Top 20 Times The Boys Parodied Pop Culture
The Boys are ruthless! Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down the top 20 times “The Boys” made fun of pop culture. Beware of minor spoilers for the main show and its spinoff media ahead.
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00:00 "Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy if you try."
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down the top 20 times the boys made fun of pop culture.
00:12 Beware of minor spoilers for the main show and its spin-off media ahead.
00:16 "There's a new movie out on Vought Plus, a romantic comedy titled Pocket Romance."
00:21 Number 20, Voughtland.
00:24 "Live your super dreams as you take to the skies with Homelander on Homelander Extreme Flight."
00:29 As soon as Kimiko and Frenchie walk into Vought's sponsored amusement park,
00:33 it was clear that it was meant to be a parody of Disneyland.
00:37 The bright colors, smiling mascots, and castle are all great riffs on the real tourist attraction.
00:43 Additionally, Frenchie points out the ridiculous ride wait times.
00:46 "You want to wait three hours for a three-minute ride? It is a monumental monster."
00:50 But this sequence doesn't just make fun of the park.
00:53 The attractions dedicated to the black hero A-Train and bisexual character Maeve
00:57 are so over the top they come off as insensitive.
01:00 Nearly every frame of the Voughtland sequence takes at least one shot at an aspect of pop culture.
01:06 And the way Frenchie calls attention to the unhealthy food at American theme parks
01:10 was just the icing on the cake of this delicious parody.
01:12 "Qu'est-ce, a hamburger with a donut for a bun?"
01:15 "Surely there is no God here."
01:19 Number 19, a brutal old-school cartoon.
01:23 Serving as the opening for the spin-off series The Boys Diabolical,
01:26 Laser Baby's Day Out satirizes two major properties for the price of one.
01:31 First, the animation style and lack of dialogue serve as great callbacks to older animated shorts.
01:36 Diabolical's episode copies the innocent aesthetic of classic cartoons
01:40 and adds a ton of realistic violence.
01:43 The plot of an infant crawling around the city and avoiding various dangers
01:47 is also a direct parody of 1994's Baby's Day Out.
01:51 "There he is! There he is! Come on, we'll take the stairs."
01:54 While the 90's movie has an abysmal 19% Rotten Tomatoes score,
01:58 the Diabolical episode was well-received for its animation quality,
02:02 sense of humor, and genuinely heartwarming ending.
02:05 Number 18, Red Thunder's propaganda.
02:12 In a scene from the Red Thunder movie,
02:14 Soldier Boy resists a communist villain with a tough attitude and cheesy dialogue.
02:19 "The famous American hero, Soldier Boy. You don't seem like much of a hero to me."
02:25 "You wouldn't know a hero if they walked in here and blasted you in the face."
02:30 The over-the-top nature is a hilarious send-up of propaganda-heavy American 80's films.
02:35 Outside of calling out a movie genre,
02:37 the Red Thunder clip features a content warning right at the beginning.
02:40 This message imitates the disclaimers added to older movies released on streaming
02:44 that want to address problematic content.
02:47 But unlike real life, the boys doubles down on the outdated messages and just disown Soldier Boy.
02:52 It's an incredibly clever dig on how movie companies can't always address every issue.
02:57 When all that commentary was combined with a brilliant performance from Jensen Ackles,
03:01 we got a fantastic spoof.
03:03 "Who do you think you are? God?"
03:05 "No. God would have mercy. I won't."
03:10 Number 17, A satire of Black Panther and Storm.
03:14 Nubia Prince was living happily as a hero with super strength,
03:17 who also pretended to be an African royal for media attention.
03:21 His life changed when he met Nubia,
03:23 a heroine who could wield electricity and had limited weather control.
03:27 After the two fell for each other, they became a very dysfunctional couple.
03:32 "This is exactly what Dr. Krause said. You're always trying to neuter me."
03:35 "See? This isn't working, NP."
03:39 This not so dynamic duo was definitely made to poke fun at Black Panther and Storm.
03:44 Not only do both couples have similar power sets,
03:47 but the Marvel lovebirds had a few relationship problems.
03:50 Black Panther and Storm officially broke off their marriage in the 2010s.
