In this major study of a flexible and multifaceted mode of expression, Linda Hutcheon looks at works of modern literature, visual art, music, film, theater, and architecture to arrive at a comprehensive assessment of what parody is and what it does.

Hutcheon identifies parody as a major form of modern self-reflexivity, one that marks the intersection of invention and critique and offers an important mode for coming to terms with the texts and discourses of the past. Looking at works as diverse as Tom Stoppard's Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Brian de Palma's Dressed to Kill, Woody Allen's Zelig, Karlheinz Stockhausen's Hymnen, James Joyce's Ulysses, and Magritte's This Is Not a Pipe, Hutcheon discusses the remarkable range of intent in modern parody while distinguishing it from pastiche, burlesque, travesty, and satire. She shows how parody, through ironic playing with multiple conventions, combines creative expression with critical commentary. Its productive-creative approach to tradition results in a modern recoding that establishes difference at the heart of similarity.

In a new introduction, Hutcheon discusses why parody continues to fascinate her and why it is commonly viewed as suspect -- for being either too ideologically shifty or too much of a threat to the ownership of intellectual and creative property.

Light up and laugh out loud at this adult parody of a favorite children's series. A hilarious gift for your favorite stoner. "If you've ever thought about getting high with a bear, you should definitely read Sam Miserendino's parody, If You Give A Bear A Bong. In fact, you should probably read it even if you've never been tempted to share a bong with a bear, because the bud-loving bear in Sam's book will, no doubt, remind you of someone you know. Maybe even someone you know really, really well (think person in the mirror)." -High Times A humorous play off of the bestselling If You Give a Moose a Muffin, this book tells the story of a bear that had just one too many bong hits. Following the success of other adult-themed parodies of children's books, like Go the F*ck to Sleep, author Sam Miserendino presents a delightful tale that will entertain readers with its charming combination of innocence and lack thereof. Featuring gorgeous full-color illustrations by illustrator Mike Odum that accompany the text, this heartwarming cautionary tale informs readers of the dangers of mixing marijuana and large mammals.