Parody and media literacy in "Nathan For You" and [creative final] "Adrift"
Abstract
Concluding paragraph from Parody and media literacy in "Nathan For You": Over three decades after The Simpsons broke onto the primetime scene, Nathan For You harnesses a brand new form of comedy that makes similar use of parody as a means of instilling media literacy in audiences. While The Simpsons offered a disruptively humorous take on news media, advertising and generic television in its earlier run, Nathan For You serves as a more current example of how a television show can distort the boundaries of genre and use parody to reveal valuable truths about the construction of contemporary media. The show�??s unconventional form allows it to explore the murky ties between commercial and journalistic media as it constantly lampoons the paradoxes of reality television, offering valuable insights on how to better contextualize the institutions it mocks. While it may seem opportunistic and crass on its surface, Nathan for You demonstrates how comedy, particularly television comedy and parody, can engage with other media and texts on a critical level and help modern audiences develop media literacy.
Degree
B.A.
Thesis Department
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OpenAccess.
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