History Main / IndecisiveParody

* ''LightNovel/TheFruitOfEvolution'' is a series that certainly comes across as a parody of {{Isekai}} by making jokes such as the protagonist learning skills and powers at such a ridiculous rate that even he gets exasperated by it, the adventurer's guild being full of various types of perverts, and his harem simply [[MarryThemAll not caring about being rivals for his affections, instead sharing him equally]]--two of them even first met and became attracted to him as a pink gorilla monster and a donkey, respectively. That said, the series does play the protagonist helping the girls with their personal problems pretty seriously, and plays the PrejudiceAesop straight several times throughout, so whether exactly this show is poking fun at the typical isekai formula or actually is a typical isekai punctuated by dirty jokes every now and then is not exactly made clear.

* JK Rowling, author of ''Literature/HarryPotter'', claims that quidditch was created as a jokey parody of British sports culture, which can be seen in its goofy names, weirdly broken ruleset, and the fannish obsession of it that characters in the story treat it with. However, the narrative never actually ''presents'' it as anything less than a serious affair; nobody points out the absurdities, quidditch matches eat up whole chapters in earlier books and are played as legitimate and perilous setpieces, Harry himself is shown to be a big fan and a masterful player, [[InTheBlood even tying it to his father]], and Rowling even released a whole supplementary book dedicated to quidditch, which, though hardly free of jokes, suggested a level of very real investment into the sport. Consequently, there's practically a cottage industry in low-hanging pop-culture critique in pointing out that quidditch doesn't make any sense, as [[RedundantParody despite that having been the originally intended joke]], few readers seem to have actually read it as such.

* JK Rowling, author of ''Literature/HarryPotter'', claims that Quidditch was created as a jokey parody of British sports culture, which can be seen in its goofy names, weirdly broken ruleset, and the fannish obsession of it that characters in the story treat it with. However, the narrative never actually ''presents'' it as anything less than a serious affair; nobody points out the absurdities, Quidditch matches eat up whole chapters in earlier books and are played as legitimate and perilous setpieces, Harry himself is shown to be a big fan and a masterful player, [[InTheBlood even tying it to his father]], and Rowling even released a whole supplementary book dedicated to Quidditch, which, though hardly free of jokes, suggested a level of very real investment into the sport. Consequently, there's practically a cottage industry in low-hanging pop-culture critique in pointing out that Quidditch doesn't make any sense, as [[RedundantParody despite that having been the originally intended joke]], few readers seem to have actually read it as such.

* ''Anime/AkibaMaidWar'' has been described as a Creator/QuentinTarantino or Creator/TakashiMiike film where the gangs are replaced with {{m|eido}}aids, and it uses the ridiculous juxtaposition of cute girls in frilly outfits with [[{{Gorn}} over-the-top bloody violence]] to poke fun at both yakuza films and Creator/{{PA Works}}' trend of {{Moe}} anime revolving around cute girls working--there's no way that a maid slaughtering scores of her enemies in time to a sugary-sweet song, complete with fountains of HighPressureBlood, could be anything other than BlackComedy. But at the same time, the show plays its protagonist Nagomi's ongoing terror about her life being at risk straight, and later on includes scenes like [[spoiler:Nerula and Ranko's deaths and Okachimachi's backstory]] that certainly seem like you're supposed to take them seriously.

Doesn't entirely make it bad either.

* ''Film/BatmanForever'' takes the Batman films into LighterAndSofter, more self-aware territory but generally manages to pull off the dramatic scenes alongside the over-the-top action sequences, partially because Batman himself remains a largely serious character ([[TheComicallySerious with one or two jokes on the side]]). ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' exaggerates the comedy aspect to where Batman is considered a public servant and attending charity events, not too dissimilar to the Creator/AdamWest ''Series/{{Batman 66}}'' show. But the movie uses Mr. Freeze's [[TragicVillain tragic backstory]] from the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse while also having a subplot of Alfred potentially dying of an illness with Batman confronting his limitations. In between these scenes has Freeze [[PungeonMaster spouting ice-related puns]] and Batman flaunting [[CrazyPrepared a Batman themed credit card]].

