History SelfDeprecation / LiveActionTV

---->"It's ''Cardiff''. London doesn't care! The southwest coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice! Oh, I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native."

* [[http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/509747/smaug In a recent interview]] on one of the last episodes of ''Series/TheColbertReport'', [[Film/TheHobbit Smaug]] called Creator/BenedictCumberbatch a "hack". Cumberbatch, of course, did [[SerkisFolk the voice and motion-capture for Smaug in The Hobbit, and in the interview]].

*** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E11BoomTown "Boom Town"]] has some more Cardiff mockery, when the alien villain, who has become the city's Lord Mayor and is GoingNative, has this to say about why no one from the British government has noticed her evil plans yet:

*** Not just them; a veritable cavalcade of stars from Who past and present make cameos, and ''all'' of them are clearly having a ball making fun of themselves (special mention has to go to Creator/DavidTennant portraying himself as so flighty and self-involved, he forgets that his own wife is in hospital, going into labor, ''whilst talking on the phone with her'').

*** The "Dream Lord" in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E7AmysChoice "Amy's Choice"]] was implied to be a manifestation of the Doctor's own darker tendencies, much like the Valeyard from the classic series. The Dream Lord took several potshots at the Doctor along the way.

*** When he was dying from River Song's poison lipstick in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E8LetsKillHitler Let's Kill Hitler]]", the TARDIS communicated with the Doctor through a holographic interface; when it used his own image as an avatar, he told it to show him "someone [he] like[d]".

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E1DeepBreath Deep Breath]]", the new Twelfth Doctor makes reference to the fact he used to wear a scarf (in his fourth incarnation) before dismissing it as looking ridiculous.
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E4Listen "Listen"]], after they arrive at the end of the universe, the Doctor declares that "the TARDIS isn't supposed to come this far, but some idiot turned the safeguards off".
** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E5TimeHeist Time Heist]]", the Doctor refers to his current look as intended to have been "Minimalist" but winding up with "Magician". [[spoiler: Also, throughout the episode, the Doctor continually mentions how he hates the Architect. Later, it turns out he ''is'' the Architect.]]

** A meta example in the PassingTheTorch scene of [[Film/AnAdventureInSpaceAndTime "An Adventure in Space and Time"]]:

* John Connor pirates cable TV for a neighbor on network TV show ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles''. Sarah calls this risky. In a mix of this trope and BitingTheHandHumor...
-->'''John''': Nobody that pregnant should be forced to watch ''network'' television, it's bad for the baby.

* The web exclusive series of ''Series/KamenRiderZio'' ''Supplementary Plan'' has the characters complain about the problems of the series production

* ''Series/DearWhitePeople'': In the first episode, the narrator says the writers need him to set up the plot because they're too lazy to do it the regular way.

** Played with in Season 4 when Faith (in Buffy's body) attacks Buffy (in Faith's body)--Faith has issues, but here she is literally beating ''herself'', crying out that she is sick and disgusting.

** The teaser for another CSI episode, in which a fictional TV series based on the Vegas crime lab is being discussed, Grissom states there are too many CSI-style series on TV (a tweak of not only spin-off CSI: Miami, but also NCIS). Actually, TruthInTelevision (and possibly an in-joke) as actor Creator/WilliamPetersen, who played Grissom, was openly critical of the decision by CBS to commission CSI: Miami.

** The teaser for another CSI episode, in which a fictional TV series based on the Vegas crime lab is being discussed, Grissom states there are too many CSI-style series on TV (a tweak of not only spin-off CSI: Miami, but also NCIS). Actually TruthInTelevision (and possibly an in-joke) as actor Creator/WilliamPetersen, who played Grissom, was openly critical of the decision by CBS to commission CSI: Miami.

** ''Recap/TheFiveishDoctorsReboot'' is an internet special by Creator/PeterDavison about himself, Creator/ColinBaker, and Creator/SylvesterMcCoy trying to appear in the 50th anniversary story, and sending themselves up mercilessly in the process.
** In an arguable case of how this trope can backfire, the producers attempted to do this in Season 23, during "The Trial of a Time Lord" season. Since the FramingDevice for this season was the Doctor and a courtroom of Time Lords watching excerpts from the Doctor's adventures as evidence in his trial, the characters were essentially watching ''Doctor Who'' throughout the season. At several points they make slightly meta-comments about the show; in one notable example, the Doctor points out how boring and inconsequential the scene the characters have just watched is and demands that they move forward to something a bit more relevant and interesting. Unfortunately, this was made during a period when the writing and production standards of ''Doctor Who'' had arguably been less-than-stellar to begin with, and the whole point of the season was to offer a defense of the show after it had been controversially taken off the air for eighteen months. Nobody seemed to consider the possibility that watching the Doctor essentially pointing out how his own show was un-watchable rubbish might prompt the audience — including those who believed it should be cancelled — to start agreeing with him.

'''Rachel:''' Oh, well, that's--that's very sweet. Thank you.\\

* ''Series/TheGreatBritishBakeOff'': Fairly often among contestants who know they're doing badly, but most famously by Ruby more-or-less endlessly in series 4. The hosts and judges had to tell her to stop doing it (with Mel actually snapping at her), a lesson that only briefly set in before returning a couple episodes later. The hosts themselves often indulge in this, especially Sue, who frequently hangs a lampshade on how bad her puns are.

* While promoting the final season of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' at the Comic-Com 2013, a promo trailer was released where Ted's kids, who are all grown-up, vented their frustrations at their dad for dragging the story out too long--over ''eight years''--and wanted him to get to the point on how he ''actually'' met their mother.