03:55 That particular detail is likely why the Nubian family episode
03:58 ended with the two being handed divorce papers.
04:01 "Honey, are those our divorce papers?"
04:03 "It'll be better for all of us."
04:07 Number 16. Turning a parody up to Eleven
04:10 If we said that we were thinking of a fictional girl with psychic powers,
04:14 a shaved head, and a scary stare, who would you think we're talking about?
04:18 For anyone who said Eleven from Stranger Things,
04:21 sorry, but you don't get the prize today.
04:23 We were actually talking about Cindy from The Boys.
04:26 While the main heroes are infiltrating a facility full of supes,
04:29 they accidentally let this young woman loose.
04:31 "Hey, Cindy."
04:36 "Let's be cool."
04:37 Cindy has powerful telekinetic abilities that she isn't afraid to use
04:41 in brutal ways against anyone she sees as an enemy.
04:44 And just one of her grim looks can send fully grown adults running.
04:48 Hopefully she can put her murderous tendencies aside
04:51 and mellow out like the waffle-loving Eleven did.
04:53 "You're dressed like his friends."
04:55 "I don't like liars."
04:57 Number 15. When Kimiko Got Rhythm
05:00 While Kimiko is in the hospital recovering from a mission gone south,
05:03 she and Frenchie watch the movie Girl Crazy.
05:06 The film inspires a daydream where the duo sings
05:08 "I Got Rhythm" in front of dancing doctors and patients.
05:11 Throughout the song, the cast turned standard medical items into hilarious props.
05:24 It's made even more impressive by the fact that Karen Fukuhara,
05:27 who plays Kimiko, provided vocals for this track.
05:30 "Old man trouble, I don't mind him."
05:34 "You won't find him 'round my door."
05:37 The world of the boys doesn't always look so bright and happy.
05:41 But no matter what happens next for Kimiko,
05:44 this funny musical number will always put a smile on our faces.
05:47 "Who could ask for anything more?"
05:50 Number 14. Twisted X-Men
05:59 "A sup's powers first emerged when they're kids, still living with their parents.
06:04 But what happens when those parents discover their kids didn't get the big ticket powers?"
06:08 Marvel's Professor Xavier became famous for leading a school where gifted and often
06:12 outcast youngsters could hone their powers and become heroes.
06:15 The boys' diabolical naturally flipped that concept on its head.
06:19 In one episode, we learn that a group of kids with bad powers were left at a
06:23 "school for the gifted child."
06:25 The young people lived rough lives until they discovered they were forced to get
06:29 their horrible abilities against their will.
06:31 This shocking revelation led them to get revenge against their parents.
06:35 While most of the episode is funny,
06:37 the show never loses sight of how tragic the lives of the young people are.
06:41 Although it is an X-Men parody,
06:43 this diabolical story honestly wouldn't feel out of place in a Marvel comic.
06:47 "What do you want?"
06:48 "What do I want? I wanna feel, but I can't."
06:53 Number 13. Vought Plus
06:55 "With Vought Plus, you have the power to control the greatest content in the world."
07:00 Since it seems like every channel has a streaming service these days,
07:03 it was only fair that the boys got in on the action.
07:06 Their Vought Plus network promises to give fans a combination of news,
07:10 sports coverage, entertainment news, and so much more.
07:13 The fake streaming service commercial also pays homage to a few of the
07:16 characters that died during the course of the show.
07:19 This advertisement is done so well that someone unfamiliar with the boys could
07:23 mistake it for a real streaming service.
07:25 Unfortunately, the commercial didn't tell us how to access this new world of content.
07:29 But if it ever becomes available,
07:31 be ready for a soup to come after you if you dare to share your password.
07:35 "Vought Plus, the world's premier super streaming service. Sign up now."
07:40 Number 12. Social Media Obsession
07:43 The diabolical Boyd in 3D episode completely called out society's
07:47 relationship with online appearances.
07:49 After an average Joe becomes disillusioned with his life,
07:52 he takes an experimental super cream to become handsome and jacked.
07:56 After this new version of Boyd gains the confidence to date his neighbor,
07:59 he starts posting every detail of their relationship online.
08:02 The two become a huge sensation after both of them start using the cream.
