Cunk on Earth- The Rise of Parody Comedies
Philomena Cunk takes us back to Ancient Greece as she poses stylishly in front of these sculptures
May 10, 2023
Comedy has been a huge part of pop culture for a while now, and this is largely because it is typically relatable and easy to watch. Recently, with the release of Cunk on Earth on Netflix, people are falling in love with another sub genre of comedy: Parodies.
Parodies are essentially an imitation of another thing in order to add a comedic effect to it. Cunk on Earth is classified as a mockumentary because it basically parodies the serious tone of documentaries by adding lighthearted and somewhat dumb jokes in the mix. Even though it is certainly not the first show that parodies a serious topic, Cunk on Earth is one of the most popular ones that have been released. With so many quotable moments and an amazing script, the British mockumentary stole the hearts of many viewers who have recently discovered it on Netflix.
Cunk on Earth was originally released on BBC on September 19, 2022. Its host, played by Diane Morgan, is humorously named Philomena Cunk. The show follows Philomena as she travels around the world and narrates the beginnings of human civilization. Despite it being a comedy, there are some truths to the content in this show; however, those facts always have a comedic spin on them, which makes the show very engaging. As Philomena travels, she “interviews” experts on whatever topic that episode is discussing. These people are actual experts instead of paid actors, so it is very funny to watch them trying to answer Philomena’s ridiculous questions.
The thing that captured viewers the most was the unique delivery in Morgan’s performance. She starts her sentences very formally, leading the viewers to believe that she’s just going to state an important fact, but midway through the sentence, she says something completely ridiculous. Morgan keeps the same serious tone throughout the entire show, which makes it even funnier because it contrasts the humorous nature of what she is saying. Sometimes, the lines in the show are so ridiculous that it takes me a few seconds to fully process them, which makes it even funnier when I realize what the punchline of the joke is.
For example, in the very first episode, Philomena monotonously expresses, “I am entering a cave. Not by mistake or because I’m a wolf, but because I’ve been specifically asked to come here by the producers.” Her breaking the fourth wall caught me off guard in the best way possible, and I had to pause the show because I was laughing so hard.
I think what they did with the show was super clever; using humor in the documentary style made it not only interesting and easy to pay attention to but made it enjoyable to watch. I think it’s hilarious. Being able to have fun is the key to anything being enjoyable. — Milo Martinson (11)
Another highlight of the show is Morgan’s body humor. Not only does she perfect Philomena Cunk’s facial expressions, but she also occasionally trips, which makes the show so much more genuine and fun. In one of the episodes where she visits Egypt, she literally rolls off a sandy cliff while talking about Egyptian beliefs surrounding death. A lot of the times the trips are accidental, but the producers kept it in to add to the comedy, which I think makes the show much more genuine.
This type of parody humor seen in Cunk on Earth is not very common in the mainstream nowadays. It is mostly only seen on platforms such as tiktok and youtube, which is why this show is so special. When asked this, Milo Martinson (11) expressed, “I think what they did with the show was super clever; using humor in the documentary style made it not only interesting and easy to pay attention to but made it enjoyable to watch. I think it’s hilarious. Being able to have fun is the key to anything being enjoyable.” I personally thought it was very enjoyable as well, and I definitely hope to see more shows just like this one. I would also like to see Diane Morgan in more comedies; she is truly a comedic gem.
