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PARODY AS DISCURSIVE PRACTICE: IDENTITY, POWER, AND
AUDIENCE IN CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH DISCOURSE
Chulliyev Nuriddin Abdirashid ugli
abdirashiduglinuriddin@gmail.com
ESL Teacher, National University of Uzbekistan
Abstract:
This article examines parody as a discursive practice in contemporary
English, focusing on its role in constructing identity, challenging power structures,
and shaping audience reception. Drawing on key concepts from discourse theory,
performativity, and digital media analysis, the discussion explores parody not simply
as a comedic form but as a tool of ideological critique and cultural negotiation.
Through close readings of both literary and digital examples including Margaret
Atwood’s
The Penelopiad
,
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
, TikTok’s “CEO of…”
trend, Duolingo’s satirical branding, and the
Bad Lip-Reading YouTube
channel
−
the
article highlights how parody functions across genres and platforms to destabilize
norms, amplify marginalized voices, and engage affectively with diverse audiences.
Keywords:
parody, discourse, identity construction, power structures, reception
theory, intertextuality, performativity, digital culture, ideology, affect theory.
Introduction
In today’s media
-saturated society, parody serves as a powerful form of cultural
commentary, negotiating meanings through playful imitation and pointed
exaggeration. Rather than dismissing parody as mere entertainment, this article
positions it as a significant discursive practice rooted in broader structures of identity
and power. Michel Foucault’s theory of discourse provides a framework for
understanding how language produces and regulates social reality, while Judith
Butler’s concept of performativity reveals how identities are enacted through
repeated cultural codes. Within this theoretical landscape, parody becomes an
incisive strategy for exposing and disrupting normative constructions.
Our analysis is grounded in the premise that parody occupies a dual role: it
reflects dominant discourses while simultaneously undermining them. Whether
through literary revision, social media trends, or viral videos, parody navigates the
space between critique and performance, questioning who has the authority to speak,
to define, and to be represented.
Discursive Construction of Identity in Parody
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One of parody’s most vital functions is its ability to construct and deconstruct
identity. As identity is increasingly shaped by media narratives, parody creates a
counter-space for challenging essentialist assumptions.
A particularly illustrative example is Seth Grahame-
Smith’s
Pride and
Prejudice and Zombies
(2009), which reframes the genteel femininity of Austen’s
world through a zombie-fighting lens. By exaggerating the tropes of both Regency
romance and horror, the novel constructs an alternative vision of womanhood
−
one
that is both self-reliant and subversive. Rather than merely mocking the original, the
parody prompts critical reflection on how gender roles are constructed and consumed
across eras.
In line with Butler’s notion of parody as performative subversion, parody
reclaims stigmatized identities. Drag performance, for instance, parodies
heteronormative gender roles by repeating them with ironic excess. In the digital
realm, the Instagram page @BoysWhoCanCook offers a compelling example. Here,
images of unappetizing meals accompanied by overconfident captions parody the
masculine bravado often seen in amateur cooking culture. These humorous
exaggerations highlight the contractedness of gendered expectations around domestic
skills and visual self-presentation.
As Julia Kristeva argues, all texts are intertextual. Parody, by explicitly
foregrounding this relationality, allows individuals to inhabit multiple identity
positions at once. Through intertextual play, parody destabilizes fixed categories and
invites new readings of the self.
Parody and Power Structures: Interrogating Ideology
Parody also intervenes directly in structures of power by appropriating and
deforming dominant discourses. As scholars like Pierre Bourdieu have shown,
language is a site of symbolic power, used to naturalize social hierarchies. Parody
reverses this dynamic by mimicking authoritative voices and exposing their
contradictions.
Margaret Atwood’s
The Penelopiad
offers a literary case study of such
ideological intervention. Retelling
The Odyssey
from Penelope’s point of view,
Atwood exposes the patriarchal biases embedded in classical narratives. The maids,
executed in the original, become a parodic chorus, offering sardonic commentary on
gender, class, and justice. Atwood’s use of irony and genre parody dislodges the
epic’s moral certainty and reclaims narrative space for the marginalized.
A different form of resistance appears in the
Bad Lip Reading
YouTube series,
which dubs over political figures with absurd and comical dialogue. While clearly
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playful, the re-voicing draws attention to the theatricality of political discourse,
suggesting that public authority is performative rather than inherent. This type of
parody functions as a form of democratic mockery, allowing viewers to scrutinize
power through satire.
Another rich example of parody’s negotiation with power is the “CEO of…”
trend on TikTok. In these videos, users label themselves with ironic corporate titles
−
“CEO of overthinking,” for example
−
to mock the language of personal branding
and self-optimization. This satirical inversion critiques neoliberal subjectivity,
wherein identity is framed as a product to be managed and marketed. The format’s
viral success suggests a widespread discomfort with the commodification of
personality.
Corporations themselves have also entered the space of parody. Duolingo’s
TikTok account exemplifies this shift, as the language app’s owl mascot adopts an
exaggeratedly aggressive persona
−
chasing users, reacting melodramatically to
lesson neglect, and engaging in absurd trends. While superficially playful, this self-
parody functions as a branding tactic, blurring the line between critique and consumer
engagement.
While Fredric Jameson warns of parody collapsing into pastiche under late
capitalism, these examples show that parody retains critical potential when
contextually situated and culturally engaged.
Audience Reception: Interpretation, Affect, and Cultural Literacy
As parody is inherently intertextual and coded, its impact relies heavily on
audience interpretation. Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model offers a valuable
framework for understanding how viewers may interpret parodic content differently,
depending on their ideological position, media literacy, and cultural knowledge.
Interpretive communities, in Stanley Fish’s sense, play a decisive role. A reader
familiar with Homeric literature and feminist theory will likely appreciate the
subversive thrust of
The Penelopiad
, while others may dismiss it as irreverent.
Similarly, digital parody demands high levels of contextual awareness. Without an
understanding of TikTok culture, the ironic resonance of “CEO of awkward silences”
may be lost.
Affect theory deepens this perspective. Scholars like Sara Ahmed and Lauren
Berlant emphasize that emotions are shaped socially and politically. Parody, then,
becomes an affective event: it can trigger laughter, discomfort, solidarity, or
resistance. For instance, within Black Twitter, parody is often deployed as a strategy
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of cultural critique
−
mocking racial stereotypes while reinforcing communal bonds.
Such content may empower one audience and alienate another.
The use of parody by brands like Duolingo raises additional questions about the
affective labor of interpretation. Viewers may laugh at the aggressive owl, but the
parody also elicits trust and brand loyalty. These affective dynamics illustrate how
parody participates in emotional economies, even as it critiques them.
Conclusion
This article has argued that parody is a complex and dynamic mode of discourse
that both reflects and resists cultural norms. By constructing alternative identities,
critiquing hegemonic narratives, and inviting participatory interpretation, parody
functions as a tool for discursive agency. Its significance extends beyond literature
into digital culture, where it continues to evolve as a space for collective meaning-
making and cultural intervention.
However, the political efficacy of parody depends on context
—
who is
producing it, who is consuming it, and how it circulates. As the boundaries between
critique and commerce become increasingly blurred, parody must be evaluated with
nuance. At its best, parody offers more than laughter: it opens up space for alternative
visions of self, society, and power.
REFERENCES
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The Cultural Politics of Emotion
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The Penelopiad
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Berlant, Lauren.
Cruel Optimism
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Language and Symbolic Power
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Gender Trouble
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Is There a Text in This Class?
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Discipline and Punish
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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
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9.
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