2 | Nothing Better Than Parody

Audiences grew bored. Parody, they declared, was dead.

The numeral “2” is deliberately anti-climactic. It promises nothing. It is the subtitle of a direct-to-DVD release you find in a $5 bin at a gas station. And that is precisely its power. Parody 2 does not aspire to greatness. It aspires to adequacy . In an age of overproduced, over-written, over-CGI’d blockbusters, a straight-to-sequel parody that knows exactly how mediocre it is becomes the most honest form of entertainment. nothing better than parody 2

Weird Al’s second act is the definitive text on “nothing better than parody 2.” When he parodies Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” with “Handy” about home repair, he is no longer just making fun of a pop song. He is making fun of the concept that pop songs are worth making fun of. That is tier-two satire. That is Parody 2. Why the “2”? Why not “Nothing better than parody: Reloaded” or “Parody Strikes Back”? Audiences grew bored