An unlikely target?

Noir conjures images of the serious and the stoic. In these films, grizzled gangsters claw their way to the top, moody detectives muse over the meaningless of life, and dangerous dames shrewdly scheme for power and independence. . These films aren't normally comedic. However, ever since their inception in the 1930's and 40's (double check this), Films Noir have been accompanied by Noir parodies. These parodies reframe film noir in a way that usually inspires laughter rather than the traditional hopeless and grave tones Noir fans might be used to.

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So what?

What's the significance of these parodies? Why have they set their sights on Film Noir, and how do they interact with their original texts? What significance is there in studying film Noir parodies, and why do you keep putting questions in my mouth?" Don't worry, reader. All in due time.

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In the dark recesses of this website, you'll find answer you seek. The page on Parody offers a brief overview of the history of parody and tells how parody is significant in how it interacts with genre. The "Why Film Noir?" page will answer the question of why Film Noir has garnered so many parodies over the years. Finally, each of the examples of parody will examine how the noir parodies approach their source material in different ways, simultaneously critique and praising different aspects of the Noir. My hope is that this website will introduce you to a host of humorous texts and will instill upon you how without its parodies, Film Noir would be perceived much differently than it is today.

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Where do I start?

If you need to brush up on a history of parody and would like to learn about why I think artists have chosen to parody Noir, then start with the Parody page, then move onto the Why parody Film Noir, and then onto the examples of Film Noir parody. If you're feeling confident in your parodic knowledge, feel free to peruse this page in any way you like.