Line #73 AffectionateParody/WesternAnimation


1	[[quoteright:250:[[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/road_to_the_multiverse___family_guy_promo.png]]]]
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7	%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
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11	* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' started as a comedic and affectionate parody of the StandardFantasySetting, especially from ''Franchise/DungeonsAndDragons''. For example, the traditional races typical of the genre use modern slang, and the evil wizard who kidnaps princesses is a lonely and anti-social IneffectualSympatheticVillain. As the series [[CerebusSyndrome became more serialized and further built its own universe]], this aspect became less prominent, though there continued to be references to the fantasy genre.
12	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': "The Console" is one for [=JRPG=]s, especially ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''.
13	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBeavers'' episode ''The Day The World Got Really Screwed Up!'' is a playful parody of schlocky BMovie fare from The60s.
14	* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' direct-to-video movie ''WesternAnimation/WakkosWish'' is an affectionate parody of animated musicals. [[note]]The funny part is that Creator/StevenSpielberg, who was the executive producer of ''Animaniacs'' (but not this movie), was also the producer of [[WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail another animated musical]].[[/note]]
15	** Also they parodied ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' with "Super Strong Warner Siblings", even getting the likeness of the command center down accurately.
16	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' is an affectionate parody and deconstruction of Franchise/JamesBond and spy fiction in general.
17	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' contains two:
18	** There's a wonderful parody of ProfessionalWrestling in the episode "The Blind Bandit". "[[ThirdPersonPerson The Boulder]] has conflicted feelings about fighting a [[CuteBruiser young]] {{blind\|Seer}} [[ActionGirl girl]]!" The Boulder was actually voiced by former WWF wrestler Mick Foley, as well as being a visual parody of [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]].
19	** Then there's "The Ember Island Players". How can you not love a show that ''[[SelfDeprecation parodies itself]]?'' The whole episode is the writers poking fun at the plotholes and contrivances from previous episodes.
20	* The Oscar-nominated ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izy2ittIe7A The Big Story]]'' is an affectionate parody of Creator/KirkDouglas.
21	* ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'', given that it is intended to be the in-universe cartoon the Buzz Lightyear toys are based on in the ''Franchise/ToyStory'' movies, happens to be a warm love letter to pretty much every MerchandiseDriven action cartoon of the 1980s and 1990s.
22	* A 1980s cartoon called ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RVBt2AIUK8 Cat and Mouse at the Home]]'' is an AffectionateParody of WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry if they were to live in a retirement center.
23	* ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'' parodies the current generation it takes place in. Season 1 in particular is a parody of TeenDrama shows like Series/DawsonsCreek and Series/BeverlyHills90210 during the time those shows were popular in the most over the top way possible. [[Creator/PhilLordAndChrisMiller Given who co-created the show, you can't be too surprised.]]
24	* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Critic\|1963}}'' (not Jay Sherman, but the Oscar-winning animated short starring Mel Brooks) is an affectionate parody of the works of Creator/NormanMcLaren.
25	* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' is an affectionate parody of [[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] comics, with a teensy bit of [[MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] and [[MediaNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] thrown in for good measure. For an animated media and not a printed media, the odd usage of [[WrittenSoundEffect 'POW!'s]] and [[WrittenSoundEffect 'WHAM!'s]] really accentuates this.
26	* In general, the majority of the shorts on ''WesternAnimation/DCNation'' were lighthearted and comedic depictions of numerous DC Comics characters, but one specific example was the ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans New Teen Titans]]'' short "Kidz Korner 4 Kidz", which parodies educational shows for little kids like ''Series/SesameStreet'' and ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood''.
27	* The ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' episodes "Mock 5", "Trapped with a Vengeance", "Dee Dee's Room", "Game Over", "The Golden Diskette", "G.I.R.L. Squad"... there are a few. There was a episode where Dexter became an exchange student in Japan that poked fun at mecha, super sentai, and kaiju films. Then there are the Action Hank and Pony Puff Princess franchises, and the entire Justice Friends cast.
