Top 10 Times ROBOT CHICKEN Made Fun of Reality Shows
#10: “The Truth Behind Catfish”
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“Catfish” (2005-) “Catfish” co-host Nev Schulman actually stepped into the recording booth to appear in this sketch as himself. Just like the reality show, he arranges the interaction of people who have never met face to face. They used this clever setup to highlight pop culture icons whose faces aren’t normally seen. After Inspector Gadget sees Claw’s surprisingly handsome features, Charlie’s Angels find out that their mysterious leader isn’t as suave as he sounded. Noah even finds out that the voice of God was actually coming from a guy with a bullhorn. In between the cameos, the sketch pokes fun at the concept of “Catfish” and the origins of the title. The combination of commentary and creativity made this sketch soar past our expectations.
#9: “Richie Rich’s Crib”
“MTV Cribs” (2000-) “MTV Cribs” is a reality show where celebrities bring in a camera crew to their homes to show off their various belongings. Within this sketch, “Robot Chicken'' takes us inside the wealthy and obnoxious Richie Rich’s house. The classic pop culture character has almost too many ridiculous items to count. Richie Rich has a gold plated dog, robotic arms, a money shaped pool and more. Although these items are supposed to make him look impressive, he tries so hard that he comes off as pathetic. The simple sketch is a brilliant critique of the celebrities who flaunt their rich real estate to look better. Sadly, Richie Rich’s attempts to look impressive just end up making him look more pathetic.
#8: “Beast and the Beauties”
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“The Bachelor” (2002-) During this parody of “The Bachelor”, The Beast from “Beauty and the Beast” is given twenty potential partners to choose from. Unlike the reality show, he has to worry about dying if he doesn’t find true love. The Beast also has to deal with a selection of extremely quirky contestants. A lot of the comedy centers on the ridiculous personalities of the women vying for the hairy bachelor’s attention. However, the sketch also leans into the fairy tale by having an angry mob run through to try and kill the beast multiple times. This silly parody effortlessly manages to find humor in both of its worlds. We’d definitely give this sketch a rose for making us laugh so much.
#7: “Getting to Paris Is Hard”
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“The Hills” (2006-10) One of the most infamous scenes in “The Hills'' showed Lauren Conrad ending her friendship with Heidi Montag. That’s why the “Robot Chicken” writers just couldn’t help forcing the pair together for a skit. Outside of taking several shots at the duo, the sketch also takes aim at the show’s biggest flaws. The tendency for “The Hills” to overuse music to underscore the reality show’s events is relentlessly mocked. Additionally, the parody repeatedly reminds us that the show totally isn’t scripted. As an added surprise, the sketch has them cross paths with the villains from “The Hills Have Eyes”. While it’s not clear if the writers were just making fun of the reality show title or really disliked the stars, the parody is unquestionably excellent.
#6: “Fixer Upper: Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Edition”
“Fixer Upper” (2013-18) In this sketch, parody versions of Chip and Joanna Gaines are tasked with renovating Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. But the couple didn’t initially realize that a lot of the objects in the house are sentient. Every time someone makes an alteration to the house, they cause a lot of pain to the items within. It is both disturbing and funny to see how deeply each and every one of the objects suffer. To add another layer of satire, the sketch has the couple strip all the originality and quirks from the house so that the home looks like everybody else’s. While we understand why Pee-Wee is so devastated when he returns, we’re also laughing at how spot on the sketch was.
#5: “Horror Movie Big Brother”
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“Big Brother” (2000-) What if legendary horror movie villains competed in a mundane reality show? “Robot Chicken” answered that question with this classic sketch. Horror icons like Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Ghostface complete on a decidedly more macabre version of the show. On the regular show, petty squabbles and differences often just lead to shouting. But conflicts are resolved with violence in this parody. There’s also plenty of clever references to all of their respective movies. To make the sketch feel more authentic, Kelly Hu plays the famous “Big Brother” host Julie Chen Moonves. The skit has so much creativity that we wouldn’t mind getting a full season of this violent version of the reality show.
#4: “Undercover Smurf Boss”
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“Undercover Boss” (2010-) To get a closer look into what’s going on in Smurf Village, Papa Smurf puts on a disguise and wanders around his hometown. Just like “Undercover Boss”, the blue figurehead tries doing some of his people’s jobs. Papa Smurf soon finds that his underlings have to put up with some horrific day-to-day issues. By the end of an episode of Undercover Boss,” the CEO who goes undercover tends to learn that his employees deserve to be appreciated and compensated more. However, Papa Smurf isn’t so gracious in this version. Seeing how out-of-touch he is as he makes life worse for a few of his citizens is a great twist on the reality show’s formula.
#3: “Date My Mom”
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“Date My Mom” (2004-06) This sketch sends up the short lived MTV reality show “Date My Mom”. The absurd premise saw one person go on dates with the mothers of three potential love interests. Ultimately, the contestant chose who they wanted to go out with based on their interactions with these parents. The “Robot Chicken” kept the concept but added animated moms and an incredibly shallow and clueless bachelor to the mix. This hilarious parody takes full advantage of the show’s format, the lore behind each mom, and the fact that contestants don’t see the daughters until the end. The final reveal of Jessica and Roger Rabbit’s hideous child provides the perfect button to the skit.
#2: Tila Tequila Parodies Herself
“A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila” (2007) It was already amazing to hear Tila Tequila play herself in this parody of her self-titled reality show. At first, the sketch is another brutal takedown of the show’s central premise and the star’s wild personality. But the skit really kicks things up a notch when it’s revealed that Tila Tequila is actually a robot. After she malfunctions, the scientists sent to fix her learn that they shouldn’t get in between her and her new love interest. We’re not sure whose idea it was to turn the controversial reality star into a knockoff T-1000 terminator that can morph into a liquid form. However, we’re absolutely positive that this unexpected blend of parody and sci-fi works surprisingly well. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Bad Boy Meets Damaged Chick With Daddy Issues,” “Living Lohan” (2008)
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“American Pickers: Texas,” “American Pickers” (2010-)
Mike & Frank Get More Than They Bargained For With Leatherface.
“The Pat O’Brien Treatment,” “The Amazing Race” (2007-)
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“Scrooge Tank,”, “Shark Tank” (2009-)
Scrooge McDuck Plays Serious Hardball With the Sharks
“Zombie Idol,” “American Idol” (2002-)
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#1: “The Real World: Metropolis”
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“The Real World” (1992-2017) This sketch from the first season shows what happens when superheroes stop being polite and start being real. During the parody, Marvel and DC icons have to try to live in harmony together without starting any super brawls. The sketch makes sure to take shots at every single one of the heroes it features. Naturally, Aquaman gets treated the worst. The parody also perfectly recreates the camera shots and confessionals you’d see on the reality show. Watching heroes avoid human chores by claiming they have to go and save someone is an excuse we wish we could pull off. Featuring exaggerated superheroes, great gags and memorable lines, this “Real World” sketch is easily one of the show’s best pop culture parodies.
