History Main / KnockingTheKnockoff

* ''WesternAnimation/NewLooneyTunes'' episode "One Carroter In Search Of An Artist" has Bugs Bunny at the mercy of a devilish animator, similar to the classic Looney Tunes cartoon "Rabbit Rampage." At one point, the animator redraws Bugs Bunny as his 2008 iteration, Ace Bunny from ''WesternAnimation/LoonaticsUnleashed'', which was widely decried by Looney Tunes fans.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1294bcdb54c8e943646305d599b6c159_2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:[[ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal The Batman Who Laughs]] meets [[ComicBook/JudgeDredd Judge Death]].[[note]][[https://www.deviantart.com/adehughesart/art/Laugh-This-Off-Imposter-767159973 Image]] by [[https://www.deviantart.com/adehughesart AdeHughesArt]]. Used with permission.[[/note]]]]

* Inverted in ''ComicBook/SavageDragon[=/=]Destroyer Duck'', which takes potshots at ComicBook/HowardTheDuck, who is presented as a clone of "Leonard", the duck that Savage Dragon and Destroyer Duck have teamed up to rescue.

[[caption-width-right:250:[[ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal The Batman Who Laughs]] meets [[ComicBook/JudgeDredd Judge Death]]. [[https://www.deviantart.com/adehughesart/art/Laugh-This-Off-Imposter-767159973 Image]] by [[https://www.deviantart.com/adehughesart AdeHughesArt]]. Used with permission.]]

* ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'': Despite the page image (which is a non-commissioned joke comic), the creative team seem to be ambivalent about [[ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal The Batman Who Laughs]] being a copy of [[ComicBook/JudgeDredd Judge Death]], although they did name one of their own comics featuring the latter "The Judge Who Laughs" as an obvious ShoutOut.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGoToTheMovies'': When the Titans first meet [[ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} Slade]], they mistake him for his expy, SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}}. Slade, in response, tells them how much more serious he is along with how people should be confusing Deadpool for him on account of him coming first.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGoToTheMovies'': When the Titans first meet [[ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} Slade]], they mistake him for his expy, SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}}. Slade, in response, tells them how much more serious he is along with how people should be confusing Deadpool for him on account of him coming first.

The underlying charge of UsefulNotes/{{plagiarism}} and/or [[PoorMansSubstitute inferiority]] is vital. This is not when a work simply includes a caricature of a wholly unrelated character from another work as a way to mock them, which is ubiquitous for most [[{{Parody}} parodies]]. This is also an objective trope, so whether the audience thinks the creators who are doing the mocking have a point or not doesn't matter. In fact, the newer character may actually be more popular or better critically received than the older one. The original and the expy also must be made by ''different'' creators. If the original creators themselves create a shoddy copy of their own character and then proceed to take pot-shots at it, that's just SelfParody / SelfPlagiarism. Relatedly, if a notable figure is playing up to a popular perception of themselves instead of reacting to a copy, that's AdamWesting.

The underlying charge of UsefulNotes/{{plagiarism}} or [[PoorMansSubstitute inferiority]] is vital. This is not when a work simply includes a caricature of a wholly unrelated character from another work as a way to mock them, which is ubiquitous for most [[{{Parody}} parodies]]. This is also an objective trope, so whether the audience thinks the creators who are doing the mocking have a point or not doesn't matter. In fact, the newer character may actually be more popular or better critically received than the older one. The original and the expy also must be made by ''different'' creators. If the original creators themselves create a shoddy copy of their own character and then proceed to take pot-shots at it, that's just SelfParody / SelfPlagiarism. Relatedly, if a notable figure is playing up to a popular perception of themselves instead of reacting to a copy, that's AdamWesting.

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]

Usually, this is done because the original creators disagree that imitation is the SincerestFormOfFlattery, either for (rightly or wrongly) perceiving the derivative character as an inferior rip-off of their own creation, worried about their intellectual property being infringed but being unable to bring legal action against them, or to simply mock the other creators for being unoriginal. Sometimes, the new character is actually an ''official'' reimagining of the old one, but is simply perceived to be InNameOnly. Effectively, the ensuing accusation of being a "poor imitation" of the original is still the same, although possibly more hypocritical considering the original owners are already receiving a paycheck for their use.

