Line #86 Main/BohemianParody


1	[[quoteright:350:[[WebVideo/MuppetViralVideos https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/muppet_parody1_1812.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:I see a little silhouetto of a clam!]]
3	->''"Easy come easy go, will you let me go?''
4	->''Mah na mah na! / eep eep eep eep eep eep''
5	->''Let me throooow!'' (throw fish)
6	->''Mah na mah na! / They would not let you throw''
7	->''Let me bloooow!!"'' (blows up stage)
8	-->-- ''[[WebVideo/MuppetViralVideos Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody]]''
9
10	"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Music/{{Queen}} is a really catchy song, isn't it? Pretty much everyone can recognize the distinctive and complex melody, most people know the lyrics (at least approximately), it's a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot melding]] of [[GenreRoulette numerous musical genres]] from rock to opera (thus lending itself nicely to being played with using other genres as well), and it also has a rather famous and recognisable music video. Thanks to its distinctive nature and SmallReferencePools, it's become quite a common subject for {{Parody}}.
11
12	There are several common approaches. The first is to keep the melody more or less intact but change the lyrics to suit a new, comic purpose. The second is to keep the song more or less the same, but have it sung by unlikely or inappropriate stand-ins for Queen (such as [[Franchise/StarTrek the crew of the U.S.S Enterprise]]) or in much sillier or inappropriate voices, and a third is to keep the lyrics the same but change the melody from a dramatic fusion of rock and opera to something a bit less... bombastic. Then, once you're done, all you need to do is replace the 'Bohemian' part of the title with something more appropriate to your current purposes so that the title becomes "[X] Rhapsody", and bingo!
13
14	Since any of these options allow for endless fun to be had with the song, it's a popular target for fandom parodies. Of the different sections of the song to parody, popular ones include the 'ballad' section ("Mama, just killed a man...") and especially the 'opera' section ("I see a little silhouetto of a man" to "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me for me, for me!").
15
16	While the song is subject to numerous parodies, the music video for the song is itself quite well-recognised and thus also subject to frequent parodies and visual homage. The stock visual parody in this case is the instantly recognisable image of four people arranged in a 'diamond' formation against a dark background, with the lighting arranged to suggest that their heads are disembodied (an image frequently used through the video, taken from the cover of the band's [[Music/QueenII second album]]).
17
18	----
19	!Examples:
20
21	[[foldercontrol]]
22
23	[[folder:Advertising]]
24	* This Mountain Dew [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1tg2l_yqZY ad.]]
25	* One that inverts the formula is the commercial for Cosmopolitan of UsefulNotes/LasVegas, which turns the lyrics [[WaxingLyrical into a conversation]].
26	[[/folder]]
27
28	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
29	* ''Manga/CromartieHighSchool'' uses the diamond formation pose for its soundtrack cover. The manga also features a character who may or may not be Music/FreddieMercury.
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
33	* Briefly in ''WesternAnimation/FrozenII''. At one point during "Lost in the Woods", there's a shot of Kristoff's head being flanked by three reindeer heads, lighted to resemble the opening shot of the video.
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
37	* A fourth variant that is frequently homaged: ''Film/WaynesWorld'' has Wayne and Garth singing along as the song comes on the radio, most iconically headbanging to the guitar solo after the "Beelzebub" opera lyric. Thus warranting [[VideoFullOfFilmClips another version of the ''Queen'' video]] [[AscendedMeme with scenes of the movie]].
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
41	* Done in one episode of ''Series/HorribleHistories'' about Mary, Queen of Scots.
42	* Done with the British Royal Family in the ''Series/SpittingImage'' sketch song "We Are The Royal Family", which is musically a parody of "We Are the Champions", but shows the Royals' heads with the same positions and lighting as Queen's at the start of their music video.
43	* An episode of ''Series/FatherTed'' features the hyperactively annoying Father Noel Furlong subjecting everyone he's stuck in a cave with to an impromptu solo rendition of the song in which he does all the parts himself.
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Magazines]]
47	* An old issue of ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' magazine had "Companions' Rhapsody", sung by the cast of the ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}} Chronicles''.
48	-->'''Caramon''': Brother Raistlin, brother Raistlin, brother Raistlin, where'd you go?\
49	'''Raistlin''': To Takhisis, she's a black robe set aside for me, for me, for me!
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:Music]]
53	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZsN3S0WJ_o Bohemian Polka]] from Music/WeirdAlYankovic is an inversion in that lyrics are unchanged, but it's re-arranged to be a polka.
