Parodic intertextuality in the Taiwanese idol drama

Abstract

In this article, I examine the recent proliferation of parodic intertextuality in Taiwanese idol dramas and suggest that it functions to interrogate genre issues in Taiwanese television production by foregrounding author–audience relations. Using six case studies from three Taiwanese idol dramas, KO One, KO One Re-Act and Fabulous Boys, I propose that the idol drama uses parody not only to comedic ends but further serves to implicitly critique dominant modes of Taiwanese television through what Mittell calls ‘genre mixing’.