* The original Advertising/EnergizerBunny commercial was a direct parody of the Duracell Bunny commercials, where a line of similar-battery operated drum-playing rabbits ran on different batteries. One by one, the bunnies would run down, except the one powered by the Duracell battery. When Duracell lost its US trademark of the Bunny in 1988, Energizer's take on the commercial had the Energizer Bunny show up as an uninvited guest to create the implication that [[AsbestosFreeCereal Duracell always compared itself to carbon-zinc batteries and not similar alkaline batteries like Energizer]]. In 1994, a Canadian Duracell commercial parodying ''Literature/TheTortoiseAndTheHare'' would fire back; after outlasting the other tortoises, the Duracell-powered Tortoise passes by a pink rabbit sleeping under a tree, implying that by this point, Duracell had compared its batteries to Energizer's.[[/folder]]

* During the first half of the TurnOfTheMillennium, Wrestling/CMPunk wrestled for many promotions, one of them being Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}}. After an abrupt (bad) ending to his career there, CHIKARA's creative team came up with CP Munk, a wrestling Straight Edge chipmunk, as a form of TakeThat towards him. Punk himself at first was enraged by this, but then declared that he shouldn't be offended by this, because "nobody from Chikara will ever be over enough anywhere for anybody else to parody them".[[/folder]]

-->'''Humph''': Now we go on to a very entertaining game which I came across while watching the recent television series ''That's Showbusiness'', with Mike Smith. In it people sing along to a song they're given, and the song is then faded out. The object is for them to be in time with the music when it's faded back again... Brilliant. [[SarcasmMode I don't know where they get their ideas from...]]

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': The crossover with the Simpsons, "The Simpsons Guy", used this as a plot point with the catalyst being how Duff is similar to Pawtucket Patriot and the latter being sued over it. Then going on how similar some of the characters between each shows are to one another in the court scene. With the twist being [[spoiler: that the judge is none other than ''[[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones Fred Flintstone]]'' whose show the Simpsons is often cited to be an Expy of, which in turned led to the inspiration for Family Guy itself.]]

The underlying charge of UsefulNotes/{{plagiarism}} or [[PoorMansSubstitute inferiority]] is vital. This is not when a work simply includes a caricature of a wholly unrelated character from another work as a way to mock them, which is ubiquitous for most [[{{Parody}} parodies]]. This is also an objective trope, so whether the audience thinks the creators who are doing the mocking have a point or not doesn't matter. In fact, the newer character may actually be more popular or critically received than the older one. The original and the expy also must be made by ''different'' creators. If the original creators themselves create a shoddy copy of their own character and then proceed to take pot-shots at it, that's just SelfParody / SelfPlagiarism. Relatedly, if a notable figure is playing up to a popular perception of themselves instead of reacting to a copy, that's AdamWesting.

* '''Music/TheArrogantWorms''' did a version of "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" for their ''Semi-Conducted'' concert with full symphony backup, then dared Captain Tractor, whom "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" was [[MisattributedSong misattributed to]], to "cover that!"

* ''Music/TheArrogantWorms'' did a version of "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" for their ''Semi-Conducted'' concert with full symphony backup, then dared ''Captain Tractor'', whom "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" was [[MisattributedSong misattributed to]], to "cover that!"

* ''Music/TheArrogantWorms'' did a version of "The Last Seskatchewan Pirate" for their ''Semi-Conducted'' concert with full symphony backup, then dared ''Captain Tractor'', whom "The Last Seskatchewan Pirate" was [[MisattributedSong misattributed to]], to "cover that!"

* In ''ComicBook/MarvelVersusDC'', Darkseid meets Thanos and calls him "a pale imitation".

* ''Series/{{Psych}}'': A later show, ''Series/TheMentalist'', blatantly ripped off the show's exact premise (a man who can cold-read details of a crime scene via SherlockScan solves crimes by pretending to be psychic), and ''Psych'' took several opportunities to call them on it. At one point, Shawn explains what he does as "Like ''The Mentalist'' but not fake" and then adds that if he were a fake psychic, it would be "a virtual carbon copy." In another episode, a character is made fun of for listing ''The Mentalist'' as one of her favorite TV shows.

* ''Series/{{Psych}}'': A later show, ''Series/TheMentalist'' blatantly ripped off the show's exact premise (a man who can cold-read details of a crime scene via SherlockScan solves crimes by pretending to be psychic), and ''Psych'' took several opportunities to call them on it. At one point, Shawn explains what he does as "Like ''The Mentalist'' but not fake" and then adds that if he were a fake psychic, it would be "a virtual carbon copy." In another episode, a character is made fun of for listing ''The Mentalist'' as one of her favorite TV shows.

* ''Series/{{Psych}}'': ''Series/TheMentalist'' blatantly ripped off the show's exact premise (a man who can cold-read details of a crime scene via SherlockScan solves crimes by pretending to be psychic), and ''Psych'' took several opportunities to call them on it. At one point, Shawn explains what he does as "Like ''The Mentalist'' but not fake" and then adds that if he were a fake psychic, it would be "a virtual carbon copy." In another episode, a character is made fun of for listing ''The Mentalist'' as one of her favorite TV shows.

