ABSTRACT
Parody thrives on making fun of other forms and genres, of imitating them by lampooning their generic qualities. Its etymology reaches back to the prefix para and the noun ode suggesting an imitation of a familiar and established artistic form. Religious parodies proliferated among the mystery and morality plays of the medieval era, retelling the story of Noah and his nagging wife in a distinct comic frame. Director Mel Brooks remains the cinematic master of parodying film Westerns, horror films, and Hitchcock by lampooning the conventions and codes of horror films, Westerns and biblical epics in recognizable ways. No other biblical text approaches this sub-genre as much as the story of Jonah. The form and expectation for a biblical text on a minor prophet is set up with the narrative's inclusion in the Holy Scriptures. However, the content and treatment delightfully violated all expectations of prophetic behavior and divine judgment.
