Examples: Itchy & Scratchy from The Simpsons, The Scary Door from Futurama, or The Grand Inquisitor from Dostoevsky.

  • ALQ@lemmy.world
    64·
    4 months ago

    The Princess Bride is one of my favorite examples of this, especially because the “story within the story” is the main story, which is unusual.

    • jpreston2005@lemmy.world
      5·
      3 months ago

      When I was a kid I absolutely loved movies with this format. It was like I was learning the story along with the characters on screen, and it just made it feel more real. Like the story was so old and with enough truth to it that they made a movie just about people learning about said story. It let you feel like the caring, kind old narrator was your adoptive grandpa, and he was revealing to you some ancient, fantastical part of our history. One that you could imagine really happened, even if the story had some exaggerations. Those opening sequences where they show a big old, leather bound book opening up to the first chapter (e.g. The Sword in the Stone)? HOOK IT TO MY VEINS

      • A Phlaming Phoenix@lemm.ee
        6·
        3 months ago

        This is a literary device called a “bookend narrative.” If you want more stories like that, there’s your search term.

  • snooggums@lemmy.worldEnglish
    51·
    4 months ago

    Tales of the Black Freighter from the Watchmen comics is pretty awesome.

    All My Circuits on Futurama is one of my favorites on tv. Dramatic beeping intensifies.

  • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgEnglish
    37·
    4 months ago

    30 Rock has quite a few good ones:

    • M.I.L.F Island
    • Bitch Hunter
    • TGS
    • The satirized version of NBC in the show (lots of ‘biting the hand’ humor)
    • jqubed@lemmy.world
      14·
      4 months ago

      Weirdly (or not, perhaps) MILF Island was turned into a real show (sort of) not once but twice. On The Cougar a 40-year-old woman was seeking a partner among male contestants who were all in their 20s. On the rather more disturbing MILF Manor a group of women between the ages of 40-60 stay in a villa seeking to pair up with a pool of younger bachelors, which turns out to be made entirely of the women’s sons. Wikipedia says in season 2 the ex-husbands were also added to the dating pool so the sons had to compete against their dads for the divorced moms.

        • booly@sh.itjust.works
          9·
          3 months ago

          John Oliver sometimes runs random out of context clips of MILF Manor and I’m not sure actually watching them in context would make them any less ridiculous.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
        2·
        3 months ago

        Loved MILF Manor. As weird as it sounds, MILF Manor season 2 was actually pretty touching at times. Season 1 was cringe overload. Both were great

        • jqubed@lemmy.world
          2·
          3 months ago

          I only saw a promo for it once and was pretty grossed-out, but had to at least look up the Wikipedia. I don’t think I was the target audience, other than it reminding me of 30 Rock.

          • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
            1·
            3 months ago

            It’s absolutely ridiculous garbage. But if you are like me and into that shit, it’s great.

      • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgEnglish
        8·
        4 months ago

        OMG I would love for that to be a real show. It would have to be hosted by the actor who did it in the show; he was perfect.

        “It’s always the other one. Let me see the card.”

        “No! Never!”

  • NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world
    33·
    4 months ago

    “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”

    by Douglas Adams is a book about a book called “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”

    • AlolanYoda@mander.xyz
      2·
      3 months ago

      Yeaaaaah

      This was so impactful that I only recently realized the title of the actual TV show wasn’t “Tool Time”. People talked about a mysterious show called “Home Improvement” and I didn’t even suspect it was the one I watched with my parents all those years ago

  • AstralPath@lemmy.ca
    25·
    4 months ago

    Interdimensional Cable from Rick and Morty is outrageous. GTA’s radio stations (VCPR was the best) and TV shows are often really funny. The Pißwasser beer commercial from IV always gets me.

      • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
        2·
        3 months ago

        I like that someone figured out half assing things can be just as funny or even funnier than putting in the effort to make it look more professional.

        Now I’m curious about who first bottled that lightning.

        Maybe the makers of Aqua Teen Hunger Force? Half the characters in there seemed like they were making it up as they went and is the earliest one I can think of where that was a common theme.

        Home Movies came later but is the earliest where that’s applied to media produced “in-universe” that I can think of.

        Home Improvement was earlier than both and Tim was often out of his league on his show, but that was more of a “ill prepared but at least trying to be professional” act than “making it up as we go and not even trying to hide it”.

  • hihi24522@lemm.ee
    181·
    4 months ago

    “Scary door” from Futurama

    It’s a play on the twilight zone and it’s quite something.

    “A casino where I’m always winning? This must be heaven!” “A casino where I always win… I must actually be… IN HELL!”

    “No Mr. smith. You’re not in heaven or hell. You’re on an airplane!”

    “Help! There’s a gremlin destroying the plane! You’ve gotta believe me!”

    “Why should I believe you?! You’re Hitler!”

    For those interested: The Scary Door