Chapter 18 Parody

Section 1. Definition and Function of Parody
I. Definition of Parody

Parody contains both broad and narrow meanings. In the broad sense, parody refers to simple imitation of earlier works as “imitation”; in the narrow sense, parody refers to imitation of earlier works that carries an implied mockery, namely “parodic satire” (Huang Qingxuan). Parody refers to taking the sentence patterns, style, etc. of a famous poem, essay, passage, or a well-known saying, aphorism, or proverb, and altering its linguistic units or content in order to produce a new linguistic concept or content. “In order to make language attract attention, or to give it a humorous or satirical quality, one deliberately imitates the forms of existing words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or texts, and creates new linguistic expressions with different content. This rhetorical technique is called the rhetorical method of parody.”1 Parodic satire (burlesque) refers to a rhetorical form that, while imitating the syntax and tone of another’s work with vivid accuracy, also produces humorous or mocking effects, or satirizes social phenomena; these all belong to the category of “parodic satire.” Parodic satire may also be called “imitation satire,” meaning that a humorous effect is produced through the disharmony between form and content.

II. Historical Origins of Parody

The emergence of parody has a long history. Many familiar proverbs, famous poems, and short essays—such as He Zhizhang’s “Returning Home by Chance in Old Age,” Li Yu’s “Beauties’ Sorrow,” and even Liu Yuxi’s short prose “Inscription of My Humble Room”—have all been rewritten in their entirety by later generations.

Proverb
Original: Keep the green hills, and there will be no shortage of firewood.
Rewritten: Keep the butt, and there will be no shortage of gas.

Poetic line:
Original: If Heaven had feelings, Heaven too would grow old (Tang · Li He, “Song of the Bronze Immortal Leaving the Han”)
Rewritten: If humans had feelings, they would die early

“Returning Home by Chance in Old Age”
Original poem: Leaving home young, returning old; hometown accent unchanged, temples already grayed. Children see me but do not recognize me, smiling and asking: ‘Where does this guest come from?’
Rewritten: Leaving home young, returning fat; hometown accent unchanged, flesh piled in heaps. Children see me but do not recognize me, smiling and asking: ‘Who are you, fat man?’

“Beauties’ Sorrow”
Original: When will spring flowers and autumn moon end? How many past events are known? Last night the east wind blew again by the small pavilion; in the bright moon, I cannot bear to look back at my homeland. Carved railings and jade steps should still be there, but the rosy faces have changed. I ask you: how much sorrow can there be, just like a river of spring water flowing eastward.
Rewritten: When will poker games end? How many wins and losses are known? Just now I drew a lucky wind tile; the opponent before me plays slowly like a sloth. The tiles 1, 4, 7 bamboo should still be there, but they are no longer played. I ask you: how many chips remain? Taiwan dollars and US dollars are gradually flowing outward!

The original “Inscription of My Humble Room”:
Mountains need not be high; with immortals they become famous. Water need not be deep; with dragons it becomes spiritual.
This is a humble room, but my virtue is fragrant. Moss marks climb the stairs green; grass color enters the curtain green.
I converse with great scholars; there are no common folk among my visitors. I may play a plain zither, or read golden scriptures.
There is no music to disturb the ears, nor official documents to weary the body. The thatched cottage of Zhuge Liang in Nanyang, the pavilion of Ziyun in Western Shu.
Confucius said: “What is there to be humble about?”

Rewritten:
People need not be many; four is enough. Skill need not be high; winning is enough.
This is joyful leisure; only mahjong matters. One may wait for a full hand, or win with a concealed set.
Sea-bottom draw exists; kong draws blossom red. One may cultivate spirit and activate the mind.
There is day and night entertainment; no distinction between men and women. After four rounds, observe victory and defeat; in satisfaction, do not lose composure.
The gentleman says: What harm is there?

These rewritten parodies all demonstrate the ingenuity of “removing the embryo, changing bones and skin,” and their humorous brushwork makes readers smile, increasing reading pleasure.

Section 2. Theoretical Foundation of Parody

The aesthetic foundation of parody (Parody) comes from “reconstructive imagination”: “People are able, based on figurative descriptions provided by others—including descriptions made through language or other material means—to form new images in their own consciousness. Many images never seen or heard before become, through others’ descriptions, as if present before our eyes, thus becoming aesthetic objects, which greatly expands our aesthetic horizon.”2 In other words, “reconstructive imagination” is the process by which people, based on figurative descriptions provided by others, through understanding-based and expressive imaginative activity, transform and innovate, creating moving new images full of novelty.