* ''Film/BatmanForever'' and especially ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' seem indecisive as to whether to play Batman seriously or as a campy parody. It's especially JustForFun/{{egregious}} in the latter film, which uses Mr. Freeze's [[TragicVillain tragic backstory]] from the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse, but also has Freeze [[PungeonMaster spouting ice-related puns in every scene]]. One could argue that taking things a ''little'' seriously is an important part of {{Camp}}, but the balance is still off in scenes like Alfred potentially dying of illness or Batman's genuine musing on the cause.

* ''Literature/DidntISayToMakeMyAbilitiesAverageInTheNextLife'' can't seem to decide whether it is a self-aware parody of isekai light novels, or a self-aware straight example of one. This leads to [[MoodWhiplash an odd flip-flopping between joking and serious tones]], such as when characters immediately are subjected to slapstick after Reina recounts her sad backstory, when the characters perform a ''Manga/SailorMoon'' parody right after the abuse Pauline and her family would suffer under the evil count is detailed, or when a villain that [[DastardlyWhiplash resembles a caricature]] is introduced and the characters even comment on this absurdity, only to expect the reader to take his evil deeds dead seriously.
* ''Literature/TheEminenceInShadow'' stars a {{chuunibyou}} as its main character who invents a ridiculous AncientConspiracy to try to fool his dim-witted companions, and the series certainly doesn't hesitate to point out how cringeworthy his act is and how stupid the girls in his harem are for falling for it--the twist of the story is that the evil secret society he thought of on the spot is actually ''real'', and [[LockedOutOfTheLoop he remains clueless the whole time]]. That said, he is still an incredibly powerful hero who always saves the day (which fits the typical WishFulfillment of many [[TrappedInAnotherWorld isekai]] works) and the parts of the story that don't involve him play out exactly like they would in any other dark isekai--so a character that's intended to mock over-the-top, hammy isekai ends up as no more over-the-top than the world he inhabits.

It COULD also [[TropesAreTools work in its favor tho]].

* ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'' was marketed as a DeconstructiveParody of the [[SlasherMovie Slasher]] genre, but for all it did to point out as many traits as it could, it just ended up resembling a straight entry of the genre since the victims, while GenreSavvy, were [[DeathByGenreSavviness outwitted and killed]] by an equally Genre Savvy antagonist. Because of its popularity, ''Scream'' resurrected the slasher genre, and it's been credited with damaging the "spoof film" genre a lot more by demonstrating that one could make a funny, self-aware film that referenced genre cliches without making it an out-and-out farce. It probably [[TropesAreTools works for it tho]]/

* ''LightNovel/DidntISayToMakeMyAbilitiesAverageInTheNextLife'' can't seem to decide whether it is a self-aware parody of isekai light novels, or a self-aware straight example of one. This leads to [[MoodWhiplash an odd flip-flopping between joking and serious tones]], such as when characters immediately are subjected to slapstick after Reina recounts her sad backstory, when the characters perform a ''Manga/SailorMoon'' parody right after the abuse Pauline and her family would suffer under the evil count is detailed, or when a villain that [[DastardlyWhiplash resembles a caricature]] is introduced and the characters even comment on this absurdity, only to expect the reader to take his evil deeds dead seriously.

It COULD also [[TropesAreTools work in it's favor tho]].

* This is how the ''WebVideo/GameGrumps'' feel about ''[[WesternAnimation/TheGarfieldShow The Garfield Show: Threat Of The Space Lasagna]]''. With such an utterly ludicrous premise, that is lasagna aliens coming to Earth and attempting to "stop Garfield from eating their Earth brethren" by hypnotizing mice to do their dirty work, they feel there's no way the people who made it don't get how silly it is and aren't making fun of the show. However, the game itself doesn't seem even remotely self-aware and consists of a collection of very mundane "cat vs mice" minigames that play like your most averagely mediocre UsefulNotes/{{Shovelware}} minigame compilation, so in the end they're left utterly baffled by the tone of the game and can't figure out if it was meant to be a parody or not.

