or spreading scientific knowledge, humor is utilized to bring greater levity and self-awareness to often complicated subject matter. 

Some examples, such as John Green's Crashcourse: US History blends humorous anecdotes and jokes to liven up a generally dry subject matter and systematic analyses of past socio-economic structures. Others, such as Ask a Slave, are light-hearted formats to tackle well-worn and complicated social injustices through a new playful lens to both shift the viewer's expectations and draw attention to the logical absurdity of slave treatment in the US.



Parody plays a significant role within the types of humor that are used for these online media formats. By banking on pre-existing media within popular culture, parody adds new meaning or new interpretations to well-known stories and characters.  

Certain parodies are very particular and topical in regards to a specific political issue. For example, in 2012 the National Organization for Marriage released a dramatic public service advertisement against gay marriage. The video was about an oppressive "gathering storm" of homosexuality and its supporters. In literalizing their theme, all of the actors in their video were seemingly hovering above a grey storm cloud. In response, a number of independent gay marriage groups released their own "gathering storm" videos the mocked the absurdity of the original video's message and format, including the green-screened storm cloud that surrounded the actors.

This page has paths:

  1. Browse by Maker Practices Karl Baumann

This page has tags:

  1. The Truth with Hasan Minhaj - Sikh Temple Shooting, Missouri Mosque Burning Ritesh Mehta

Contents of this tag:

  1. Vant to Skype Vid Me?
  2. 19th Century Reforms: Crash Course US History #15
  3. Batman Welcomes Ramadan
  4. Improv Everywhere: Video Trailer for Documentary
  5. Firstday Fast - (Birthday X Spoof) - Farid Music
  6. No Health Care? No Problem!
  7. ASK A SLAVE Ep 3: You Can't Make This Stuff Up
  8. ASK A SLAVE Ep 1: Meet Lizzie Mae
  9. Laughter For A Change Workshop @ Koreatown Youth and Community Center
  10. UndocuCribs
  11. ASK A SLAVE Ep 4: New Leaf, Same Page
  12. Gathering Storm Spoof
  13. Buffy vs Edward: Twilight Remixed -- [original version]
  14. ASK A SLAVE Ep 5: Two Sides to Every Coin
  15. A Gaythering Storm
  16. Blurred Lines Parody Defined Lines Swaps Genders | What's Trending Now
  17. The Best Parody of NOM's "Gathering Storm" Ad
  18. ASK A SLAVE Ep 6: I Love That Boy
  19. That Deaf Guy Webcomic
  20. ASK A SLAVE Ep 7: True Story
  21. Accio Books: LeakyCon Edition
  22. No Shirts
  23. ASK A SLAVE Ep 2: Abolitioning
  24. Fuck Cancer + Funny or Die Present: Touching Ourselves!
  25. Vote NO on Prop 8
  26. Social justice through parody NWP
  27. Superman Dreamer Comic
  28. UndocuCribs
  29. "Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly,
  30. Undocucribs: Episode 2
  31. Weathering the Storm (Response to NOM Gathering Storm)
  32. Superman Illegal Flying
  33. No on 8 PSA: CONSTITUTION
  34. The Taxes Song
  35. What kind of Asian are you?
  36. No on 8 PSA: FAMILY (Molly Ringwald)
  37. But we're speaking Japanese!　日本語喋ってるんだけど
  38. No on 8 PSA: NO vs YES
  39. Thank You Hater! - by Clever Pie and Isabel Fay
  40. No on 8 PSA: MARGARET CHO & SELENE LUNA
  41. If Buying Condoms Was Like Buying Birth Control
  42. I hate the Hijab!

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