The use of the mockumetary style for T.V. shows and movies have gained huge popularity and have become a part of pop culture. A mockumentary is a parody of the documentary genre of movie making. What makes these type of programs successful is when it combines the appearance of accurate elements and give the audience believable situations through the camera lens, leading the audience to question the reality of what they are watching (Pollick, 2010).
The most popular movies and T.V. programs are the comedies that make fun of the serious documentaries. They appear to be real yet are chaotic, can have activity going on in the background that contradicts what is being said or discussed. When these types of shows are created, it makes it more real to use the same camera work as a documentary, such as hidden cameras.
The release of the movie “Spinal Tap” in 1984, was the first successful type of this movie and was the first to make mock documentaries part of pop culture. Some other examples of earlier movies that used this type of genre were “A Mighty Wind” in 2003 and “The Last Polka” in 2004 (Pollick, 2010). There are T.V. shows today have been influenced by this style of entertainment and are very popular. Some are, “Modern Family,” “The Office,” “Reno
A mockumentary is so entertaining because they make the characters in the show appear to be completely serious about what is going on and being said. All the while, the complete opposite is usually happening in the background, with problems and issues that are seemingly out of control. Laughter is what makes this type of genre appealing to the audience and the sense of insanity it creates. This is what makes this type of shows part of pop culture; it gives people that experience of laughter and excitement. Laughter is one of several reasons why we chose the way we do, because it appeals to our senses.
Pollick, M. (2010). What is a mockumentary? Retrieved January 3, 2011, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-mockumentary.htm.
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