28	* ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgers'' featured an episode that not only parodied ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack''--Dodgers dreaming he's Samurai Quack--but the dream sequence itself was directed by SJ creator Creator/GenndyTartakovsky and featured Creator/{{Mako}} as the voice of Quack's adversary Achoo.
29	** Another episode featured an incredibly close to its source parody of ComicBook/GreenLantern, complete with Kilowog, Ch'p, Ganthet, Sinestro, and more.
30	** The show itself is an affectionate parody of sci-fi has a whole, and the protagonist's name is a parody of ComicStrip/BuckRogers.
31	* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'' had Gizmoduck, an affectionate parody of Franchise/RoboCop. He was even named Roboduck in foreign dubs. Later became more like ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' when he appeared on the sister show ''WesternAnimation/DarkWingDuck'' which itself was of course an affectionate parody of ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''.
32	* ''Toys/EverAfterHigh'' pokes fun at the awful parts of Fairy Tales while maintaining an upbeat and cheery attitude.
33	* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' [[TheMovie movie]], ''WesternAnimation/ChannelChasers'', is all about this as Timmy, Cosmo, Wanda and Vicky go through various parodies of popular shows. It was finally lampshaded in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' parody with Timmy writing on the blackboard "This is the sincerest form of flattery."
34	** The show also has the recurring character of Cat-Man, voiced by Adam West; an affectionate parody of his earlier role as TV's Batman.
35	* The jokes on ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' deviate from [[RuleOfFunny random ridicule]] to Affectionate Parody, and most of them are pretty good mixtures of both.
36	** One of the most affectionate of them, however, would have to be [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HFEKQkF_TY "My Drunken Irish Dad"]] (as opposed to "The Freakin' FCC"), which is essentially a giant TakeThat to, well, the Federal Communications Commission). Except that it turns out the FCC actually ''liked it''.
37	** Another set are [[Franchise/StarWars "Blue Harvest"]], [[Franchise/StarWars "Something, Something, Something Dark Side"]], and [[http://www.starwars.com/fans/media/family_guy_trap/index.html "Family Guy: It's a Trap!"]]. However, the affection by the third one has... waned. It's not so much that they grew to hate ''Franchise/StarWars'' as they began to grow frustrated with the format of forced storyline retread with jokes they had set up.
38	* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'' segment "Toby Danger" parodied ''Jonny Quest'' TOS. They even went so far as to get Creator/DonMessick (Benton Quest) and Granville Van Dusen (Race Bannon) to do the voices of their parody characters.
39	* ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' is overall an affectionate parody of science fiction, and pop culture in general.
40	** They assembled the entire (and then-living) cast of ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' for the episode "[[Recap/FuturamaS4E11WhereNoFanHasGoneBefore Where No Fan Has Gone Before]]", and spent 23 minutes lovingly mocking the show. Most of ''Futurama'''s writers are huge ''Franchise/StarTrek'' fans, though series creator Matt Groening insists he's never seen an episode.
41	** Except for Creator/JamesDoohan, who was replaced with Welshy. [[spoiler:Briefly]].
42	** The character of Zapp Brannigan is an Affectionate Parody of Captain Kirk from ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' series. In a DVD commentary, producer David X. Cohen said his instructions to the writers when they sketched dialogue for Brannigan was, "Imagine if Creator/WilliamShatner actually captained the Starship Enterprise."
43	** "Saturday Morning Fun Pit": ''Scooby-Doo'', ''Strawberry Shortcake'' and ''G.I. Joe'' (latter being censored by Nixon)
44	** "Reincarnation": 20's-30's cartoons, 80's-90's 8-bit games and Americanized anime.
45	** Many people see it as a parody of ''Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy''.
46	** Elzar, a Neptunian chef whom Bender '''IDOLIZES''', appears to be an affectionate parody of Emeril Lagasse, he even tells people to "Kick it up a notch".
47	* ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodeFamily'' had an episode ("[[ButtMonkey Gerald's]] Way or the High Way") that has tons of parodies to Mafia films, prison films and Creator/RobertDeNiro films.
