Intertextuality: Parodic Allusion, Creative Appropriation, and Self-Reflexive Reference

Simply defined, intertextuality is the shaping of texts' meanings by other texts. In Brian Ott's and Cameron Walter’s article Intertextuality: Interpretive Practice and Textual Strategy, they discuss intertextuality as, “an interpretive practice of audiences and a stylistic device consciously employed by producers of media” (Ott & Walter, p. 429). The authors focus on “intertextuality as textual strategy”, and posit three different types: parodic allusion, creative appropriation, and self-reflexive reference (p. 431).

Intertextuality in interpretive practice can have limited (Fiske) or limitless/infinite (Barthes, Kristova) audience interpretations of texts (pp. 431-433). Intertextuality as a textual strategy use stylistic devices such as imitation and parody in the media through allusion (p. 434). Allusions are based on the assumption that there is a body of knowledge that is shared by the author and the reader and that therefore the reader will understand the author’s referent. 

In terms of imitation, a parody imitates the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect. Parodic allusion then, is, “a stylistic device in which one text incorporates a caricature of another, most often, popular cultural text... that seeks to amuse through juxtaposition” (pp. 435-436). Here, the audience knows enough information about the original text to find humor in the parody. A good example of parodic allusion is Jimmy Fallon’s and Stephen Colbert’s “Friday” musical skit, a spoof on Rebecca Black’s viral YouTube music video:
 
Stephen Colbert Sings "Friday" with The Roots

Creative appropriation, or inclusion, “actually reproduces a portion of the original text”, and is often a commentary on how that text plays a role in a broader view of culture (p. 437). While inclusion can be used as a critical device, it can also be used to celebrate the text from which it is taken (p. 438). For example, Sean Comb’s & Faith Evan’s tribute to The Notorious B.I.G., I’ll Be Missing You, samples Every Breath You Take by The Police, which was the most popular song of 1983.


Lastly, self-reflexive references are, “subtle gestures that to be appreciated require specific knowledge of the text..." (p. 439). The article references a specific scene in Ally McBeal, at a time when the show’s star Calista Flockhart was very thin and rumors of anorexia ran rampant in the news. In the scene, she literally runs into Lara Flynn Boyle (who starred in The Practice at the time and who was also very thin). Boyle said, “Maybe you should eat a cookie,” to which Flockhart replied, “Maybe we should share it” (p. 440). The EW article below discusses the scene, calling it “self-referential fun”.

This week's 'Ally McBeal' episode offers inside jokes for fans of 'The Practice'