Top 10 Times The Boys Parodied Pop Culture
Script written by Andrew Tejada
One of the many reasons we love "The Boys" is seeing how well it parodies pop culture. For this list, we’ll be looking at the funniest and most creative ways this dark superhero show made fun of TV shows, movies, viral videos and online trends. We won’t include times they made fun of specific characters because they warrant a list of their own. Our countdown includes A-Train's Soft Drink Ad, Crimson Countess' "Chimps Don't Cry" song, a graphic recreation of an "Ant-Man" theory, and more! What’s your favorite parody from “The Boys”? Let us know in the comments.
#10: American Hero
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In the universe of “The Boys”, Vought decides the best way to get new members for the Seven is by searching for them with a competition show. The reality tv program “American Hero” becomes both a pivotal part of the plot and a great parody all in one. This supe show uses the same dramatic camera angles and mansions audiences are likely to see on staples like “the Bachelor.” When the participants aren’t on camera, they acknowledge how fake some aspects of their reality show really are. And the finale of the program features shocking last minute twists that were actually heavily planned. “American Hero” perfectly skewers the imagery and production secrets people expect from reality tv.
#9: A-Train Gets Blindsided
Top 20 Times The Boys Parodied Pop Culture
Near the end of season 3, A-Train learns he’ll be getting a film that will tell an over-dramatized and not entirely true version of his life story. The fact that his story centers on an inspiring White person helping a young African-American athlete is a direct shot at the real plot of “The Blind Side”. What makes this reference more clever is what happened behind the scenes of the actual film. Although “The Blind Side” was sold as a close adaptation of Michael Oher’s life, the actual athlete said certain aspects of the film were heavily exaggerated. It seems like both the real and fake versions of Hollywood aren’t afraid to mess around with a biopic’s truth.
#8: Chimps Don’t Cry
Former heroine Crimson Countess was more concerned about the welfare of chimps than the lives of human beings during her time on the show. In an attempt to raise awareness for the primates, she releases the song “Chimps Don’t Cry”. The show’s glimpse at an accompanying video shows images of sad animals throughout. But the full version’s over-the-top visuals and lack of subtlety in the lyrics make it impossible to take it seriously. Ultimately, it’s a near perfect recreation of the long-running animal rights ads that feature singer Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel”. Although the real commercials are often made fun of for being too sad, they have actually helped raise millions of dollars. We hope Crimson Countess did the same with this hilariously dramatic video.
#7: The Mesmerizer
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The concept of a mind-reading kid solving crimes actually sounds like a great premise for a show. When this idea was brought to life on “The Boys”, the creators couldn’t resist poking fun at classic programs too. The blue and red font used for “The Mesmerizer” title mimics graphics used for shows in the “Law and Order” franchise. Additionally, the young lead character Mesmer plays is named Lt. Howser. That means he shares a last name with a teenage prodigy from a classic medical drama. As icing on the cake, both “Doogie Howser” and Mesmer are played by actors who were huge child stars. The amount of surface level and meta jokes underneath the Mesmerizer turned it into a brilliant and layered satire.
#6: The Deep’s Lifetime Movie
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After The Deep publicly breaks ties with a shady organization, his story is brought to life with the hilariously over-the-top “Not Without My Dolphin” movie. The end result looks like a parody of a film you’d find on the Lifetime network. Over the years, this channel has been known for turning recent headlines into extremely dramatic movies. The Deep’s trailer tries to mimic the quick editing and dramatic text seen in Lifetime trailers. And since the real network is geared towards women, the “Not Without My Dolphin” goes overboard to appeal to the same demographic. But given “The Deep’s” shady past with his female fans, we think we’ll skip his made-for-tv movie.
#5: A Graphic Recreation of an “Ant-Man” Theory
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Before “Avengers: Endgame” was released in theaters, fans came up with a gross idea for how Ant-Man could defeat the big bad Thanos. Let’s just say it involved the shrinking hero using his powers to get…up close and personal with a certain part of the Mad titan. Although this widespread fan theory never came true, “The Boys” wasn’t afraid to go there. The show introduced a hero named Termite who once freely used his shrinking abilities for very adult acts. But he gets in major trouble after he accidentally causes someone’s death when he goes from small to big too soon. After seeing the gory results we can’t show a frame of here, we’re glad Ant-Man never got that close to Thanos.
#4: Vought Imagines a Great Parody
When Soldier Boy’s explosion makes both famous people and citizens uneasy, The Deep swims in with a YouTube video. He tries to reassure everyone by singing a cover of Imagine with a bunch of celebrity friends. The vertical video format and cameos made it a biting send-up of Gal Gadot’s “Imagine video. Although she and her fellow celebs had good intentions when they released it in the turbulent 2020, it was heavily criticized. Many people didn’t buy that celebrities with huge fortunes and homes could really relate to the struggles the average person was having. Even Gal Gadot herself later said the video was “in poor taste.”. Ironically, The Deep’s incredible parody may have actually been better received than the original “Imagine” project.
#3: The Girls Get It Done Campaign
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A scene where many of Marvel’s major heroines teamed up in “Endgame” divided viewers. While some saw it as an epic scene, others thought the moment and dialogue felt a little forced. The writers for “The Boys” let everyone know they had a negative view of the scene by satirizing the “Endgame” moment almost word for word. But the show didn’t stop there. When the extremely dangerous Stormfront attacks innocents, Starlight, Maeve and Kimiko team up to stop her. Since all three heroines had their own legitimate issues with the big bad, their alliance felt organic and earned. It’s amazing that the writers managed to make fun of a Marvel scene before playing it straight.
#2: A-Train’s Soft Drink Ad
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Pepsi found itself in the middle of a PR disaster after releasing an infamous ad with Kendall Jenner. During the commercial, she stops modeling to join in on a random protest that stops short of a bunch of riot police. Jenner decides to break the tension between officers and the crowd with a can of Pepsi. Years after this ad was pulled because of a ton of negative backlash, “The Boys” took the commercial concept and ran with it. A-Train stands in for Jenner as he attends a protest and brokers peace with his branded drink. It’s remarkable that the show hardly had to change a single scene for this parody to be just as ridiculous as the original ad.
#1: Dawn of the Seven
Throughout season 2, members of the Seven make time to shoot a big superhero team-up movie. While the title’s a direct shot at the name of a certain 2016 DC movie, the ruined city set and dialogue seem to satirize the plot of 2012’s “Avengers”. The “Dawn of the Seven” also took aim at the popular #ReleasetheSnydercut campaign in season 3. In both the real world and fictional universe of “The Boys”, social media helped get troubled superhero movies released. Additionally, “Dawn of the Seven” accidentally parodied “Dr. Strange 2” by also having a surprise cameo from Charlize Theron. The fictional movie’s timely satire and longtime presence in the plot made it one of the show’s best pop culture parodies.