48	* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' is fond of this trope. They parody all the time and end up not making it look worse. A particularly affectionate one was "Hokey Monsters", a ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' parody, where they make it a card game and bring them to life. They pick at a few aspects of it but in the end it said Pokémon was still awesome. They've done many many others like ''Film/MaryPoppins'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'''s "Night on Bald Mountain" segment.
49	* ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'' lovingly parodies of all the old Creator/HannaBarbera cartoons.
50	* ''WesternAnimation/KappaMikey'' parodies anime and Japanese cultures.
51	* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' seems to have been designed from the outset to ask the question "What if Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer was Film/JamesBond", leading to an "affectionate parody of spy movie conventions and superheroes" as part of its central concept.
52	** ''Kim Possible'' did an affectionate parody of the 1960s ''Series/Batman1966'' franchise with ''The Fearless Ferret'', whose actor, Timothy North (voiced by Creator/AdamWest), ended up being a space-case who thought the TV show was real. They also used the episode to poke fun at the upside-down kiss from ''Film/SpiderMan1''.
53	*** The episode contained another level of affectionate parody, since it featured Ron as the young successor to a costumed legacy, with the original hero giving him constant advice and reprimands via radio. Ron's voice actor, Creator/WillFriedle, also voiced Terry [=McGinnis=] on ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''.
54	** Nor was this Adam West's first go-round with such things, as on ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', he voiced the actor who played The Grey Ghost, a somewhat campy and clichéd costumed vigilante hero. Other appearances of the character implied that The Grey Ghost may have shared some of West's LargeHam tendencies.
55	* Most of ''WesternAnimation/{{Mad}}'' is Affectionate Parody of nearly anything that's been popular in the past 10 years.
56	* The AnimatedAdaptation of ''WesternAnimation/TheMask'' did an affectionate parody of ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' in the episode "The Goofalotatots".
57	* The entirety of ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'' is an AffectionateParody of the HumongousMecha genre in every possible way. [[ShoutOut But it only starts there:]]
58	** [[Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman S-Force]] and [[Anime/SailorMoon Ultra-Cadets]], anyone?
59	** [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Transforming robots fighting a never-ending war?]] Of course!
60	** [[{{Kaiju}} Giant city-smashing]] [[Franchise/{{Godzilla}} reptile monsters]] are not exempt.
61	** How about [[Film/RobotJox giant robots fighting giant robots?]]
62	** Separate episodes also had fun with [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie a giant planet-eating monster and a planet full of junk.]]
63	** And, just because, Creator/BruceCampbell. Groovy!
64	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'', the parody of death metal whose soundtrack album made those in the same genre it parodies stop and take notes. It helps that the creator is a huge fan of the music, even including other parodies of the genre in his previous show, ''WesternAnimation/HomeMovies''.
65	* The 1988 WesternAnimation/MightyMouse episode "Don't Touch That Dial" featured not-so-affectionate parodies of ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones,'' ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'' (both paired up as "The Jetstones"), ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' ("four totally off-the-wall characters sworn to eliminate any trace of humor in the world today") as well as an affectionate parody of ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle''.
66	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePatrickStarShow'': "[[Recap/ThePatrickStarShowS1E26BubbleBassReviewsPatricksPrisonPals Bubble Bass Reviews]]" is styled after the videos of many Website/YouTube CriticsAndReviewers. Bubble Bass's uniform resembles that of the WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic, and his AuthorAvatar is drawn in a simpler, {{Animesque}} style akin to that of WebVideo/PieGuyRulz.
67	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' episode "I See a Funny Cartoon in Your Future" spoofs ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' and includes not only a caricature of Creator/JayWard at the end but has Creator/JuneForay (Rocky, Natasha) as the voice of the ep's villain.
68	** Also of note is their episode parodying ''Music/TheBeatles'', which was full of jokes and references that made it clear that they were very familiar with the band.
69	* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'' featured at least one affectionate parody in "virtually" every episode. One of the ways they can do this is the nature of the Games, where it transforms an area of Mainframe and comes with its own built-in story. But one interesting thing they did was that each parody flowed with the theme of the episode or was merely a fun backdrop to the main story. It is most notable in the third season, where ''every'' episode owes something to some franchise or genre. Just in the first half: ''Franchise/EvilDead'', ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'', ''Film/JamesBond'', ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'' / ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess''[=/=]''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', ''Franchise/StarTrek''[=/=]ComicBooks, ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'', Spaghetti Westerns and {{Pirate}}[=/=]GreatEscape.
