Popular Culture Review Vol. 26, No. 1, Winter 2015 | Page 72

While pastiche may be nothing more than a mishmash of styles and references that serve no particular purpose (as argued by Jameson), parody is generally accepted as an apparent imitation or critique of a previous work, often times creating new meaning. Jameson is less cynical in his discussion of parody, and describes “parody as a readily received idea,” one that “found a fertile area in the idio syncrasies of the modern and their inimitable styles” (16). For Jameson, parody was not “devoid of laughter” like pastiche, but served a purpose in imitating established works, even if it was simply for comedic effect (17). Hutcheon argues that parody, although imitative, differs, dramatizes and emphasizes the original text, by which irony acts as the “main rhetorical mechanism,” in turn allowing us to become aware of these distinctions (31). She stresses that parody’s main intent is not to copy, but to recontextualize and rework conventions, generally in a respectful manner. Additionally, Hutcheon makes the distinction that “parody is a bitextual synthesis, unlike more monotextual forms like pastiches that stress similarity rather than difference” (33). I define parody as a critique, whether positive or negative, of an original work that is generally conceived via humorous and harmless imitation. While Jameson and Hutcheon offer distinct definitions by which both claim that pastiche and parody are different from one another (and I concur), ultimately, I believe that parody can be part of a postmodern pastiche, although this is not always the case. As aforementioned, Sesame Street serves as an example of postmodern pastiche as a whole, but certain segments within the show, such as Monsterpiece Theatre, operate expressly as parody. I will provide a more detailed analysis of several of the show’s elements and would like note that when referring to Sesame Street, I am not referring to any specific period of time since the show’s inception in 1969; therefore, some of the parodic pieces and elements discussed herein may no longer be a part of the show’s current lineup. Finally, this brings me to the question: What is productive parody? Unlike blank parody, a productive parody serves a specific purpose functioning beyond mere visual flamboyance. An example of blank parody is Gwen Stefani’s Wind It Up video. The music, along with the visual content clearly mimics the 1965 film The Sound of Music] however, the parodic elements do not add any further meaning to the song and serves no function besides visual flair. To contrast, productive parody is a tool used by Sesame Street to assist children in the process of learning, which is accomplished by recontextualizing established texts whose 68