Pastiche vs. Parody: Examples of Pastiche and Parody

Pastiche is a stylistic imitation of another work of art—be it literary works, music, theater, or architecture. The word “pastiche” is a French cognate of the Italian word “pasticcio,” a pie-filling mixed from various ingredients. Pastiche is a form of intertextuality in which an artist takes the central idea or theme of a work, and uses that to create an original piece. Pastiche can also be a composite of various sources, forming a hodgepodge of different works mixed together.

Pastiche mimics prior art but is not plagiarism or metafiction; instead, it operates almost like a gentle appropriation and broad generalization of a genre or artistic movement, capitalizing on the familiar aspects of the said genre to delight and entertain readers, listeners, and audiences. Pastiche is a form of postmodern art; postmodern culture often relies on resummoning previous art forms, so postmodernists will employ pastiche to honor those past eras and movements.

Consider these examples of pastiche in various art forms:
1. Theater: The West End and Broadway musical Six score features King Henry VIII’s six wives singing songs about their time as queen. The musical numbers reference the styles of pop singers, from Adele to Nicki Manaj.
2. Architecture: The Palace of Westminster was built as an homage to the Perpendicular Gothic Revival style, which precedes the palace's construction by a century.
3. Literature: Michael Chabon’s novella The Final Solution (2003) is inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective Sherlock Holmes. The 89-year-old main character thought to be Holmes—who is only referred to as “the old man”—seeks out a missing parrot, who is the best friend of a young boy.

Parody is a device that resembles satire, taking a pointed and spirited perspective on current events or a work of art, often for comic effect. A parody is similar to a spoof or a send-up, usually gently making fun of the original work. Parodists can create their own artistic work, but it will be heavily influenced by the art, fashion, music, and short stories it pokes at.

The following films and TV shows parody current events, genres, and classic literary works:

1.* Saturday Night Live:* The New York-based television show SNL regularly employs parody; the cast will script scenes that replay the week’s events with an exaggerated flair.
2. Vampires Suck: The 2010 movie Vampires Suck plays on the early aughts’ fascination with vampires (as seen notably in the Twilight series), harnessing the zeitgeist to create a spoofy film playing on familiar fantastical tropes.
3. Robin Hood: Men in Tights: Director Mel Brooks’ 1993 action comedy parodies the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Howard Pyle’s 1883 novel The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood of Great Renown in Nottinghamshire.

Parody and pastiche seem like forms of mimicry, but they differ in their execution and purpose. Both forms of intertextuality rely on existing entities, but parody pokes fun while pastiche pays homage. Parody aims to make gentle fun of trends, people, and events. Pastiche creates work in the spirit of previous art, borrowing elements of a known genre or style that are recognizable to viewers and audiences.

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