Ever since Deadpool was hit I've noticed something. The meta aspect of everything just went off the charts. Now I do expect it in litrpg, super hero, contemporary geeky stuff. Pop culture references and breaking the fourth wall is a staple to these genres. However lately I've been seeing it all over the place. It's weird to read a story about a mermaid that suddenly turns to reader and vomits pop culture references out of nowhere before the story continues. I used to love them and since I'm on retro kick and re-reading a few favs from 20 years back I wonder if it's just me or if the meta aspect is too forced in newer book from the past two years. Now whenever a character starts spouting them I just feel a eye roll and have to fight the urge to down rate the entire book because of the blatant pandering. What do you think? Meta is still in and loving it or it should just hit the door?
This was going on before Deadpool. I first noticed this sense of self-awareness getting bigger closer to 2010. Comparing works released before and after the GFC, I can definitely tell you that meta humor was something that was fairly uncommon. That whole "modern" veneer that self-awareness, self-referential humor, and meme references brings thus causes works from that older period from feeling a bit like they were a bit foggier. The problem is that, as Yahtzee Croshaw once said, self-referential humor and pop culture references are the comedy equivalent of the third world. It's literally the easiest thing anyone can write, requires no wit or punchline, and could be replaced with a fart joke and have the same impact on the plot. See: ...where jokes go to die "This comment is about as poorly written as Superman 64. Why am I even dragging on with this?" Deadpool worked because that was literally the point of his character. And having self-awareness is almost always a good thing because it can help keep you from going too far. Imagine '90s RADICAL EDGELORD X-TREME culture with self-awareness. It never would have worked. Just look at how we treated the Powerpuff Girls reboot, which is to 2010s indie quirk-pop meme culture what RADICAL EDGELORD X-TREME shows and games were to the '90s. Likewise, you can take this too far and it ultimately comes off as being really insecure about your work. More than that, it even feels cheap, like you're trying to dampen any criticism your work might get by pointing out its (or its genre's) flaws and inconsistencies ahead of time. But good cynical works are cynical because there's still some light that can be seen. That's always been the draw of cynical, misanthropic, nihilistic humor— it's pointing out how much everything is crap with the intent to get people to at least make the token attempt to improve things. Grimdark cynicism for its own sake is just that: grimdark, joyless, and often despised, yet mistaken by the less adept as being just as edgy and artsy, if not moreso. The same is true for meta commentary.
I think there's a proper way to do it. If the meta-ness doesn't actually say something, there's no point to it. I recently watched the anime Re:Zero and I was really bothered by how the main character occasionally comes up with isekai-awareness one-liners meant as comedy. But does it mean anything? Does he use his meta-awareness to try to understand his experience? Does it give him any useful information he can use to deal with the new world? No. So that's just cheap, useless meta-awareness that actually hurts the tone and coherence of the story. If a character is aware, have them be aware all the time, have it filter all their experiences. If they're not aware, there's no point in having them say stuff 'out of character' just for meta comedy. It cheapens the story.
@Yuli Ban I love Yahtzee! His self awareness humor however steams from cynicism which actually works for him. Well... most of the time, there is a difference between a 5 minute cartoon and a 10 hour audiobook so I do appreciate that he is careful with the meta humor in his recent book. Meta humor = toilet humor huh... actually toilet humor might get a chuckle out of me now and then. Meta humor is just making more cynical then I already am. @Windfall Good point, I was watching freakazoid for some event and that's ALL meta humor yet not once did it bother me. The character was using it in the show either for a gag or to actually get out of a problem. He didn't just look at the camera and list things in hopes I might like one of them. I think that's why it didn't do so well in the 90's but gained a cult following recently.