70	* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': Rigby's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbEsbZzKExs favorite internet video]] may be an affectionate parody of ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner''.
71	* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' had parodied ''Star Wars'' and demonstrated more knowledge of and reverence for the originals than most, including character names and terms that aren't mentioned in the movies.
72	* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'':
73	** "Night of the Fright Hound" is a parody of ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'', as well as the mech from ''Film/{{Aliens}}''
74	** "Escape from Mystery Manor" is a parody of the ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' films.
75	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
76	** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E1HomersBarbershopQuartet Homer's Barbershop Quartet]]" is an Affectionate Parody of the career of Music/TheBeatles in the form of Homer's 1980s barbershop quartet, the B'Sharps, that takes the world by storm in a similar fashion to the way the Beatles did. The career of the B'Sharps mirrors that of the Beatles in almost every way, including similar controversies, [[SeriousBusiness the complete hysteria surrounding them]] and band meltdowns. The producers even persuaded Music/GeorgeHarrison to play along, giving him the perfect closing line; as he watches the B'Sharps imitate the famous last gig on the rooftop of Apple Corps that the Beatles played, he acerbically mutters, "ItsBeenDone," and drives off.
77	-->'''Bart:''' Did you screw up like the Beatles and say you were BiggerThanJesus?\
78	'''Homer:''' All the time! It was the title of our second album. (Holds up record album [[AbbeyRoadCrossing that looks like "Abbey Road"]], except the band is [[WalkOnWater walking on water]].)
79	** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E10TheSpringfieldFiles The Springfield Files]]" is an Affectionate Parody of ''Series/TheXFiles''. Both Creator/GillianAnderson and Creator/DavidDuchovny SpecialGuest-starred in the roles of their famous characters.
80	** The nuns' backstory sequence from "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS20E13GoneMaggieGone Gone Maggie Gone]]" is one of these to Creator/TexAvery's travelogue cartoons.
81	** Many Treehouse of Horror segments are affectionate parodies of horror films or shows. Examples include: "The Shinning" (parody of ''Film/TheShining''), "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace" (parody of ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984''), and "Fly v. Fly" (parody of ''Film/TheFly1958''). While they have done their fair share of ShallowParody, Treehouse of Horror XXXIII is a return to form with "The Pookadook", "Death Tome", and "Simpsonsworld" (parodies of The Babadook, Death Note, and Westworld, respectively).
82	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
83	** Parody of {{shonen}} anime in "[[Recap/SouthParkS8E1GoodTimesWithWeapons Good Times With Weapons]]". The GratuitousEnglish-filled J-rock song playing in the background was even sung by Trey Parker, who is an open Japanophile.
84	** Even before that, in the show's 1st season, they also made an affectionated parody of {{Kaiju}} and {{Toku}} tropes with the episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS1E12MechaStreisand Mecha Streisand]]", showing their appreciation for Japanese pop culture.
85	** ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' has also affectionately parodied ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' in a memorable season 6 episode entitled "[[Recap/SouthParkS6E7SimpsonsAlreadyDidIt Simpsons Already Did It]]" that poked fun at how hard it was to come up with new plotlines when ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' had already done so many.
86	** "[[Recap/SouthParkS5E9OsamaBinLadenHasFartyPants Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants]]" is a paean to a classic WartimeCartoon, especially Bugs Bunny's.
87	** In the "Coon and Friends" trilogy, this is done twice between Cartman and Cthulhu: one, a tribute to ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'', and the other is a nod to the Chuck Jones cartoon "Feed the Kitty". The original "Coon" episode also parodies ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' in the beginning.
88	** A meta-example: the 20+ minute animation "Trey Gets Stoned" is one of both the show itself (seriously, the animation is indistinguishable) and Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone. Not surprising, since it was made by several fans.
89	** They also tackled ''WesternAnimation/HeavyMetal'' in "[[Recap/SouthParkS12E3MajorBoobage Major Boobage]]".