08:06 "Meow. Seems like we're the new hot thing."
08:09 "What's that mean?"
08:11 "Let's find out."
08:12 Before long, they become so obsessed with looking good on social media
08:15 that every other aspect of their life implodes.
08:18 Despite taking place in a fictional world,
08:21 this hard-hitting parody feels uncomfortably close to life.
08:24 "I know, I look terrible."
08:26 "Cherry, don't hide them."
08:31 Number 11. 7 on 7 News
08:33 "Can you tell the American people why the FBSA hates superheroes?"
08:37 "Uh, okay, that's one way to start."
08:40 "It's a simple question."
08:41 News personality Cameron Coleman is always down to defend the bad behavior of Vought
08:45 and its twisted soups.
08:47 That fact alone makes him a great counterpart of the Spider-Man-hating journalist J. Jonah Jameson.
08:52 Beyond that comparison, Coleman parodies a wide range of subjects on his 7 on 7 News show.
08:57 One short sees the fictional newsman imitate Bill O'Reilly by having a behind-the-scenes meltdown.
09:02 "Coming up after the break, a record-breaking break."
09:05 "Somebody turn the lights up too bright and there's a glare on the teleprompter so I can't read it."
09:10 Coleman's news program also promotes parodies of real programs.
09:14 At certain points, he even has to stop to advertise products or companies.
09:18 If you want a humorous riff on news shows, Coleman's got you covered.
09:23 "So please, join me for the Cameron Coleman hour, coming soon exclusively on VNN."
09:28 Number 10. American Hero
09:30 "Live wire. Please hang up your cape and go."
09:34 "Two contestants will win coveted slots in the seven.
09:37 So who will go home and who will be the next American Hero?"
09:41 In the universe of The Boys, Vought decides the best way to get new members for the seven
09:46 is by searching for them with a competition show.
09:49 The reality TV program American Hero becomes both a pivotal part of the plot
09:53 and a great parody all in one.
09:55 This soup show uses the same dramatic camera angles and mansions
09:59 audiences are likely to see on staples like The Bachelor.
10:02 When the participants aren't on camera,
10:04 they acknowledge how fake some aspects of their reality show really are.
10:08 "We're running lines actually."
10:10 "For a reality show?"
10:11 "Right. Reality behind the reality."
10:14 And the finale of the program features shocking last minute twists
10:18 that were actually heavily planned.
10:20 American Hero perfectly skewers the imagery and production secrets people expect from reality TV.
10:27 "Final new member of the seven is..."
10:29 "Lord, the seven sees the deep."
10:39 Number 9.
10:40 A-Train Gets Blindsided
10:42 Near the end of season three, A-Train learns he'll be getting a film that will tell an
10:46 over-dramatized and not entirely true version of his life story.
10:50 "You're a roughneck gangbanger from the South Side,
10:52 slanging that yayo when a track coach, we're thinking Tom Hanks,
10:56 teaches you a more civilized way."
10:58 The fact that his story centers on an inspiring white person helping a young
11:02 African-American athlete is a direct shot at the real plot of The Blindside.
11:06 "Tony here is your quarterback, all right?
11:08 You protect his blindside.
11:10 When you look at him, you think of me.
11:12 How you have my back.
11:13 How you have his."
11:14 What makes this reference more clever is what happened behind the scenes of the actual film.
11:19 Although The Blindside was sold as a close adaptation of Michael Oher's life,
11:23 the actual athlete said certain aspects of the film were heavily exaggerated.
11:28 It seems like both the real and fake versions of Hollywood
11:31 aren't afraid to mess around with a biopic's truth.
11:34 "That's not at all how that happened.
11:36 My brother's my coach."
11:37 "We're out to Sir Julian Fellowes to write, so."
11:39 "No, I'm not doing that."
11:40 "You're gonna love it."
11:41 Number 8.
11:42 Chimps Don't Cry
11:44 "You know that chimps are physically incapable of crying.
11:46 But that doesn't mean they're not crying on the inside."
11:50 Former heroine Crimson Countess was more concerned about the welfare of chimps
11:54 than the lives of human beings during her time on the show.
11:57 In an attempt to raise awareness for the primates,
12:00 she releases the song "Chimps Don't Cry."
