All posts tagged: Parody

Olivia Rodrigo on Jake Paul, Mike Tyson Fight, Drivers License Parody

Olivia Rodrigo on Jake Paul, Mike Tyson Fight, Drivers License Parody

Published by Daniella Wilson

Olivia Rodrigo called back upon some of her career-making moments during her hosting debut on Saturday Night Live. In Rodrigo’s monologue, the 23-year-old singer began by exclaiming that it was “a dream” to be hosting the late night show for the first time. She joked that she “grew up watching the show, and they say your favorite SNL cast is the one you watched as a teenager.” “Mine is Mikey Day, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson and Chloe Fineman,” she said, who are all notably current cast members on the show. “And they all came back this week just to cheer me on. How sweet!” Poking further at her young age, the three-time Grammy winner recounted some of her early projects as a child actor. She previously starred in the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark, and on SNL, she acknowledged that she used to be co-stars with Jake Paul. “When I was 13, I was on a Disney show called Bizaardvark, and we had an incredible cast, which included acting legend Jake Paul,” Rodrigo said. “And we’d …

In an Interview, Deep Voodoo’s Matt Stone Says AI Will Benefit TV

In an Interview, Deep Voodoo’s Matt Stone Says AI Will Benefit TV

Published by Daniella Wilson

In a professionally lighted brick-walled space in Venice, not different from many other professionally lighted brick-walled spaces all over Los Angeles, actors routinely come in to have their photos and video taken. The process is quick and unremarkable to anyone familiar with the studio-shoot culture of the city, where the backdrops change but the conventions stay the same. Yet the similarities with a typical Hollywood shoot end after the camera switches off at the offices of this boutique firm known as Deep Voodoo. The images and video are converted into data bits and sent to AI-model experts employed all over the world. One in Eastern Europe, another in Argentina, a third in Vancouver. They work their machine-training magic, relying on compute from a data center at an undisclosed location. Eventually all that data gets turned into the desired object: a de-aged actor or deepfake or other synthetic image that can used for various forms of entertainment. All of that would be intriguing even if the founders of Deep Voodoo weren’t South Park instigators Trey Parker and Matt …

Druski draws backlash over latest parody video mocking MAGA women

Druski draws backlash over latest parody video mocking MAGA women

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Controversial social media comedian Druski has provoked backlash online with his latest video titled: “How Conservative Women in America act.” The 31-year-old influencer, whose real name is Drew Desbordes, has a history of making provocative videos. Last September, he went viral with another clip where he wore prosthetics and make-up to look like a white NASCAR fan. That video was titled: “Guy who is just proud to be an American.” In his new video, Druski wears similar prosthetics and make-up, only this time appearing as a white woman. He portrays the character holding a mock press conference about the war in Iran, being interviewed while clutching a Bible, participating in a pilates class and ordering a “sweet cream foam chai iced matcha” at a drive-through. The clip ends with another press conference where the character states: “We have to protect all …

The Simpsons’ 800th episode features parody of hit 90s song — and fans are loving it

The Simpsons’ 800th episode features parody of hit 90s song — and fans are loving it

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter The Simpsons celebrated its historic milestone with the return of R.E.M. co-founder and former frontman Michael Stipe, who sang a parody of the rock band’s hit 1992 song “Everybody Hurts.” Season 37 of the long-running animated sitcom came to an end Sunday night with a two-part episode, the second marking the show’s 800th installment. Titled “Homer? A Cracker Bro?,” the final episode follows Homer Simpson and Kirk Van Houten as they launch a hugely successful business venture together — a “crumbless” cracker that sweeps the nation. However, Kirk’s life “is flipped upside down after suffering a manic episode that has left him with depression,” according to the installment’s logline. At one point in the episode, a montage plays of Kirk walking around his home in a depressed haze, snacking on a whole rotisserie chicken. While he moves from room to room, …

Druski’s viral parody of flashy preachers renews debate over wealth in the pulpit

Druski’s viral parody of flashy preachers renews debate over wealth in the pulpit

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — A video skit by the comedian known as Druski went viral last week for its parody of prosperity gospel preachers and megachurch culture, prompting criticism of both megachurches and comedians who mock megachurches. In his video captioned “Mega Church Pastors LOVE Money,” the 31-year-old comedian, whose real name is Drew Desbordes, impersonates a rowdy megachurch preacher ostentatiously displaying his wealth. Though some praised the comical aspect of the video, it also prompted fierce discussions, particularly among Black Christians, over just how much money a pastor should make and appropriate attire for the pulpit. Some also denounced the video as bordering on mockery of the Christian faith. The video, published on Jan. 13, came on the heels of a controversy sparked by Pastor Jamal Bryant’s wife, Karri Tuner, who drew criticism for wearing a black sheer dress with a nude underlay to a United Negro College Fund fundraiser in late December in Atlanta. The outfit caused a stir, with some criticizing Turner as not being modest enough. Druski’s minute-long video, filmed in a real …

Monday Micro Softy 52: Elon Musk Parody Asks: Are You a Genius?

Monday Micro Softy 52: Elon Musk Parody Asks: Are You a Genius?

Published by Jenni Sidey

Micro Softy 52:  Elon Musk Parody Asks if You Are a Genius In his early career, Elon Musk did a lot of coding. Good coders must be clever — so here’s a puzzle for our clever readers. This is not Elon Musk either/Grok. We got this one from a post on X on April 13, 2025, by Not Elon Musk. This is identified as a parody account, meaning that the post was not from Musk. Still, it’s a hard one. Readers are told that “People with the right answer are certified geniuses.” The author did not claim to have solved the puzzle or give the answer. Here it is:                 1+4=5                 2+5= 12                 3+6 = 21                 8+11 = ? So, are you a genius according to Parody Elon? What is 8+11 in this sequence? Parody didn’t give you the answer, but we will next Monday, here at Mind Matters News. Solution to Monday Micro Softy 51: Two Mechanics Here is last week’s Micro Softy: Two mechanics were working at Discount Tires. The …

How can “Saturday Night Live” parody a farcical administration?

How can “Saturday Night Live” parody a farcical administration?

Published by Sam Flores

Some of the most durable “Saturday Night Live” sketches are game show parodies. It’s not hard to understand why – the genre runs on the universal appeal of gambling, with many offering a shot at fast money mixed with puzzle or trivia games of skill and elements of chance. But the classics test the players’ intelligence more than their luck, making their outcome less predictable. Hence, people love Alex Trebek’s “Jeopardy” and Darnell Hayes’ “Black Jeopardy” on “SNL.” Minus a few champions who enjoy insane winning streaks on the former, we can’t predict who will win; even contestants with a genius I.Q. can be defeated by someone with bulletproof strategy. “Black Jeopardy,” on the other hand, lands its jokes by fooling the audience into thinking it knows how the contestant Kenan Thompson’s Darnell sets up as the stooge will perform, then quickly turns that assumption on its ear. Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa from “Black Panther,” for example, was entirely out of his depth when called upon to answer questions about American black culture. So was Elizabeth …