** Andrew Hill Newman, one of the show's writers plays as Mr. Henning in "iGo Nuclear", where his hippie looks garner himself most of the jokes and insults from his students and Spencer, a Ridgeway alumna. Special mention is that Newman himself co-wrote the said episode. Newman also voices George, the "sentient" Bra who tells Ghost Stories (which are actually NOT horror stories) who is also poked fun by Carly and Sam in their webshows.
** The "[=iHave=] a Question" segments, which sometimes actually answer a question and usually just poke fun at the webshow's silliness.
** The [[ItMakesSenseInContext Random Debates]] usually start well, then the debaters will suddenly change topic (as early as Round 2), as far as their arguments are not anymore related to the topics they defend. HilarityEnsues considering the context of the skit's title.
* An episode of ''[[Creator/AmySchumer Inside Amy Schumer]]'' features Anna Wintour, the legendary editor of ''Vogue'', talking with Amy after [[RealLifeWritesThePlot the magazine put her on the cover of an issue.]] The two claim that the other's job is much easier than their own, and so switch. The rest of the sketch is essentially Schumer parodying everything about Wintour (her job, her lunch choices, her own fashion style, etc.), which the editor seems to enjoy. She even does a self-deprecating stand up comedy routine that the audience loves.

* ''Series/TheLateLateShow'''s Creator/CraigFerguson fills his monologues with self-deprecation, calling himself a "creepy European" and "a vulgar [[LoungeLizard lounge entertainer]]". He goes so far as to slander himself, implying that he's some sort of severe sexual deviant, and that his show is unfunny and poorly produced.

* At the end of the first season of the magazine programme ''Light Lunch'', which was Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins's first presenting gig, Dawn French appeared, and explained to camera how she discovered Mel and Sue at the Edinburgh Fringe. And pleaded with the audience to forgive her.
* Creator/DavidLetterman does this all the time on his late night show(s), but a memorable one was back in the late 1990s when Leno/NBC placed a giant advertisement in Times Square for ''Series/TheTonightShow'' with Leno's face and "#1 in Late Night" after winning the 11:35 ET time slot for the period. At that time, Letterman not only trailed Leno, but also ABC's ''Nightline''. In response, Letterman put up ''an even bigger ad'' with his face on it proudly declaring himself "#3 in Late Night!"
* ''The Mick Molloy Show'' was a talk/sketch/variety show that aired in 1999 and lasted only eight episodes. It was more than just an inconvenience for Molloy at the time, as he and many others involved had made sacrifices that turned out to be for naught, but several years later in the ninth episode of his next show ''The Nation'', he had various Australian celebrities, including Music/TheWiggles, congratulate him on the milestone. Unfortunately for Molloy, the show was cancelled eight episodes later.

* In one season two episode of ''Series/{{Monk}}'' at the end of the episode Monk gets a fangirl who tells him that if he somehow he gets a TV show, it should ''never'' change its theme song. By that point in the series the Music/RandyNewman song "It's a Jungle Out There" had been used as the theme for the show; as an acknowledgement of the change, the original theme begins playing during the end credits rather than the instrumental version of the current one.

** "Back to Earth" has a character criticise the [[spoiler:fictional]] show's use of Psi-Scan. Although given the Psi-Scan's response, this may have been more TakeThatCritics…

** Much of the humor in SNL skits in general involve celebrity hosts (or musical guests) using the opportunity to poke fun of themselves and their images or personal and professional lives, or to allow themselves to be spoofed, especially via CelebrityParadox or ActorAllusion.

** In one moment, Rudy Giuliani (then the mayor of New York City) appeared on the show after the September 11th attacks to urge the people of New York, and even the whole United States, to enjoy life again--laugh, see Broadway plays, and generally not be afraid to go out--because to do otherwise was to live in fear, which is the goal of terrorism. Lorne Michaels then asked "Does this mean we can be funny again?", and Giuliani responded "Why start now?"

** The boys meet a writer (whose pseudonym, Carver Edlund, is named after two of the show's writers) who receives visions of the boys' adventures and turns them into novels. When they confront him about it, he initially thinks that everything he writes comes to life. He instantly feels guilty about all the [[TrueArtIsAngsty crap he's put Sam and Dean through]], and then regrets writing "Bugs" and "Red Sky at Morning", two episodes notorious for being hated by the fans.

** In another episode, the Winchesters summon a crossroads demon, and [[Series/JerseyShore Snooki]] shows up in the Devil's Trap; apparently, the reason she's so popular is because she's literally a monster in human form. As Dean puts it, "That explains a lot."

** On this particular show lampooning oneself is often the back door out of getting teased even worse by the other cast members, and is even met by sympathy from the audience on most occasions.

** In one [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming surprisingly heartwarming]] moment, Rudy Giuliani (then the mayor of New York City) appeared on the show after the September 11th attacks to urge the people of New York, and even the whole United States, to enjoy life again--laugh, see Broadway plays, and generally not be afraid to go out--because to do otherwise was to live in fear, which is the goal of terrorism. Lorne Michaels then asked "Does this mean we can be funny again?", and Giuliani responded "Why start now?"

* ''Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned'', an improvised chat show with topics taken from the audience, had a title sequence which opened with a small boy standing next to a poster advertising the show, singing "It'll never work, It'll never work..." More people joined in this cry, eventually forming a procession that followed Baddiel and Skinner to the studio where the duo turned round and finished it off with a cheery "And neither will we again!"

-->'''Rachel:''' Oh, well, that's--that's very sweet. Thank you.\\
-->'''Steve:''' I'm kind of funny-looking.\\
-->'''Rachel:''' What?\\
-->'''Steve:''' Oh, come on, you're way out of my league. Everybody in here knows it. Bet that guy over there's probably saying, "ooh, why she out with him? He must be rich!" Well, I'm not!\\
-->'''Rachel:''' Okay... well, I guess then the joke's on him! So, what do think you wanna order? I'm really excited about that chicken.\\
-->'''Steve:''' I'm not funny either. So, if you were thinking, "well, he's not that good-looking, but maybe we'll have some laughs..." that ain't gonna happen!

*** The above is subverted with [[Creator/ColinBaker the Sixth Doctor]], who looks in a mirror and immediately likes what he sees... [[DoubleSubversion which is played as the new incarnation of the Doctor being a raging egomaniac.]]

