Which came first? The chicken or the egg on my face?

In which two parties who should know better attempt to debate the difference between satire and parody from memory.

• masterofpigeons:
  

  Satire is special to my heart.

• codejill:
  

  And parody, and the squishy part where satire and parody blend…

• masterofpigeons:
  

  Can satire exist without parody?

• codejill:
  

  I was just wondering that. ‘Cause they’re not the same thing, but I can’t quite think how to pull them apart either.

• masterofpigeons:
  

  Without “poking fun at the form,” can you critique the idea?

• codejill:
  

  I’m going to look this up. I’m really vague on all of it.

  OK, this is parody:

  a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule

  And this is satire:

  a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn

• masterofpigeons:
  

  I’ll give myself a B+ or an A- on my understanding of the ideas.

• codejill:
  

  Ditto.

  I guess parody is a derivative work while satire is “parody” of actual life.

• masterofpigeons:
  

  But we understand real life in story form! Or we tell stories in real-life form. Damn chickens and eggs always messing things up in my head.

• codejill:
  

  OK, put that way, with chickens and eggs:
  

  Life

  is the chicken.

  Satire

  is the egg.

  Parody

  is green eggs & ham

• masterofpigeons:
  

  No, no, no:

  Life

  is chickens and eggs.

  Satire

  is the chicken eating the egg.

  Parody

  is the egg hatching another egg.