Bikini Beach Party: A Parody Analysis

Laughter is an experience unlike any other and it is hard to define as it is hard to perceive. But why I find something funny might not be the same reasons why others find such an idea, act, or situation funny or not funny. A sketch aired on May 10th of 2014 titled “Bikini Beach Party” via the television sketch series known as Saturday Night Live. This sketch was a parody, or imitation with an extreme exaggeration of the movie “Gidget” in 1959 in which a “girl-midget” discovers how to surf and also falls in love for the first time. However, I did not find the sketch “Bikini Beach Party” comical at all because, the lack of actual sketch writing, the utterly wrong dark humor, and my ability to indicate what was going to happen the entire time.
In the SNL sketch, “Bikini Beach Party” a romantic rendezvous turns dreadfully askew when Darren (played by Taran Killam) proposes that Gadget (played by Charlize Theron) meets him for a kiss by the big dead whale. The beginning of the sketch is set by Darren and Gadget surfing, as they surf they converse about how Gadget is going back to Chicago tomorrow, and how she hasn’t kissed anyone. Darren then states how he would like to talk to her alone tonight and prompts that they meet up on the beach by the big, dead, gaseous, whale. Darren then wipes out while surfing and a tune of “Bikini Beach Party” plays to indicate the change of scenes. In the next scene Gadget is seen on the beach with seven other girls dancing to surf music. Gadget explains how she wont be attending the bonfire because, Darren wants to meet her by the big dead whale. The tune of “Bikini Beach Party” plays once more and indicates the change of scenes. The next scene captures Darren and Gadget on the beach by the big dead whale. Darren plays his ukulele and serenades Gadget, while Gadget comments about the smell of the big dead whale. As Darren plays his ukulele and sings a love song for Gadget the big dead gaseous whale explodes onto them. Blood and whale guts cover their bodies so Darren suggests that they move to take cover by another dead whale to finish his song for Gadget. Then the big dead whale that they moved next to explodes, spewing blood and whale guts everywhere which forces Darren to the ground and Gadget pouting about how she didn’t get to kiss him. The sketch ends as the tune “Bikini Beach Party” plays.
“Bikini Beach Party” strayed from humor, or the aspect of finding something comical.
Overall the sketch was poorly executed with lousy style and plain diction. I thought the story line fell short of a humorous concept, in which the director at the time miserably failed to achieve. Instead of asking myself “where is this sketch going” I was wondering “when is it coming” due to all of the build up about the big dead gaseous whale. Situational irony, or when actions and or events have the opposite result from what is expected is seen when Darren wishes to meet Gadget by the big dead gaseous whale to kiss. Unfortunately, the kiss never happens because the big dead gaseous whale explodes onto each of them. Also, an element of dark humor so rightfully wrong, I cringed is introduced during the second scene when Gadgets friends indicate that Darren is the only twenty-two-year-old that hangs out with “us” thirteen year olds. The relatively broad age group is disturbing to say the least. Darren a twenty-two-year-old is attempting to have sexual relations with an underage girl, where is the humor in
that!
Saturday Night Live airs at 11 o’clock on Saturdays. The assumption being made that by then the kids or any child under the age of thirteen wouldn’t be watching. This implies that Bikini Beach Party was filmed for an older, more mature audience due to language, dark humor, and “gory” scenes. Furthermore, the audience for this skit appeals to both male and female demographics. I found the title of this sketch rather contradicting since none of the girls are wearing actual bikinis, whereas the title suggests otherwise. Watching “Bikini Beach Party”, it is understandable that some may find humor present and or favor the humor presented.
Nonetheless, people with opposing views of “Bikini Beach Party” find the sketch funny, for instance when Gadget is on the beach talking with her friends. People laugh at this type of scene because her friends converse about outrageous topics in a certain tongue and tone of voice. The audience laughs at the immature dialect spoken amongst the seven girls because they appear outright dumb and foolish. Other people as well as the audience may also think the dark humor of Darren and Gadgets age is funny, but in doing so they are laughing at something that is illegal and unquestionably creepy. The climax of the sketch is shown when the big dead gaseous whale that Darren and Gadget are standing next to erupts, ejecting blood and whale guts everywhere. The climax scene offered the most humor of the skit, as you can infer from being able to hear the background people hysterically laugh. The problem with this scene is that the gruesome fake blood and whale guts is just that, fake. Therefore, I stand firmly by my opinion in where I did not find a single item of humor in the SNL sketch “Bikini Beach Party”. It is clear that the overall sketch of “Bikini Beach Party” is an elementary and amateur sketch. Unfortunately, the sketch did not evoke any type of boisterous laughter in me. Needless to say, dull diction and awful sketch writing played a ginormous role in this sketch.
But in this case the main idea and plot falls short of any form of humor presented. Most importantly, having the competence to understand what would happen in the end.