** In an arguable case of how this trope can backfire, the producers attempted to do this in Season 23, during "The Trial of a Time Lord" season. Since the FramingDevice for this season was the Doctor and a courtroom of Time Lords watching excerpts from the Doctor's adventures as evidence in his trial, the characters were essentially watching ''Doctor Who'' throughout the season. At several points they make slightly meta-comments about the show; in one notable example, the Doctor points out how boring and inconsequential the scene the characters have just watched is and demands that they move forward to something a bit more relevant and interesting. Unfortunately, this was made during a period when the writing and production standards of ''Doctor Who'' had arguably been less-than-stellar to begin with, and the whole point of the season was to offer a defense of the show after it had been controversially taken off the air for eighteen months. Nobody seemed to consider the possibility that watching the Doctor essentially pointing out how his own show was un-watchable rubbish might prompt the audience--including those who believed it should be cancelled--to start agreeing with him.

--\\

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E1DeepBreath Deep Breath]]", the new Twelfth Doctor makes reference to the fact he used to wear as scarf (in his fourth incarnation) before dismissing it as looking ridiculous.

* As he did in RealLife interviews, Creator/GeorgeBurns always credits his wife as the talented half of ''Series/TheBurnsAndAllenShow''.
-->'''George Burns':'' 20 years ago I made an investment of $2.00 that has paid off a million times over in the years since. I bought a marriage license.
* In ''Series/OurMissBrooks'', Miss Brooks sometimes aims her [[DeadpanSnarker deadly sarcasm]] at herself, usually when she finds herself dragged into a preposterous situation or scheme.
* Numerous episodes of ''Series/TheRealHusbandsOfHollywood'' poke fun at some of Creator/KevinHart's less-than-stellar films.
-->'''Anthony Anderson:''' Kevin is about to be more embarrassed than he was at the ''Soul Plane'' premier.

* Joss Whedon loves this trope. On ''Series/{{Angel}}'', Fred's mom mentions that her husband loves "those ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' movies", except for the last one, which made him fall asleep. [[Creator/JossWhedon Guess who]] wrote the screenplay for ''Film/AlienResurrection''? It might also be interpreted as a TakeThat, though, based on Whedon's dissatisfaction with how his characters' surprise developments were blown by typecasting.
* Season 3 of ''Series/VeronicaMars'' had quite a bit more ProductPlacement put in it by creator Rob Thomas than previous seasons. In the second-to-the-last episode ever, after two {{Product Placement}}s in a row, this conversation happened:
-->'''Mac:''' Hey, did anyone else hear there's gonna be a Matchbox 20 reunion show?\\
'''Piz:''' So? [[NamesTheSame Rob Thomas]] is a whore.\\
'''Mac:''' Yeah.
* ''Series/ICarly'': Some of the ''iCarly'' writers themselves cameo in the very weird clips (e.g., shrimps up the nose, biting off heads of dolls) that the trio shows whenever they have a technical difficulty.
** Andrew Hill Newman, one of the show's writers plays as Mr. Henning in "iGo Nuclear", where his hippie looks garner himself most of the jokes and insults from his students and Spencer, a Ridgeway alumna. Special mention is that Newman himself co-wrote the said episode. Newman also voices George, the "sentient" Bra who tells Ghost Stories (which are actually NOT horror stories) who is also poked fun by Carly and Sam in their webshows.
** The "[=iHave=] a Question" segments, which sometimes actually answer a question and usually just poke fun at the webshow's silliness.
** The [[ItMakesSenseInContext Random Debates]] usually start well, then the debaters will suddenly change topic (as early as Round 2), as far as their arguments are not anymore related to the topics they defend. HilarityEnsues considering the context of the skit's title.
* During its DorkAge, ''Series/XPlay'' absolutely beat this trope into the ground in regards to Adam Sessler. This probably wouldn't have been so bad, except 1) every other joke on the show was about how pathetic he was, and 2) Sessler is actually an intelligent and well-spoken person, but the show made him look like a complete idiot and undercut his credibility.
* An episode of ''Series/TheDailyShow'' featured Lewis Black talking about how we shouldn't let celebrities teach us political views. For examples, he shows pictures of Tom Cruise, Oprah...and himself.

** Creator/JonStewart has also struck at his own past selves on more than one occasion. He mocks himself for his past condemnation of an NRA convention near Columbine High School as well as for his past commendation of conservative activist James O'Keefe.
* Even ''Series/{{House}}'' has a surprising amount of these, considering that he's got a huge ego and calls himself "almost always eventually right". While he's very sure of his medical and observational skills, he shows much deprecation on the other aspects of his life. He calls himself a "lonely misanthropic drug addict" and says he [[spoiler:should've died in the bus crash instead of Amber.]] He once tells Cameron that she wants to date him only because he's damaged. The man obviously has huge issues of self-worth.
-->'''House:''' You don't love, you need. And now that your husband is dead, you're looking for your new charity case. That's why you're going out with me. I'm twice your age, I'm not great looking, I'm not charming, I'm not even nice. What I am, is what you need. I'm damaged.
** His own subconscious is positively nasty to him, especially here
--->[[spoiler:'''Hallucination Amber:''' ''(as House is [hallucinating] detoxing with the help of Cuddy, and spots a Vicodin pill lying on the floor)'' You're pathetic. If you want the pill, just send her home. But you ''can't'' because that would be admitting defeat to ''her''. Now, this is interesting. If you take the pill, you don't deserve her. If you ''secretly'' take the pill, you don't deserve ''anyone.'']]
** House and his subconscious actually seem to despise one another. In the episode ''No Reason'', House gets shot and [[spoiler: hallucinates that he wakes up in the ICU next to the man who shot him.]] Over the course of the episode, each one gives the other a scathing ReasonYouSuckSpeech.
* Colin Mochrie of ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' often makes jokes about his own baldness. Everyone else ''also'' often makes jokes about his baldness... Everybody also makes jokes about the fact that people make jokes about his baldness. On occasion, [[SerialEscalation they make jokes about making jokes about making jokes about his baldness.]] He wasn't even completely bald at the time of the show!
** In a similar vein, Drew Carey often made jokes about his own weight (as did everyone else). A couple of them were reactions to Colin's own bald jokes. For a Scenes From a Hat involving unsuccessful personal ads:
---> '''Colin:''' "Slightly balding superhero...."
---> '''Drew:''' Yeah, ''slightly''. And I'm ''slightly'' overweight.
** "World's Worst person to be stuck on a desert island with." Drew Carey was the first to pick a role... as himself.
** On this particular show lampooning oneself is often the back door out of getting teased even worse by the other cast members, and is even met by sympathy from the audience on most occasions.
** A RunningGag for Scenes From A Hat was where an insulting suggestion was read (say, "People You Wouldn't Want To Meet At A Nudist Colony") and one or more of the cast would walk up as themselves.

