That's Not A Parody. THIS Is A Parody.

Groupon has been slammed for airing insensitive commercials making fun of issues people care about in the name of selling coupons. CEO Andrew Mason posted on his blog, not an apology, but an explanation of the joke.

Tip number one - if you have to explain the joke, it's probably not funny.

His defense is that they were parodies of celebrity-voiced PSAs. Okay, here's what you don't get about parodies, Andrew. They fully imitate the source material and change one thing that's absurd and makes it funny - and they let us in on the one thing that's different early so we're in on the joke, too. See virtually any SNL commercial parody for an example of this. They do it well. Your PSAs spend the first half of its thirty seconds as a legitimate message about the plight of a people, or species or forest. Then it pulls the rug out by saying "Fuck them! I got a great deal from Groupon!" Not a joke. Certainly not a well-crafted one. I care about those issues and your commercial made me feel like shit for liking Groupon. Was that the desired affect?

This is a parody.

“Save Groupon”

(A montage of young 20-somethings dressed casually, sitting at computers writing, slowly getting a soda from the break room refrigerator, checking their Facebook accounts. Slow, moving music plays.)

TIMOTHY HUTTON (VO)

Internet savvy Groupon. One of the hippest on-line companies to work for in the world. This is Timothy Hutton. The people of Groupon are in trouble. Their very culture is in jeopardy.

(Close-up on an unshaven Groupon worker dejectedly walking from a printer seeming to carry a stack of papers below his waist which we cannot see. He moves in slow motion to the funeral-esque music. Cut to close-up of Timothy Hutton.)

TIMOTHY HUTTON

Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about it! I got paid. So did the ad agency and Christopher Guest the director got paid a ridiculous amount of money to just come in a shoot the commercial that had already been storyboarded and pre-produced to the nth degree. It’s a multi-million dollar Super Bowl ad, after all.

(Camera pans back to reveal Groupon worker now waiting on tables and placing a dish in front of Hutton. Hutton takes a bite from his plate of food.)

TIMOTHY HUTTON

Hmmm. Crow.

SERVER/FORMER GROUPON EMPLOYEE

We don't even make that dish.

(Hutton's smart phone dings. He checks it.)

TIMOTHY HUTTON

Oooh, a great deal from Living Social.

(Cut to logo of Living Social.)

ANNOUNCER (VO)

Save your money. Use Living Social.

Groupon spent approximately 15 million dollars for those three Super Bowl ads. What a waste of money. I would have been more impressed, and still subscribed to their e-mails, if they simply gave 5 million dollars each to Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network and Tibet Fund.

Week 21, Day 141 - “The International Comedy Writing Institute of America”

“The International Comedy Writing Institute of America”
Written by Joe Janes
6/8/09
141 of 365


CAST:
Tom, 20s
Shecky, 40s
Customer, 30s
Waiter, 30s
Stand-up, 30s
Hooga Booga Guy, VO
Boss, VO

(Lights up on Tom sitting on his couch watching a comedy show on TV. He looks bummed.)

BOSS (VO)

When I left, this storage room was clean and organized. Now, it’s a mess. What do you have to say for yourself, Hooga?

HOOGA BOOGA GUY (VO)

Hooga booga!

(The is a huge laugh track burst of laughter. Tom clicks off the TV.)

TOM

Man, I could write that!

SHECKY (rising from behind the couch)

That’s right, Tom. You could!

TOM

Who are you?

SHECKY

I’m Shecky “Shecky” Greenberg. President of The International Comedy Writing Institute of America.”

TOM

The International Comedy Writing Institute of America?

SHECKY

That’s right. Where you can learn how to create stock comedy characters with overused catchphrases for cash, just like the professionals.

TOM

I could have a career as a comedy writer!

SHECKY

Let’s see, Tom. Take the International Comedy Writing Institute’s patented comedy writing aptitude test.

(Stage right we cut to a customer and his bowl of soup flanked by a waiter.)

CUSTOMER

Waiter, what is this fly doing in my soup?

SHECKY

See if you can pick the right punchline, Tom. Is it A-?

WAITER

Humping a crouton.

SHECKY

B-

WAITER

He’s probably a member of a certain ethnic group (winks).

SHECKY

C-

(The waiter winces and we hear a fart.)

SHECKY

Or D.

WAITER

Oh, my. I am so sorry, sir. Let me take that and get you a new one. The management will pick up your bill.

(The waiter takes the soup and exits.)

SHECKY

If you picked any answer other than “D” – you might have what it takes to be a comedy writer.

TOM

Ooh, I have the right punchline…. The backstroke!

SHECKY

That would be stealing, Tom.

TOM

Oh!

SHECKY

I’m just kidding. At the International Comedy Writing Institute of America we don’t call it stealing, we call it heightening.

TOM

Will I learn how to write stand-up comedy?

SHECKY

Of course you will. And you’ll learn how to write for all kinds of comedians, like Yakov Smirnoff.

(Cut to stage right with Stand-Up at a microphone.)

STAND-UP

In Russia, the walls in my apartment were so thin, whenever I went to the bathroom, my neighbor would ask me to wash his back. What a country!

SHECKY

Or Dane Cook.

STAND-UP

The walls in my apartment are so thin, whenever I go to the bathroom, my neighbor asks me to jerk him off. What the fuck?

(Stand-up victoriously drops microphone and exits.)

TOM

Can I get a job with Saturday Night Live, like the professionals?

SHECKY

You bet you can, Shecky. At the ICWIA, we’ll teach you how to create one-note characters, beat a comic premise to death, and how to end scenes by simply cutting to a commercial. Don’t just watch comedy on TV; learn to deeply despise it while simultaneously craving its love.

TOM

I’m sold! The International Comedy Writing Institute of America is for me, Shecky. Where do I sign up?

SHECKY

Just call the number on the screen.

TOM

What screen?

SHECKY

Operators are standing by.

(Blackout)