** The intention was probably to show how a [[SuperZeroes lame and pathetic]] someone would be if [[TelevisionIsTryingToKillUs they actually tried to be a superhero]] in RealLife. However, Kato is legitimately a BadassNormal and the Green Hornet does [[BewareTheSillyOnes ultimately save the day]], thus still making in it an IndecisiveParody.

* ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'' was marketed as a DeconstructiveParody of the [[SlasherMovie Slasher]] genre, but for all it did to point out as many traits as it could, it just ended up resembling a straight entry of the genre since the victims, while GenreSavvy, were [[DeathByGenreSavviness outwitted and killed]] by an equally Genre Savvy antagonist. Because of its popularity, ''Scream'' resurrected the slasher genre, and it's been credited with damaging the "spoof film" genre a lot more by demonstrating that one could make a funny, self-aware film that referenced genre cliches without making it an out-and-out farce.

In order for a parody to work, a work of fiction needs to also take on many of the traits of its target. For example, a parody of action films will, inevitably, have to have some action sequences of its own. If it didn't, it wouldn't be so much of a parody as it would be a public mocking of the genre. A parody of {{Magical Girl}}s would be required to have at least one Magical Girl character or else it would just be mocking the character type. Most of the best parodies actually stand not only as comedy, but also as the particular genre they are a creation of.

However, the line for what defines a parody can often get murky. Besides [[ParodyRetcon flat-out labeling something as a parody]] (which is rarely a good sign due to the lack of subtlety involved), the criteria for what defines a parody changes from person to person. Some works of fiction straddle the line, unsure of whether it's a parody of a genre or just a quirky, self-aware entry within it. This can often lead to MisaimedFandom when people [[PoesLaw take a parody dead seriously]] (or, perhaps due to ParodyDisplacement, are unaware that it even is a parody).

How this happens can vary widely. Perhaps it is just too [[AffectionateParody affectionate]] of the genre it's a parody of that it lacks any real bite to it. Perhaps [[RedundantParody it's making jokes the genre has already been making for twenty years]]. Perhaps it's just too [[TruthInTelevision close to its target]]. It could be trying to parody [[AuthorTract something other than the most obvious subject]]. Perhaps it was actually meant to be serious, but was too comical ([[ParodyRetcon intentional or otherwise]]) to work. Perhaps the "parody" mostly consists of [[BetterThanABareBulb pointing out it's doing the stuff it's supposed to be mocking]] instead of more foundational replication. But usually this happens because the creative team couldn't lock in on the right tone. In any case, an Indecisive Parody is when something is confusing about its intended target.

One frequent occurrence of Indecisive Parodies comes from ValuesDissonance: some Japanese media [[WidgetSeries has an inherently silly premise]] but then takes itself seriously. Japanese adult audiences have a lot more tolerance for over-the-top, whimsical silliness in fiction, while Western audiences will often assume fiction with goofy premises is too silly to be anything other than parody if it's not aimed at children.

-->'''Nerd:''' [[GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion Why do creators have to keep fucking changing stuff?!]]

* The ''{{Franchise/Fate|Series}}'' side of ''KOHA-ACE'' stars characters that intentionally invoke and parody common Servant types, and creates Servants that would either be {{Joke Character}}s (like Caster) or outright impossible to exist naturally (like [[FusionDance Majin Saber]]). Its main heroines alone are foul-mouthed cute girl {{Historical Gender Flip}}s; one of them is a Saberface just because, and she is both aware and angry about it. The characters spend their days getting on each others' nerves instead of doing anything cool, living with NoFourthWall, and crossing over with other Type-Moon characters (Kohaku from ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' being a favorite). Even its attempts at a coherent story arc are riddled with in-jokes and comedy, and some parts are called out in-universe as only getting serious in case games like ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' canonize them -- yet the characters are treated sincerely enough to get completely serious elaborations,[[note]]everything from Okita's IncurableCoughOfDeath and exuberance to Nobunaga's wacky inventiveness and musket obsession is given a logic behind it consistent with prior worldbuilding, which suggests a real attempt to make them work outside of gags or parodies[[/note]] and its most famous story arc got a hotblooded, dramatic, very-much-straightforward-and-not-parodic-at-all remake in ''Webcomic/FateTypeRedline''.