54	* "Rap Soda y Bohemia" by Music/{{Molotov}}.
55	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESq27B9YI4Q Nintendohemian Rhapsody]] by Music/BrentalFloss and WebVideo/PatTheNESPunk.
56	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAWl5peI8HY Bluegrass Rhapsody]] original lyrics and music, but played as Bluegrass by Hayseed Dixie.
57	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLuxfihubiU Bohemian Rhapsody]] by Music/RichardCheese and Lounge Against the Machine (again original lyrics -more or less - and music but played as Lounge music).
58	* [[https://youtu.be/WHho3_ZRKZ0 Jamaican Rhapsody]] by Ronald Reggae.
59	* ''Music/NinjaSexParty'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhOadP3i3a8 "I Don't Know What We're Talking About"]]: At one point in the song, Ninja Brian starts repeatedly playing the same note as Danny sings the next verse in a different style to the rest of the song. The music video accompanies this with a shot of 4 different versions of Danny's face on a black background.
60	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb3D7SfgKm4 Fictional British Heavy Metal band, Bad News]] released an intentionally bad (and hilarious) metal cover version, produced by Music/BrianMay.
61	* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_e4YX73Ww4 Cockroach King]]" by Music/{{Haken}} has its video shot to closely resemble that of "Bohemian Rhapsody"... done by {{Muppet}} versions of Haken.
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:StandUpComedy]]
65	* At a show in Canberra, Australia, Creator/RossNoble was delighted to discover that an audience member in the front row worked for the Australian Bureau of Statistics: the government agency that, amongst other duties, conducts the 5 yearly national census. Ross then ad libbed a lengthy bit where he was a census taker asking an imaginary person a series of questions, and then repeating their answers back; the answers gradually building up into the lyrics of "Bohemian Rhapsody".
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:Video Games]]
69	* ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonNeon'' parodies the ballad section during the bridge of Skullmageddon's defeat song, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzHO50sB2gs "Dared To Dream"]].
70	* In ''VideoGame/HeroinesQuest'', the rogue heroine uses this to [[spoiler:keep Thrivaldi the troll distracted until the sun comes up]].
71	--> ''"Spare we her life from us monstrosity?"''
72	* Rain does this in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' in the form of his second [[FinishingMove Fatality]], with brief cameos of Reptile, Ermac and Smoke, all positioned like the album cover of Music/QueenII.
73	* In "Art's Dream", the developer-created Story mode within ''VideoGame/{{Dreams}}'', the nightclub bouncer's song asking you for the password has him hit the pose from the music video and album cover during the chorus.
74	* Neversoft [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u32Qupdd10 spared no time]] doing the Bohemian Rhapsody performance in ''[[VideoGame/GuitarHero Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock]]'', complete with over-the-top gestures in the operatic section. When the motion capture data from that song got backported to ''World Tour'' by the ''World Tour Definitive Edition'' team, it did not take long for people to come up with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N1bHjgltEE some]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGxLf4HIwHQ rather]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djI47a7pCD4 interesting]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8a007j-Ji8 band]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C26UphJTI-A lineups]].
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Web Original]]
78	* [[VideoGame/DonkeyKong64 DK]] [[https://youtu.be/N9cSaKCuaos Rapsody]], which somehow manages to sentence mix the opening lines of the song from Grant Kirkhope's vocals.
79	* Franchise/StarTrek [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU2MQ03d0bg Rhapsody]]
80	* [[Franchise/StarWars Midichlorian]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpvlTVgeivU Rhapsody]]
81	* Series/{{Battlestar Galactica\|2003}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMgWaxtLbwE Rhapsody]] (warning: spoilers!)
82	* Franchise/TheMuppets [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgbNymZ7vqY did a version]] [[spoiler:which Kermit says was a videoconference gone wrong]]. Notable for featuring the original song's actual instrumental tracks, including Brian May's guitar solo and Freddie Mercury's piano work.
83	* VideoGame/ZeroWing [[http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/222458 Rhapsody!]]
84	* [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 BoHeman]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeFH-QoAPCk Rhapsody]]
85	* [[https://soundcloud.com/mrwompy/wal-martian-rhapsody Wal-Martian Rhapsody]] by Mr. Wompy narrates an unpleasant trip to a UsefulNotes/{{Walmart}}.