12:03 The show's glimpse at an accompanying video shows images of sad animals throughout.
12:07 But the full version's over-the-top visuals and lack of subtlety in the lyrics
12:11 make it impossible to take it seriously.
12:14 Ultimately, it's a near-perfect recreation of the long-running animal rights ads
12:30 that feature singer Sarah McLachlan's Angel.
12:32 Although the real commercials are often made fun of for being too sad,
12:36 they have actually helped raise millions of dollars.
12:39 We hope Crimson Countess did the same with this hilariously dramatic video.
12:43 Number 7.
12:54 The Mesmerizer
12:56 The concept of a mind-reading kid solving crimes
12:59 actually sounds like a great premise for a show.
13:01 "But there's only one person who can see inside their hearts
13:04 and read their minds."
13:06 When this idea was brought to life on The Boys,
13:08 the creators couldn't resist poking fun at classic programs too.
13:11 The blue and red font used for the Mesmerizer title
13:14 mimics graphics used for shows in the Law & Order franchise.
13:18 Additionally, the young lead character Mesmer plays is named Lieutenant Hauser.
13:23 That means he shares a last name with a teenage prodigy from a classic medical drama.
13:27 "Also, I'd like to send him to nuclear medicine for a cardiac scan at 9.30."
13:31 "Thank you, Dr. Hauser."
13:32 As icing on the cake,
13:34 both Doogie Hauser and Mesmer are played by actors who were huge child stars.
13:38 The amount of surface level and meta jokes underneath the Mesmerizer
13:43 turned it into a brilliant and layered satire.
13:46 "Yeah, fan of the show?"
13:47 "Oh, nah, man. I've never seen it."
13:49 Number 6.
13:50 The Deep's Lifetime Movie
13:52 After The Deep publicly breaks ties with a shady organization,
13:56 his story is brought to life with the hilariously over-the-top
13:59 Not Without My Dolphin movie.
14:01 "Mr. O'Donoghue, tell me the truth. Are you having me followed?"
14:04 "I had to find out if you were putting the church first."
14:09 The end result looks like a parody of a film you would find on the Lifetime Network.
14:13 Over the years, this channel has been known for turning recent headlines
14:17 into extremely dramatic movies.
14:19 "A Ripped From The Headlines Feature."
14:21 "I know what schools are looking for and how to get you to check those boxes."
14:25 "Inspired by true events."
14:27 The Deep's trailer tries to mimic the quick editing
14:30 and dramatic text seen in Lifetime trailers.
14:32 And since the real network is geared towards women,
14:36 the Not Without My Dolphin goes overboard to appeal to the same demographic.
14:40 But given The Deep's shady past with his female fans,
14:43 we think we'll skip his made-for-TV movie.
14:46 "I'm afraid that you have become a toxic personality, Deep."
14:52 "Then you've left me no choice but to run."
14:56 Number 5.
14:57 A graphic recreation of an Ant-Man theory.
15:00 "Bad news is Termites off the table."
15:02 "What?"
15:03 "Vought just closed a big endorsement for him with Terminex."
15:05 "We've been chasing Termite for months."
15:07 Before Avengers Endgame was released in theaters,
15:09 fans came up with a gross idea for how Ant-Man could defeat the big bad Thanos.
15:14 Let's just say it involved the shrinking hero using his powers to get
15:18 up close and personal with a certain part of the Mad Titan.
15:21 Although this widespread fan theory never came to be,
15:24 the boys was not afraid to go there.
15:27 "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
15:30 The show introduced a hero named Termite who once freely used
15:33 his shrinking abilities for very adult acts.
15:36 But he gets in major trouble after he accidentally causes
15:40 someone's death when he goes from small to big too soon.
15:43 After seeing the gory results we cannot show a frame of here,
15:47 we're glad Ant-Man never got that close to Thanos.
15:50 "Good luck, Scott. You got this."
15:53 "You're right. I do, Captain America."
15:56 Number 4 - Vought imagines a great parody
16:00 When Soldier Boy's explosion makes both famous people and citizens uneasy,
16:04 the Deep swims in with a YouTube video.
16:06 "We're all in this together, and together we can imagine a better world."