How this happens can vary widely. Perhaps it is just too [[AffectionateParody affectionate]] of the genre it's a parody of. Perhaps [[RedundantParody it's making jokes already made]]. Perhaps it's just too [[TruthInTelevision close to its target]]. Perhaps it was actually meant to be serious, but took on too many comedic traits. Perhaps the "parody" mostly consists of [[BetterThanABareBulb pointing out it's doing the stuff it's supposed to be mocking]]. But often, this happens because the writer(s) just couldn't decide what they wanted to do. In any case, an Indecisive Parody is when something is confusing about its intent.

* ''Literature/TheEminenceInShadow'' stars a {{chuunibyou}} as its main character who invents a ridiculous AncientConspiracy to try to fool his dim-witted companions, and the series certainly doesn't hesitate to point out how cringeworthy his act is and how stupid the girls in his harem are for falling for it--the twist of the story is that the evil secret society he thought of on the spot is actually ''real'', and [[LockedOutOfTheLoop he remains clueless the whole time]]. That said, he is still an incredibly powerful hero who always saves the day, typical for [[{{Isekai}} this story's genre]] and the parts of the story that don't involve him play out exactly like they would in any other dark isekai--so a character that's intended to mock over-the-top, hammy isekai ends up as no more over-the-top than the world he inhabits.

* ''Anime/AkibaMaidWar'' has been described as a Creator/QuentinTarantino or Creator/TakashiMiike film where the gangs are replaced with {{m|eido}}aids, and it uses the ridiculous juxtaposition of cute girls in frilly outfits with [[{{Gorn}} over-the-top bloody violence]] to poke fun at both yakuza films and Creator/{{P.A. Works}}' trend of {{Moe}} anime revolving around cute girls working--there's no way that a maid slaughtering scores of her enemies in time to a sugary-sweet song, complete with fountains of HighPressureBlood, could be anything other than BlackComedy. But at the same time, the show plays its protagonist Nagomi's ongoing terror about her life being at risk straight, and later on includes scenes like [[spoiler:Nerula and Ranko's deaths and Okachimachi's backstory]] that certainly seem like you're supposed to take them seriously.

* ''Manga/MissKuroitsuFromTheMonsterDevelopmentDepartment'' plays itself as an AffectionateParody of the {{Tokusatsu}} genre by being a WorkCom that focuses on the mundane lives of the {{Punch Clock Villain}}s in the research and development department of the NebulousEvilOrganization that's common in these types of genres. However, toku tropes get played straight just as much as parodied in this series--for instance, there is little to no difference between HeroAntagonist Kenji/Blader and the protagonists of various serious tokusatsu shows, and there are plenty of action-packed fights and moments where ''[[VillainyFreeVillain the protagonists]]'' end up heroically fighting other antagonists. In particular, the final episode plays a GondorCallsForAid completely straight in a GrandFinale featuring the protagonists and antagonists teaming up to fight off a group of actually evil villains--something that wouldn't be out of place in any serious toku show. One favorite tactic of the anime is to show various {{Henshin Hero}}es that look way too ridiculous to be anything other than parody...only to reveal in the ending credits that [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer they actually exist]]. The genre it allegedly parodies is not known for taking itself too seriously in the first place, which only muddies the waters further.

* ''WebVideo/PowerRangersBootlegUniverse'' can come across as this to some viewers. While theoretically a parody of DarkerAndEdgier Hollywood re-imaginings of popular franchises, specifically by applying the approach to a [[Franchise/PowerRangers property]] to which it is clearly ill-suited, it doesn't really do much to ridicule or point out the flaws of what it's supposedly parodying aside from a few notable plot points, and as such can come across as little more than a straightforward DarkFic.

* "Yer Blues" by Music/TheBeatles. Lennon wrote it as a parody of the English blues scene, but the song rocks so hard that it succeeds on its own terms as a straightforward rock tune. Beatles scholar Ian [=MacDonald=] characterized "Yer Blues" as "half-satirical, half-earnest".