* An episode of ''Series/{{CSI}}'' has a victim who is working on a "darker and edgier" version of a cheesy sci-fi show. In one scene, a fan shouts "YOU SUCK!" at the victim. That fan was played by Ronald D. Moore, executive producer of the darker and edgier ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' remake.
** In fact, most of the cast from BSG comes together as a nod to knowing how they had alienated the former fans. And [[spoiler: Ellen Tigh is the murderer of Not Ronald D. Moore]]
** The teaser for another CSI episode, in which a fictional TV series based on the Vegas crime lab is being discussed, Grissom states there are too many CSI-style series on TV (a tweak of not only spin-off CSI: Miami, but also NCIS). Actually TruthInTelevision (and possibly an in-joke) as actor Creator/WilliamPetersen, who played Grissom, was openly critical of the decision by CBS to commission CSI: Miami.
* In the ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' episode "Spring Breakout" the program ''[[ShowWithinAShow Scandalmakers]]'' is described thusly by Ron Howard's narration:
** "Due to poor acting, the burden of the story was placed on the narrator. [...] He was actually found in a hole near the house, but this inattention to detail was typical of the laziness the show's narrator was known for. [...] Real shoddy narrating, just pure crap."
** "In fact, Mr. Attell was portraying Tobias' actual never-nude affliction, but this perplexed the Scandalmakers' audience due to the unfocused nature of the narrator's explanation."
** Later in the episode, "Notice it wasn't something the narrator said."
** Alternately this is the Arrested Development narrator feeling threatened by the Scandalmakers one and attacking it gratuitously.
* From the ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode "Quarantine":
-->'''Lister:''' ''(sighs)'' We're a real Mickey-Mouse operation, aren't we?\\
'''Cat:''' Mickey Mouse!? We ain't even Betty Boop!
** "Back to Earth" has a character criticise the [[spoiler:fictional]] show's use of Psi-Scan. Although given the Psi-Scan's response, this may have been more TakeThatCritics...
* When James May joined ''Series/TopGearUK'' in season 2, Jeremy Clarkson introduced him as a "complete imbecile." May then presented a segment about how no intelligent person would buy a luxury car out of a magazine just to say he owned one -- and then showed off his own Bentley T2, admitting he'd bought it so he could own a Bentley and faithfully listing all the ways it had made his life worse.
** The show itself has the motto of "''Top Gear'' - Ambitious but rubbish!".
** Jeremy Clarkson consistently refers to ''Top Gear'' as "That poky little motoring programme on BBC 2" and occasionally to himself as "a fat balding idiot" or words to that effect.
** ''Top Gear'' has a segment called "The Cool Wall", where the presenters debate the coolness level of the {{Cool Car}}s the show features. There are a number of common rules [[note]]For example, small French cars are ''always'' cool, and supercars are always uncool, except for the [[DifficultButAwesome monstrously powerful Swedish-made Koenigsegg]] and [[PatrioticFervour Aston Martin]]s[[/note]] but one of them states that if any of the presenters own the car in question, it can ''never'' be considered cool, even with all other considerations in mind.
* In the New Zealand series ''Pulp Sport'', every third episode has some sort of reference to them being derivative and terrible, while every season finale ends with Bill and Ben being Fired.
* Larry David, of ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm'', when accused of being a [[BoomerangBigot "self-hating Jew"]], answered: "I do hate myself, [[ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne but it has nothing to do with being Jewish]]."
* The concept of ''Wormhole X-Treme!'' as a ShowWithinAShow for ''Series/StargateSG1'' exists solely to make fun of themselves. Includes the concept of the Zat disintegrating things (long since [[RetCon ret conned]] in the actual show) and the question of ''why'' exactly, someone who is "out of phase" can stand on the floor and sit in chairs (reused years later).
--> '''Martin:''' <referring to apples about to be used on the set> Paint them or something. We can't have aliens eating red apples!
--> '''Prop Guy:''' Why not? [[LampshadeHanging They all]] [[AliensSpeakingEnglish speak English]].
** The season 8 finale also mocks a particular infamous line from the pilot episode, when Carter was clunkily written as much more of a vocal feminist: "Just because my reproductive organs are on the inside instead of the outside, doesn't mean I can't handle anything you can't handle." An alternate-universe Carter is in the middle of rehearsing a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to her boss and starts saying the line, but stops halfway and exclaims, "God, that is ''awful''! Who would ''ever'' say that?"
** Yet ''another'' episode introduces us to a barber who had visions of Jack's life. He tries writing out the stories for a magazine, but there are several that absolutely no one liked, particularly the unpopular episode ''Hathor''. ''Hathor'' seems to be a common target for this sort of thing: in another episode, as Dr. Frasier is going through a list of files on O'Neill's injuries over the years and explaining them, she comes across one stack and immediately puts it aside, saying "Oh, that's the whole "Hathor" incident, which he has asked me to never speak of again."
* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' once did a sketch set in a Chemists where everyone had an embarrassing ailment--and then ran a mock apology for the poor quality of writing in that sketch. Similarly, a particularly violent Sam Peckinpah sketch was followed by a sketch claiming that the Python team only wrote it because they all came from broken homes and have very unhappy personal lives (especially Eric).
** Another episode was linked by a spoof educational film on parts of the body. When they got to no. 17 (the inside of a country house), the following dialogue ensued:
--->That's not a part of the body.
--->It's a link, though.
--->Not a very good one.
--->Well, it's the end of the series, they must be running out of ideas.
* Done spectacularly on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
** The boys meet a writer (whose pseudonym, Carver Edlund, is named after two of the show's writers) who receives visions of the boys' adventures and turns them into novels. When they confront him about it, he initially thinks that everything he writes comes to life. He instantly feels guilty about all the [[TrueArtIsAngsty crap he's put Sam and Dean through]], and then regrets writing "Bugs" and "Red Sky at Morning", two episodes notorious for being hated by the fans.
--->'''Chuck:''' I am so sorry. I mean, horror is one thing, but to be forced to live bad writing...
** In "Fallen Idols," an ancient pagan god who has the power to take on the form of whatever or whoever a person finds most important ends up sealed in the form of Creator/ParisHilton, who [[AsHimself Hilton herself plays]]. She spends pretty much all of her screen time blasting celebrity culture, especially around people with little talent who have nothing but "small dogs and spray tans." Naturally, Hilton is notoriously "famous for being famous," and so is making fun of ''herself.''
** In "The French Mistake", Sam and Dean get sent into an AlternateUniverse that's basically ours--as in, they take on the role of their actors, playing themselves. This included this memorable bit of conversation:
--->'''Dean:''' [[WhoWouldWantToWatchUs Why would anybody want to watch our lives]]?
--->'''Sam:''' Well, I mean, according to the interviewer, not many people do.
** In another episode, the Winchesters summon a crossroads demon, and [[Series/JerseyShore Snooki]] shows up in the Devil's Trap; apparently, the reason she's so popular is because she's literally a monster in human form. As Dean puts it, "That explains a lot."
* ''Series/TheLateLateShow'''s Creator/CraigFerguson fills his monologues with self-deprecation, calling himself a "creepy European" and "a vulgar [[LoungeLizard lounge entertainer]]". He goes so far as to slander himself, implying that he's some sort of severe sexual deviant, and that his show is unfunny and poorly produced.
** During the Late Nite Wars "We may suck, but we suck at the same damn time every night!"
** He also jokes that the audience is only laughing because they got free stuff, and are only there because they couldn't get into ''The Price is Right'' (which, admittedly, might actually be true, as they tape in the same building). "If you're watching this program regularly--I'm sorry."
** Some classic examples of this include the time his studio had a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_w8rTkfOfc roof leak]] or a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J70RFSu408k power outrage]].