16:11 "Imagine there's no heaven."
16:16 He tries to reassure everyone by singing a cover of Imagine with a bunch of celebrity friends.
16:22 The vertical video format and cameos made it a biting send-up of Gal Gadot's Imagine video.
16:28 "And it goes like this. Imagine there's no heaven."
16:34 Although she and her fellow celebs had good intentions when they released it
16:39 in the turbulent year that was 2020, it was heavily criticized.
16:43 Many people didn't buy that celebrities with huge fortunes and homes could really
16:48 relate to the struggles the average person was having.
16:51 Even Gal Gadot herself later said the video was quote "in poor taste."
16:54 Ironically, the Deep's incredible parody may have actually been
16:58 better received than the original Imagine video.
17:01 "I hope someday you will join us."
17:04 Number 3 - The Girls Get It Done campaign
17:11 A scene where many of Marvel's major heroines teamed up in Endgame divided viewers.
17:16 While some saw it as an epic scene, others thought the moment and dialogue felt a little forced.
17:22 "I don't know how you're gonna get it through all that."
17:23 "Don't worry, she's got help."
17:29 The writers for the boys let everyone know they had a negative view of the
17:33 scene by satirizing the Endgame moment almost word for word.
17:37 "But how are you gonna get through all of them?"
17:38 "Don't worry, girls get it done."
17:43 But the show didn't stop there.
17:44 When the extremely dangerous Stormfront attacks Innocence,
17:48 Starlight, Maeve and Kimiko team up to stop her.
17:51 Since all three heroines had their own legitimate issues with the big bad,
17:54 their alliance felt organic and earned.
17:57 It's amazing that the writers managed to make fun of a Marvel scene before playing it straight.
18:01 "Girls do get it done."
18:03 Number 2 - A-Train's soft drink ad
18:05 "This whole new thing you did, that is exactly what inspired this entire campaign."
18:11 "To be silent is to be complicit."
18:13 "So let's shoot the spot."
18:14 Pepsi found itself in the middle of a PR disaster after releasing an infamous ad with Kendall Jenner.
18:20 During the commercial, she stops modeling to join in on a random protest
18:23 that stops short of a bunch of riot police.
18:26 Jenner decides to break the tension between the officers and the crowd with a can of Pepsi.
18:31 Years after this ad was pulled because of a ton of negative backlash,
18:35 the boys took the commercial concept and ran with it.
18:38 "Where are those people going?"
18:39 "There's a protest on the street."
18:41 "A-Train, where are you going?"
18:46 "I was ready to shoot."
18:47 A-Train stands in for Jenner as he attends a protest and brokers peace with his branded drink.
18:52 It's remarkable that the show hardly had to change a single scene for this parody
18:57 to be just as ridiculous as the original ad.
19:00 "We gotta listen to each other."
19:01 "A-Train's turbo rush energy drink."
19:04 "And cut!"
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19:22 Number 1. Dawn of the Seven
19:26 "Rousing music, Haaaaaaan Zimmerrrrrrr, title card, Dawn of the Seven, cut to black."
19:35 Throughout season 2, members of the Seven make time to shoot a big superhero team-up movie.
19:42 While the title is a direct shot at the name of a certain 2016 DC movie, the ruined city set and
19:48 dialogue seem to satirize the plot of 2012's The Avengers. Dawn of the Seven also took aim at the
19:54 popular "Release the Snyder Cut" campaign in season 3. In both the real world and fictional
19:59 universe of The Boys, social media helped get troubled superhero movies released.
20:03 "We had real talks about shelving the movie or at least dumping it on Bought Plus, but the
20:08 the fans spoke with those release the board cut hashtags, you guys, I love you."
20:12 Additionally, Dawn of the Seven accidentally parodied Doctor Strange 2 by also having a
20:17 surprise cameo from Charlize Theron. The fictional movie's timely satire and long-time presence in
20:23 the plot made it one of the show's best pop culture parodies. "What? Can't let you guys have all the fun."
20:29 "Guess this means we're breaking up." What's your favorite parody from The Boys universe?
20:38 Let us know in the comments below. "It's been a good run." "Cut!"
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20:53 [Music]