From the psychological perspective of “imitation and identification,” the psychological state of parody can also be explained. Fundamentally, parody is formed by a fusion of “linguistic imitation” and “subversive (non-identifying) intent.” As scholar Tan Yongxiang puts it, “the parodied form and the original form are not identical yet different, identical yet not identical.”

The concept of parody in fact aligns with “meta-creation.” That is, such creation presupposes a “pre-text” known as a “model text.” The parodist, based on the form, grammar, and tone of this text, produces a similar “metatext.” The two thus form a contrastive structure of “not identical yet different, identical yet not identical.”

Section 3. Forms of Parody

Parody is divided into “imitation” and “parodic satire.” The former refers to imitation of earlier works; the latter refers to imitation with satirical or mocking intent. Parodic phenomena in poetry are ubiquitous and usually appear in four forms: phonetic parody, semantic parody, substitution parody, and textual parody.

I. Phonetic Parody

This refers to extracting a morpheme from idioms, proverbs, or colloquial sayings and replacing it with a homophonous or near-homophonous word. Because Chinese has many homophones, it is suitable for such substitution. A feature of phonetic parody is that the original meaning is not eliminated by substitution but instead helps readers understand the parody.

Example 1
Original: Three cobblers together make Zhuge Liang.
Rewritten: Three cobblers, all smelling the same.

Example 2
Original: If Heaven has feelings, Heaven also grows old (Tang · Li He, “Song of the Bronze Immortal Leaving the Han”)
Rewritten: If humans have feelings, they die early

II. Semantic Parody

Semantic parody refers to replacing a word in the original sentence, thereby altering its semantic meaning. The humorous effect arises from the semantic difference between the original and substituted words.

Example 1
Original: Only when books are needed do we regret having too few; only after experiencing events do we realize their difficulty.
Rewritten: Only when books are needed do we regret having too few; only at the end of the month do we realize there is not enough money.

Example 2
Original: Keep the green hills, and there will be no shortage of firewood.
Rewritten: Keep the butt, and there will be no shortage of gas.

III. Substitution Parody

Substitution parody refers to removing a word from the original sentence and replacing it with a related word. This type does not necessarily consider semantic correspondence between original and substituted words, as long as the new form conveys the intended content.

Example 1
Original: My horse’s hooves are beautiful mistakes; I am not the returning traveler, but a passerby.
Rewritten: My scooter’s puff-puff sound is a funny mistake; I am not a homewrecker, but a fat panda.3

Example 2
Back in the day, swords and horses of war;
Today, clingy and chaotic pursuit.

IV. Textual Parody

Textual parody refers to imitating an existing text line by line or paragraph by paragraph to produce a new text, such as the previously mentioned poker version of “Beauties’ Sorrow” and “Inscription of My Humble Room.” In modern poetry, Yi Ling, a friend of the author, once wrote a poem “Lover,” parodying Zheng Chouyu’s “Mistress.”

“Mistress” / Zheng Chouyu
In a small town of blue stone streets lives my mistress
And I leave her nothing
Only a bed of golden chrysanthemum and a tall window
Perhaps letting in a little loneliness of the vast sky
Perhaps, chrysanthemums are good at waiting
I think loneliness and waiting are good for women
So when I go, I always wear a blue shirt
So she may feel it is a season, or
The arrival of migratory birds
For I am not the kind of man who returns home often

“Lover” parody of Zheng Chouyu / Yi Ling
In a city’s central district lives my lover
And I leave him nothing
Only snowflake-like credit card debts
And fanged creditors one after another
Perhaps answering threatening calls and messages
Perhaps, a cheating man keeps secrets well
I think anxiety and fear are good for a lover
So when I go, I always wear a miniskirt
So he may feel it is temptation, or
The arrival of a beautiful girl
For I am not the kind of woman who constantly goes off track

This “Lover” subverts Zheng Chouyu’s original “Mistress,” and the lines are filled with a strong sense of assertive female perspective. It is humorous and satirical without incongruity, and is highly acclaimed.

Notes

(1) Chen Zhengzhi, Rhetoric [Chapter 7: Parody], Taipei, Wu-Nan Book Inc., 2001, p. 74.

(2) Liang Zongdai, “On Poetry,” included in Modern Chinese Poetics, Volume I, edited by Yang Kuanghan and Liu Fuchun, Guangzhou, Huacheng Publishing House, China, 1985, p. 263.

(3) “Panda,” a transliteration of “Panda,” refers to an emerging food delivery service industry.