* One particular episode of ''Series/BabylonFive'' has what could be read as either Self Deprecation or [[StrawCharacter Strawman Political]]: when Garibaldi is trying to break Sheridan out from his imprisonment by President Clark's forces (as atonement for setting him up while under mind control), he says to one of the guards, "Maybe you've seen me on the news?" The guard immediately replies, "I don't watch TV. It's a cultural wasteland filled with inappropriate metaphors and an unrealistic portrayal of life created by the liberal media elite."
** Also doubles as a subversion of stereotypical [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy dumb guards]].
** His insistence that the media is liberal is also interesting, considering that all media have by that point been usurped by the totalitarian Clark administration, which is anything but liberal. [[FridgeBrilliance Since the guard presumably doesn't watch TV in the first place, how would he know]]?

* An episode of ''Series/WillAndGrace'' guest-starring Rosie O' Donnell had her character watching TV looking bored, turning it off, and exclaiming, "Daytime television sucks!"
* Whenever he's not snarking at [[BitingTheHandHumor his producers, the Travel Network, foodies and foodie culture]], [[TakeThat Rachel Ray, or mainstream chain restaurants]], celebrity chef and ''Series/NoReservations'' star Anthony Bourdain frequently pokes fun at himself, particularly his wild and crazy past.
* After some critics called ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' "hit-and-miss", the next series featured a sketch in which David and Robert were seen writing the "misses" for this week, with David saying he didn't envy the other writers who had to write the hits.
* Self Deprecation was a staple joke on the 80s sketch comedy ''Bizarre''--jokes included Richard Nixon telling host John Byner (who played Nixon in the sketch), not to "make the mistake I did", but instead to "burn the tapes", and an ET parody, where the ET character was the children's grandfather who couldn't even bear to be in the house while they were watching Bizarre.
* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' had a series of skits called "Superfans", poking lots of fun at Chicagoans, especially their fanatical attitude towards sports and love of greasy meat-based food. With the exception of Canadian Mike Myers, all the actors in the skits were Chicago natives. And no one found the skits funnier than Chicagoans.
** George Wendt was in all the "Superfans" sketches after the first one because he saw that one, called Lorne Micheals, and said, "I'm from Chicago. That was beautiful. You *gotta* let me do that sketch if you ever do it again. PLEASE."
** People have been declaring that SNL [[NostalgiaFilter "isn't funny anymore"]] since [[OlderThanTheyThink about 1980]]. They've been making fun of themselves for not being funny anymore since the '90s.
** An episode which guest starred Creator/ZacEfron had him reprise his role of [[Film/HighSchoolMusical Troy Bolton]].
** Much of the humor in SNL skits in general involve celebrity hosts (or musical guests) using the opportunity to poke fun of themselves and their images or personal and professional lives, or to allow themselves to be spoofed, especially via CelebrityParadox or ActorAllusion.
** During the 2013 episode that Creator/KerryWashington hosted, the writers acknowledged the criticism the show had taken over its [[MonochromeCasting lack of women of color]]. The ColdOpen featured a disclaimer apologizing to Ms. Washington for the sheer number of black women she'd have to play, and the skit itself had poor Kerry playing [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Michelle Obama]], Music/{{Beyonce}} Knowles, ''and'' [[Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow Oprah]]. All PlayedForLaughs of course.
** Creator/AdamDriver popped up on SNL to mock his own performance as [[BigBad Kylo Ren]] of ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaOSCASqLsE going on Undercover Boss as "Matt the Radar Tech"]]. He takes ''every'' advantage of it to take a [[PlayedForLaughs tongue-in-cheek]] jab at himself.
** In one [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming surprisingly heartwarming]] moment, Rudy Giuliani (then the mayor of New York City) appeared on the show after the September 11th attacks to urge the people of New York, and even the whole United States, to enjoy life again--laugh, see Broadway plays, and generally not be afraid to go out--because to do otherwise was to live in fear, which is the goal of terrorism. Lorne Michaels then asked "Does this mean we can be funny again?", and Giuliani responded "Why start now?"
* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' had an episode about this, "My Night To Remember". JD even said, "A sitcom without new stories to do."
* ''Series/YouCantDoThatOnTelevision'' is practically made of this. The opening preempt announcement, the closing announcement, and the locker gags are the biggest offenders, but in all honesty something like a third of the jokes are about how bad the program is. An episode revolved around the show being sold to a new producer every few minutes because none of them wanted it--one producer bought it without having seen an episode and sold it once he had.
