Probably everyone reading this knows that I've loved parodies for years. I'm not just talking about music parodies, such as what "Weird Al" Yankovic does, although his work is included. Movie parodies are also enjoyable; I remember having some Big Dogs shirts that spoofed popular movies such as Spider-Man ("Peter Barker is Spider-Dog!") or Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones ("Dog Wars: Attack of the Bones"). Even a clip I saw at MovieStop from Scary Movie 4 that poked fun at the Tom Cruise "jumping the couch" incident made me laugh. However, one thing about parodies--at least, ones that are intended to be funny--is that, if someone is unfamiliar with the work being spoofed, he/she won't find it the least bit humorous. I remember seeing Galaxy Quest and not liking it one bit. When I found out from a movie-fanatic friend that it was full of Star Trek allusions, I understood why I didn't appreciate it: I knew next to nothing about Gene Roddenberry's space opera at the time.
Still, what happened last night was even worse. That was when the second season premiere of Victorious, "The Breakfast Bunch," aired on Nickelodeon. Prior to its airing, I was quite excited; I absolutely loved last December's Christmas episode and the "You're the Reason" video. However, "The Breakfast Bunch" ended up being a terrible disappointment. As you probably guessed from its title, said episode was a spoof of the classic 80's film The Breakfast Club. However, what I saw last night wasn't the least bit funny to me, because I've never seen that film and have no intention of doing so. I'd imagine that the vast majority of the target audience--ages eight to fourteen--was just as clueless throughout the episode as I was. The implications were even worse; the characters used the word "vegan" Meet the Parents-style to suggest another "V" word, and a willingness (or lack thereof) to eat tacos implied whether or not they would do the according act. I may be somewhat naïve, but even I got what they were suggesting. "The Breakfast Bunch" may have been rated "TV-G," but the suggestiveness brought it very close to "PG-13" territory.
By now, you're probably wondering what on earth all that has to do with you football fans. Well, I'll tell you: I may be a layperson when it comes to football, but I do know that the Super Bowl is widely considered to be the biggest sporting event in the United States. Advertisers pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for their commercials to air during the game, and people who normally don't pay much attention to the NFL willingly plop down on their couches to watch it. Yet, many of my sports-loving friends feel totally indifferent about this year's "big game". Either they don't care for the New England Patriots nor the New York Giants, or they just want one team to win because they absolutely despise the other team and/or one of its players. For such a widely celebrated sporting event, it seems like most NFL fans won't be watching, simply because they're disappointed by which teams were this year's NFC and AFC champions.
I've mentioned before on here that I used to despise all sports and all sports fans. One thing I didn't get was why people were so devoted to their team(s), and got upset when the game didn't go as they'd hoped. Of course, I eventually realized (on my own, mind you) that I didn't have any right to bash others' irrational devotion, since I've been guilty of that my entire life. I later understood the concept of "wounded pride" after seeing Siobhan Magnus get unfairly eliminated from American Idol, not to mention that abysmal Love and Other Drugs preview featuring none other than my then-Hollywood sweetheart Anne Hathaway. Well, now, not only am I experiencing wounded pride again, but I'm also sharing most football fans' frustration. Entertainment is to me what sports is to most of you; while you have at least one favorite team whom you always want to win, I have favorite celebrities whom I always want to see succeed in whatever they do: acting, singing, writing, etc. So, when I see something such as "The Breakfast Bunch," it's as upsetting to me as that alleged epic fail of a field goal during the Forty-Niners/Giants game last Sunday is to you.
What's my point? At the risk of sounding like a certain former President, I feel your pain. You're frustrated with the current state of the NFL; I'm equally frustrated by the fact that my favorite show, which stars my favorite actress, potentially "jumped the shark" last night. That's why God gives us friends: to support us during trying times. My only hope is that these upsetting events (that is, the latest Victorious episode as well as who is playing in this year's Super Bowl) don't become a trend.
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