90	* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': This is a show that is best appreciated by {{Trekkie}}s as the sheer number of references, mythology gags, and {{Easter Egg}}s can only be appreciated by a super fan of every series. However, it also lampshades how miserable and dangerous being a RedShirt on a Starfleet vessel probably would be.
91	* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' is an affectionate parody of the MagicalGirl genre. Star Butterfly is a princess from another dimension, and has a magical wand that looks like a mashup of several wands other [[Manga/CardcaptorSakura magical]] [[Franchise/SailorMoon girls]] use. However whenever she casts a spell it usually has disastrous results, but she also fights monsters with her bare fists.
92	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}}'' Lord Stringray is a parody of ''Franchise/GIJoe'''s Cobra Commander.
93	* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiTgoRR3tbk Technological Threat]]'' is an Oscar-nominated Creator/TexAvery tribute from The80s.
94	* The ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' episode "For Real" includes shots of people commenting on the trials over the internet in what can only be an affectionate jab at series fans, and at [[ShippingTropes shippers]] in particular.
95	** ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansTroubleInTokyo'' is an Affectionate Parody of the Japanese kids' shows from yesteryear, including ''Anime/AstroBoy'', ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' & ''Anime/SpiritedAway'', plus ''Anime/LupinIII'' and ''Franchise/KamenRider''.
96	* ''WesternAnimation/TimeSquad'' has a few parody episodes including:
97	** "[[Recap/TimeSquadS01Ep30HoudiniWhodunnit Houdini Whodunnit!?]]" a parody of ''Series/Batman1966'',
98	** "[[Recap/TimeSquadS02Ep11WhiteHouseWeirdness Whitehouse Weirdness]]" is a tribute to ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' complete with the original soundtrack, stock sounds, and implements classic Scooby-Doo gags.
99	** "[[Recap/TimeSquadS02Ep17BillyTheBaby Billy the Baby]]", is a loving homage to [[Creator/SergioLeone Sergio Leone's]] spaghetti westerns and Tex Avery's [[WesternAnimation/TexAveryMGMCartoons classic cartoons]].
100	* ''WesternAnimation/ToucheTurtleAndDumDum'':
101	** The show takes the swaggering romanticized swordsman genre, typified by works such as ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'' and ''Franchise/{{Zorro}}'', and [[PlayedForLaughs plays it for laughs]].
102	** "Loser Take All" spoofs the Aesop fable ''Literature/TheTortoiseAndTheHare'', with Touché taking the former role.
103	** "Romeo, Touché, and Juliet" parodies the famous Creator/WilliamShakespeare play, in part by updating it to a 20th century setting and adding 60s slang.
104	** "Aladdin's Lampoon" is a take-off on the Arabian Night's tale ''Literature/{{Aladdin}}''.
105	** "Like Wild, Man" plays the classic novel ''Literature/RobinsonCrusoe'' [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]], featuring a wild Man Friday and lots of updated 60s lingo.
106	* ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'' parodies things frequently, such as:
107	** ''Series/GilligansIsland'' ("Larry's Lagoon)
108	** ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' ("Lord of the Beans"),
109	** ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' ("Sheerluck")
110	** ''Franchise/StarTrek'' ("[[Film/TheGodsMustBeCrazy The Gourds Must Be Crazy]]"),
111	** ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' ("Omelet"),
112	** Creator/GilbertAndSullivan ("Lyle the Kindly Viking", "The Star of Christmas", and "Sumo of the Opera").
113	** ''Film/WizardOfOz'' ("The Wizard of Ha's")
114	* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' is an Affectionate Parody of The50s {{Sit Com}}s and The60s Adventure cartoons, particularly WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest and Film/JamesBond.
115	** They also Affectionately Parody superhero comics, even getting Creator/KevinConroy to play Captain Sunshine, a parody of Franchise/{{Batman}} and a bit of Franchise/{{Superman}}.
116	* ''WesternAnimation/YinYangYo'' had an entire episode that was an AffectionateParody of classic ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' shorts.

Context AffectionateParody / WesternAnimation