* In one episode of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', Rodney [=McKay=] describes television as 'ridiculously attractive people in absurd situations' to Ronon and Teyla, who are amazed that someone would 'watch a box' for hours on end.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** Literal in-universe example: Any time two or more different incarnations of the Doctor have met, it's a safe bet at least one will say something snarky about the others ("A dandy and a clown?"). Also doubles as a lighthearted TakeThat between the various actors who've portrayed the character.
** It's also something of a tradition when a new actor becomes the Doctor for the writers to, in the scenes immediately after the regeneration, single out one of the new actor's more distinctive or less-than-flattering features and then write a few lines of dialogue wherein the new Doctor looks at himself in the mirror and makes a point of noting how unsightly he thinks this feature is.
*** The above is subverted with [[Creator/ColinBaker the Sixth Doctor]], who looks in a mirror and immediately likes what he sees... [[DoubleSubversion which is played as the new incarnation of the Doctor being a raging egomaniac.]]
** Creator/RussellTDavies (Welsh) and Creator/StevenMoffat (Scottish) have taken potshots at their own countries. AliensInCardiff? Why ''Cardiff'', of all places? And Scotland's never conquered anywhere, y'know--not even a Shetland.
*** In ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E3TheUnquietDead The Unquiet Dead]]'', The Doctor remarks about the possibility of dying in Cardiff of all places.
** ''Recap/TheFiveishDoctorsReboot'' is an internet special by Creator/PeterDavison about himself, Creator/ColinBaker, and Creator/SylvesterMcCoy trying to appear in the 50th anniversary story, and sending themselves up mercilessly in the process.
** In an arguable case of how this trope can backfire, the producers attempted to do this in Season 23, during "The Trial of a Time Lord" season. Since the FramingDevice for this season was the Doctor and a courtroom of Time Lords watching excerpts from the Doctor's adventures as evidence in his trial, the characters were essentially watching ''Doctor Who'' throughout the season. At several points they make slightly meta-comments about the show; in one notable example, the Doctor points out how boring and inconsequential the scene the characters have just watched is and demands that they move forward to something a bit more relevant and interesting. Unfortunately, this was made during a period when the writing and production standards of ''Doctor Who'' had arguably been less-than-stellar to begin with, and the whole point of the season was to offer a defense of the show after it had been controversially taken off the air for eighteen months. Nobody seemed to consider the possibility that watching the Doctor essentially pointing out how his own show was un-watchable rubbish might prompt the audience--including those who believed it should be cancelled--to start agreeing with him.
** The Doctor's self-loathing is a frequent component of the new series, thanks to the events of the Time War.
*** The "Dream Lord" in ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E7AmysChoice Amy's Choice]]'' was implied to be a manifestation of the Doctor's own darker tendencies, much like the Valeyard from the classic series. The Dream Lord took several potshots at the Doctor along the way.
---->'''The Doctor:''' Where did you pick up this cheap cabaret act?\\
'''Dream Lord:''' Me? Oh, you're on shaky ground.\\
'''The Doctor:''' Am I?\\
'''Dream Lord:''' If you had any more tawdry quirks, you could open up have a tawdry quirk shop. The madcap vehicle. The cockamamie hair. The clothes designed by a first-year fashion student. I'm surprised you haven't got a little purple space dog. Just to ram home what an intergalactic wag you are.\\
--\\
'''The Doctor:''' There's only one person in the Universe who hates me as much as you do.
*** When he was dying from River Song's poison lipstick in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E8LetsKillHitler Let's Kill Hitler]]", the TARDIS communicated with the Doctor through a holographic interface; when it used his own image as an avatar, he told it to show him "someone [he] like[d]".
** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E1DeepBreath Deep Breath]]", the new Twelfth Doctor makes reference to the fact he used to wear as scarf (in his fourth incarnation) before dismissing it as looking ridiculous.
** In ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E4Listen Listen]]'', after they arrive at the end of the universe, the Doctor declares that "the TARDIS isn't supposed to come this far, but some idiot turned the safeguards off".
** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E5TimeHeist Time Heist]]", the Doctor refers to his current look as intended to have been "Minimalist" but winding up with "Magician". [[spoiler: Also, throughout the episode, the Doctor continually mentions how he hates the Architect. Later, it turns out he ''is'' the Architect.]]
** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E10InTheForestOfTheNight In the Forest of the Night]]": "I am Doctor '''Idiot'''!"
** A meta example in the PassingTheTorch scene of [[Film/AnAdventureInSpaceAndTime "An Adventure in Space and Time"]]:
--->'''Creator/WilliamHartnell:''' Oh, you'll be fine. In fact, you'll be wonderful. I told them, you know. There's only one man in England who can take over.\\
'''Creator/PatrickTroughton:''' Oh, couldn't they get him?