86	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG8yGfBsC98 Lost Rhapsody]]
87	* [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Titanium]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiqBJNpzWK8 Rhapsody]]
88	* WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory referenced it briefly when Music/FreddieMercury battled Music/FrankSinatra.
89	* ''Website/NotAlwaysRight'': A rather spontaneous outbreak of the song in a doctor's surgery waiting room is outlined [[https://notalwaysright.com/bohemian-medicine/76433/ here]].
90	* The finale of the ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'' flash series at Platform/{{Newgrounds}} ends with Mario escaping the dungeon set to the second half of the song, as shown here: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2pZ2ji1tlgY#t=355s]]
91	* Well, it seems someone has finally done the unexpected... and created the [[UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn Sega Saturian]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4q7E9sMfTU#t=018s Rhapsody]].
92	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rjbtsX7twc Bohemian Gravity]]: A grad student studying string theory explains what it's about.
93	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8z7O3wfa4g Most Popular Rhapsody In School]], for ''WebAnimation/TheMostPopularGirlsInSchool''.
94	* ''WebVideo/GoogleTranslateSings'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwOH3YsraNs has done a version]].
95	* ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'' has the bonus video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBhGPAOGRBU&index=9&list=PLX113_fWui8rWmn7J6PjDLyx2SyPYuePV "UFP sings Bohemian Rhapsody"]]. Nearly all of the cast sing along ([[HollywoodToneDeaf for a given value of "sing"]]), and they change the lyrics to be more pony-centric. Also has exaggerated ArtisticLicenseMusic, with none of the musical instruments in the video matching the ones in the song.
96	* An episode of ''WebVideo/{{Caddicarus}}''- specifically his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LPqUNTXh4Q review]] of ''VideoGame/LSDDreamEmulator'' features a brief version of the song with 4 of Caddy's heads singing "Is this the real life?" shortly before slowly fading into an uncanny face from the game.
97	* [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Zuko-]][[http://blog.samzabala.com/post/61154599567/one-time-at-3am-i-suddenly-woke-up-and-a-stupid hemian]] [[https://soundcloud.com/samapitongzabala/zuko-rhapsody Rhapsody]].
98	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqwC41RDPyg Calculus Rhapsody]], where the singer briefly summarizes calculus, while making fun of it.
99	* Recreating the soundtrack cover with different franchises isn't unheard of - examples include, but are not limited to, ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' [[https://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=766011 (here)]], ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'' [[https://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=1594909 (here)]] and [[https://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=1265311 (here)]], ''Anime/KemonoFriends'' [[https://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=2636622 (here)]], and even ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' [[https://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=1848576 (here)]]. There's also one featuring a set of [[EverythingsPreciousWithPuppies pomeranians]] [[https://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=2701491 here]].
100	* Youtube user and renowned UsefulNotes/FormulaOne-based Song parodyist Sim Dane actually did a twofer:
101	** First is "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzoOLNmm9WY Bohemian Robsody]]", with former Polish F1 driver [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kubica Robert Kubica]] as the central character;
102	** Second is "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWeJ-TaH0AQ Bonomian Rhapsody]]", focusing this time on 7-time and reigning World Drivers' Champion [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Hamilton Lewis Hamilton]] and his recurring tire troubles (the name is derived from Lewis' Senior Race Engineer Peter "Bono" Bonnington.)
103	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXezLv_5RaY Bohemian Catsody]]
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder:Western Animation]]
107	* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E18TheShowStoppers The Show Stoppers]]", which revolves around the Cutie Mark Crusaders entering a Main/TalentContest, features a brief recreation of the video's opening shot at the start of the episode's main song (which otherwise bears little resemblance to "Bohemian Rhapsody" itself) with the CMC taking the band's place.
108	[[/folder]]
109
110	[[folder:Real Life]]
111	* A rather hilarious video created by a young guy from Indonesia made [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTDkzOTB7Xc a parody of the titular song]], which went viral in 2020. But the real hilarity comes from the lyrics themselves. It turns out he wasn't singing about his lover, instead, he was singing about ''[[FoodSongsAreFunny some kind of random food menu]]'' he wants to order such as iced tea and French fries. For some good reasons, ''everything that he sang is [[OdetoFood all about food]]''. Talk about WordSaladLyrics with [[JustForFun/XMeetsY a fusion]] of [[OvercomplicatedMenuOrder Overcomplicated Menu Order]].
112	[[/folder]]

Context Main / BohemianParody