* ''Series/{{Psych}}'': ''Series/TheMentalist blatantly ripped off the show's exact premise (a man who can cold-read details of a crime scene via SherlockScan solves crimes by pretending to be psychic), and ''Psych'' took several opportunities to call them on it. At one point, Shawn explains what he does as "Like ''The Mentalist'' but not fake" and then adds that if he were a fake psychic, it would be "a virtual carbon copy." In another episode, a character is made fun of for listing ''The Mentalist'' as one of her favorite TV shows.

* ''Series/FerrisBueller'' the series did this in the first episode to the film ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff'': the star of the TV show said that the movie completely changed everything about him and was completely unlike [[ThisIsReality what really happens in Ferris Bueller's life]], and even destroys a cardboard cutout of Creator/MatthewBroderick dressed as Ferris Bueller.
* ''Series/ParkerLewisCantLose'' did this to {{Dueling Show|s}} ''Series/FerrisBueller''; the fourth wall-breaking final episode of season one of ''Parker Lewis'' ends with two high school students sitting in the audience; one of them says "Come on, Ferris, let's get out of here" (''Ferris Bueller'' had been cancelled after 13 episodes).

* With the premise of ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'' involving two (usually) related characters rapping against each other, this inevitably comes into play whenever a character and an {{Expy}} of the character are involved, with the original often calling out the {{Expy}} for being a cheap ripoff. This isn't limited to just fictional characters; one battle involes UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler, a real person, facing off against Dracula, a fictional reimagining of him.

The underlying charge of UsefulNotes/{{Plagiarism}} or [[PoorMansSubstitute inferiority]] is vital. This is not when a work simply includes a caricature of a wholly unrelated character from another work as a way to mock them, which is ubiquitous for most [[{{Parody}} parodies]]. This is also an objective trope, so whether the audience thinks the creators who are doing the mocking have a point or not doesn't matter. In fact, the newer character may actually be more popular or critically received than the older one. The original and the expy also must be made by ''different'' creators. If the original creators themselves create a shoddy copy of their own character and then proceed to take pot-shots at it, that's just SelfParody / SelfPlagiarism. Relatedly, if a notable figure is playing up to a popular perception of themselves instead of reacting to a copy, that's AdamWesting.

The underlying charge of plagiarism or [[PoorMansSubstitute inferiority]] is vital. This is not when a work simply includes a caricature of a wholly unrelated character from another work as a way to mock them, which is ubiquitous for most [[{{Parody}} parodies]]. This is also an objective trope, so whether the audience thinks the creators who are doing the mocking have a point or not doesn't matter. In fact, the newer character may actually be more popular than the older one. The original and the expy also must be made by ''different'' creators. If the original creators themselves create a shoddy copy of their own character and then proceed to take pot-shots at it, that's just SelfParody / SelfPlagiarism. Relatedly, if a notable figure is playing up to a popular perception of themselves instead of reacting to a copy, that's AdamWesting.

[[folder:Web Videos]]
* With the premise of ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'' involving two (usually) related characters rapping against each other, this inevitably comes into play whenever a character and an {{Expy}} of the character are involved, with the original often calling out the {{Expy}} for being a cheap ripoff. This isn't limited to just fictional characters; one battle involes UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler, a real person, facing off against Dracula, a fictional reimagining of him.
[[/folder]]

-->'''Barry''': Humph, the producer of that show's Christian name is Nick.

* During the first half of the TurnOfTheMillennium, Wrestling/CMPunk wrestled for many promotions, one of them being Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}}. After an abrupt (bad) ending to his career there, CHIKARA's creative team came up with CP Munk, a wrestling Straight Edge chipmunk, as a form of TakeThat towards him. Punk himself at first was enraged by this, but then declared that he shouldn't be offended by this, because "nobody from Chikara will ever be over enough anywhere for anybody else to parody them".[[/folder]][[folder:Web Videos]]* With the premise of ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'' involving two (usually) related characters rapping against each other, this inevitably comes into play whenever a character and an {{Expy}} of the character are involved, with the original often calling out the {{Expy}} for being a cheap ripoff. This isn't limited to just fictional characters; one battle involes UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler, a real person, facing off against Dracula, a fictional reimagining of him.

* ''WesternAnimation/NewLooneyTunes'' episode "One Carroter In Search Of An Artist" has Bugs Bunny at the mercy of a devilish animator, similar to the classic Looney Tunes cartoon "Rabbit Rampage." At one point, the animator redraws Bugs Bunny as his 2008 iteration, Ace Bunny from ''WesternAnimation/LoonaticsUnleashed'', which was widely decried by Looney Tunes fans.--> '''Bugs Bunny''': Now you're just messin' with me.

*** In "The Italian Bob," Sideshow Bob loses his position as mayor of Salsiccia after the town finds out he's a wanted killer in the United States. The Italian police officers confirm this by checking their book of American criminals, which includes Peter Griffin (wanted for plagiarism) and even [[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad Stan Smith]] (wanted for [[SelfPlagiarism plagiarism of plagiarism]]).