* In the ''Series/{{Friends}}'' episode "The One with the Blind Date", Phoebe and Joey intentionally set Rachel and Ross on bad blind dates to make them realize that they should be together. Rachel's date is Steve, who spends the evening with insulting himself.
-->'''Steve:''' I--I just have to say this; you're really beautiful.
-->'''Rachel:''' Oh, well, that's--that's very sweet. Thank you.
-->'''Steve:''' I'm kind of funny-looking.
-->'''Rachel:''' What?
-->'''Steve:''' Oh, come on, you're way out of my league. Everybody in here knows it. Bet that guy over there's probably saying, "ooh, why she out with him? He must be rich!" Well, I'm not!
-->'''Rachel:''' Okay...well, I guess then the joke's on him! So, what do think you wanna order? I'm really excited about that chicken.
-->'''Steve:''' I'm not funny either. So, if you were thinking, "well, he's not that good-looking, but maybe we'll have some laughs..." that ain't gonna happen!
** Also [[{{SadClown}} Chandler]], who frequently throws out jokes at his own expense, especially concerning his love life.
* Done in the pilot and at the beginning of every single following episode in ''Series/BurnNotice'' by [[Creator/BruceCampbell Sam Axe]], For the record, both Michael and Sam are former spies:
-->'''Sam:''' You know spies, bunch of bitchy little girls.
* Frequently done on ''Series/MythBusters''.
-->'''Adam:''' So we've proven that women can endure pain better than men. ''In your face, men!'' [[OhWait Wait...]]
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'' parody ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQipfaCSeOs Chums]]'', from SMTVLive, has lots of these in its opening gags and cliffhanger recaps:
-->"''Chums'' is filmed before an easily-pleased studio audience."
-->"Was Dane Bowers a vampire? Were the chums turned into lifeless zombies, and, if so, would anybody notice the difference? Find out now as we return you to ''Chums''."
** It also poked fun at the previous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_sJmIQrH54 pop careers]] of its stars Creator/AntAndDec ("Everyone knows you've never been able to sing a note!").

* ''Series/{{Bones}}'' mocks itself mercilessly in "The Suit on the Set". A Hollywood studio is creating a movie based on one of Dr. Brennan's books. Technical accuracy takes a backseat to RuleOfCool. The lab has a superfluous environment, including for some reason a monorail in the background.
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': Garak enjoys doing this. Improbable military knowledge? He reads a lot! Unusual and fancy engineering equipment? It's a common tailor's tool! Ability to ooze power and order around Guls like you own them while spouting active and valid codes despite having been in exile years? Overheard it while hemming a woman's dress! Expert ability to rewrite high-class military encryption software? Any tailor can do it!
* In one season two episode of ''Series/{{Monk}}'' at the end of the episode Monk gets a fangirl who tells him that if he somehow he gets a TV show, it should ''never'' change its theme song. By that point in the series the Music/RandyNewman song "It's a Jungle Out There" had been used as the theme for the show; as an acknowledgement of the change, the original theme begins playing during the end credits rather than the instrumental version of the current one.
* On an episode of the Creator/{{NBC}} sitcom ''Series/NightCourt'', Brandon Tartikoff, the network president at the time, shows up AsHimself to post bail for a Neilsen family. Why? So they can get home in time to see ''Series/MisfitsOfScience'', another of the network's series that was struggling in the ratings at the time.
* Mike Rowe of ''Series/DirtyJobs'' never misses an opportunity to snark on himself and the show, to the point of frequently starting things off by asking his host "What can I do to slow things down?" and reassuring his hosts about looking silly on the air by saying, "Nobody watches the show."
-->'''Host:''' You're probably right-handed, aren't you?
-->'''Mike:''' Oh, it doesn't matter, I'm equally incompetent with either limb.
* Creator/DavidLetterman does this all the time on his late night show(s), but a memorable one was back in the late 1990s when Leno/NBC placed a giant advertisement in Times Square for ''Series/TheTonightShow'' with Leno's face and "#1 in Late Night" after winning the 11:35 ET time slot for the period. At that time, Letterman not only trailed Leno, but also ABC's ''Nightline''. In response, Letterman put up ''an even bigger ad'' with his face on it proudly declaring himself "#3 in Late Night!"
* The hosts of New Zealand comedy show ''Jono and Ben at Ten'' frequently joke about the show's supposedly low ratings. In reality, it is one of the top-rated shows on its channel.
* In ''Series/{{Dexter}}'', Masuka makes a racist comment at the expense of his own race, followed by his trademark goofy laugh:
-->'''Vincent Masuka:''' Genius. He doesn't want to leave shoe prints, so he leaves sock prints. And I thought Asians were supposed to be smart.
* ''The Mick Molloy Show'' was a talk/sketch/variety show that aired in 1999 and lasted only eight episodes. It was more than just an inconvenience for Molloy at the time, as he and many others involved had made sacrifices that turned out to be for naught, but several years later in the ninth episode of his next show ''The Nation'', he had various Australian celebrities, including Music/TheWiggles, congratulate him on the milestone. Unfortunately for Molloy, the show was cancelled eight episodes later.
* While promoting the final season of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' at the Comic-Com 2013, a promo trailer was released where Ted's kids, who are all grown-up, vented their frustrations at their dad for dragging the story out too long--over ''eight years''--and wanted him to get to the point on how he ''actually'' met their mother.
-->'''Future Ted:''' So...you're saying you want me to wrap it up?
-->'''Luke and Penny:''' ''[[BigYes YES]]''!
-->'''Future Ted:''' Alright, fine. I'll wrap it up.
-->'''Penny:''' Fuckin' A!

