self-parody
noun
self-par·o·dy
ˌself-ˈper-ə-dē 
-ˈpa-rə-
plural self-parodies
: representation of oneself or itself that has the character or appearance of a parody
Detractors accused him … of relying on a sneaky humor and swagger that approached self-parody.—
New York Times
New York Times… the lack of ideological diversity on campuses is a disservice to the students and to liberalism itself, with liberalism collapsing on some campuses into self-parody.—Nicholas Kristof
Nicholas Kristof
self-parodist
ˌself-ˈper-ə-dist
noun
-ˈpa-rə-
plural self-parodists
Artists seem to have more of a sense of humor about themselves today than they did 10 or 20 years ago. Eminem is practically a self-parodist.
—Mikael Wood
Mikael Wood
Examples of self-parody in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Maria’s scenes ultimately provoke laughter, not discomfort, and her arc devolves into accidental self-parody.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
In a bit of self-parody, Wickline plays herself opposite Kam Patterson’s Lil Jon.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Dec. 2025
The difference in their performances is exactly as Sherman says: Davis’s elaborately mannered performance is especially effective in this film because its theatricality renders it, as befits the role, a self-parody.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2025
For Hilton, whose public persona has always blended self-parody and glamour, the nod feels intentional — a bridge between two eras of women who mastered spectacle on their own terms.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2025
But most of those productions fell into the trap of self-parody that ensnares so many attempts at franchise crossovers.
—Robert Niles, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
And at a moment when the Fast and Furious movies’ celebration of family has turned into self-parody, this warm, emotional movie is actually touching in its portrait of a community bonding together to defeat the rich, callous outsiders (portrayed here by Susan Sarandon).
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
The ambiguity, the exaltation and sarcastic self-parody, the gloom alternating with a yearning for simplicity and even for redemption—all of that reflected the split consciousness of Jews who could never belong and turned revenge upon themselves.
—David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
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Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
In a bit of self-parody, Wickline plays herself opposite Kam Patterson’s Lil Jon.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Dec. 2025
The difference in their performances is exactly as Sherman says: Davis’s elaborately mannered performance is especially effective in this film because its theatricality renders it, as befits the role, a self-parody.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2025
For Hilton, whose public persona has always blended self-parody and glamour, the nod feels intentional — a bridge between two eras of women who mastered spectacle on their own terms.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2025
But most of those productions fell into the trap of self-parody that ensnares so many attempts at franchise crossovers.
—Robert Niles, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
And at a moment when the Fast and Furious movies’ celebration of family has turned into self-parody, this warm, emotional movie is actually touching in its portrait of a community bonding together to defeat the rich, callous outsiders (portrayed here by Susan Sarandon).
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
The ambiguity, the exaltation and sarcastic self-parody, the gloom alternating with a yearning for simplicity and even for redemption—all of that reflected the split consciousness of Jews who could never belong and turned revenge upon themselves.
—David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-parody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-parody. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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