-->'''Shawn:''' You said you never had the opportunity to visit me while I was working a real job, and now I have a real job!
-->'''Henry:''' Acting is not a real job, Shawn. I mean, how much attention do you need?
* On ''Series/GameOfThrones'', Olenna Tyrell notes that her family's coat of arms (a rose) is lame and nothing like the Starks' (direwolf) or Greyjoys' (kraken). And their motto, "Growing Strong", is dull compared to "Winter Is Coming" or "We Do Not Sow".
* Series/{{Castle}} wants to travel to Montreal alone to investigate [[spoiler:his recent two-month-long disappearance]]; Beckett insists that it might be too dangerous. Castle (played by Canadian Creator/NathanFillion) responds with "It's Canada! How dangerous could it be?" to fellow Canadian Creator/StanaKatic.
** And later, when Rick, Alexis, and Hayley are discussing a bicoastal serial killer:
--->'''Rick''': Phillip thought someone at Zenith Studios was The Phantom.
--->'''Alexis''': Makes sense. Plenty of people connected with the film industry are bicoastal.
--->'''Hayley''': Directors, producers, cinematographers...
--->'''Rick''': And actors, who are all borderline sociopaths, by the way.
--->'''Hayley''': Don't have to tell me.
* [[http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/509747/smaug In a recent interview]] on one of the last episodes of ''Series/TheColbertReport'', [[Film/TheHobbit Smaug]] called Creator/BenedictCumberbatch a "hack". Cumberbatch, of course, did [[SerkisFolk the voice and motion-capture for Smaug in The Hobbit, and in the interview]].
* ''Series/MurdochMysteries'': In "Republic of Murdoch", after [[spoiler: Jack Doyle]] escapes from Constable Crabtree by hitting the constable in the head with a length of board, Crabtree sheepishly reports to Murdoch how the man escaped. Murdoch is concerned for his colleague, but Crabtree dismisses this worry by saying, "He got me in my least vulnerable spot."
* In a ''Series/ThirtyRock'' credits sequence, [[Creator/TinaFey Liz]] considers and shoots down a bunch of names for Jack's daughter-to-be. The last name she rejects is Christina, because "then everyone will call her Tina, and every Tina I've ever known is a judgmental bitch."
* In an episode of ''Series/{{iZombie}}'', an actor playing a zombie on a ShowWithinAShow proposes the idea of a zombie show, where a zombie is the star. He's immediately told how dumb an idea that is.
* ''Series/TheMiddle'': In "The Wonderful World of Hecks", Brick doesn't want to go on "those 'ride' things" at Walt Disney World, as he thinks the park is [[TheMerch all about buying merchandise]]...this coming from a show on Disney-owned Creator/{{ABC}}.
* An episode of ''[[Creator/AmySchumer Inside Amy Schumer]]'' features Anna Wintour, the legendary editor of ''Vogue'', talking with Amy after [[RealLifeWritesThePlot the magazine put her on the cover of an issue.]] The two claim that the other's job is much easier than their own, and so switch. The rest of the sketch is essentially Schumer parodying everything about Wintour (her job, her lunch choices, her own fashion style, etc.), which the editor seems to enjoy. She even does a self-deprecating stand up comedy routine that the audience loves.
* ''Series/DearWhitePeople'': In the first episode, the narrator says the writers need him to set up the plot because they're too lazy to do it the regular way.
* ''Series/TheGreatBritishBakeOff'': Fairly often among contestants who know they're doing badly, but most famously by Ruby more-or-less endlessly in series 4. The hosts and judges had to tell her to stop doing it (with Mel actually snapping at her), a lesson that only briefly set in before returning a couple episodes later. The hosts themselves often indulge in this, especially Sue, who frequently hangs a lampshade on how bad her puns are.
* ''Series/PropertyBrothers'': In one episode, Drew and Jonathan were working with a couple with identical twin girls. The (identical twin) brothers declared those girls the cutest twins they'd ever seen.

* When James May joined ''TopGear'' in season 2, Jeremy Clarkson introduced him as a "complete imbecile." May then presented a segment about how no intelligent person would buy a luxury car out of a magazine just to say he owned one -- and then showed off his own Bentley T2, admitting he'd bought it so he could own a Bentley and faithfully listing all the ways it had made his life worse.

** Jeremy Clarkson consistently refers to ''TopGear'' as "That poky little motoring programme on BBC 2" and occasionally to himself as "a fat balding idiot" or words to that effect.

* In one season two episode of ''Series/{{Monk}}'' at the end of the episode Monk gets a fangirl who tells him that if he somehow he gets a TV show, it should ''never'' change its theme song. By that point in the series the RandyNewman song "It's a Jungle Out There" had been used as the theme for the show; as an acknowledgement of the change, the original theme begins playing during the end credits rather than the instrumental version of the current one.

** In "Fallen Idols," an ancient pagan god who has the power to take on the form of whatever or whoever a person finds most important ends up sealed in the form of Creator/ParisHilton, who [[AsHimself plays herself]]. She spends pretty much all of her screen time blasting celebrity culture, especially around people with little talent who have nothing but "small dogs and spray tans." Naturally, Hilton is notoriously "famous for being famous," and so is making fun of ''herself.''

* An episode of ''Series/InsideAmySchumer'' features Anna Wintour, the legendary editor of ''Vogue'', talking with Amy after [[RealLifeWritesThePlot the magazine put her on the cover of an issue.]] The two claim that the other's job is much easier than their own, and so switch. The rest of the sketch is essentially Schumer parodying everything about Wintour (her job, her lunch choices, her own fashion style), which the editor seems to enjoy. She even does a self-deprecating stand up comedy routine that the audience loves.

:: His own subconscious is positively nasty to him, especially here:

** ''Supernatural'' got one in the form of Creator/ParisHilton. She plays an ancient pagan god in "Fallen Idols" who chastises humanity for worshiping the cult of celebrities, since all they have is "small dogs and spray tans". (She herself could be seen as the patron saint of the cult of celebrity.)

** Snooki's possessed by a crossroads demon. "Well, that explains a lot."