If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then parody must be akin to idolization. That is, if it’s done well.

The following parodies are done very well. So sit back, put on your headphones and queue up your weekend with these Internet nuggets:

• “A Character That I Used to Know” (not-literally.com): There have been hundreds of “Game of Thrones” parodies posted to the Web, but this new one from Not Literally Productions is one of the best. Two young women — one of whom is a dead ringer for Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) — bemoan the loss of favorite characters by singing to the tune of Gotye’s hit song “Somebody That I Used to Know.”

• “Drunk History” (comedycentral.com/shows/drunk-history): True stories of American history told by real people — who happen to be really, really wasted. A-list actors including Kristen Wiig, Luke and Owen Wilson, and Jack Black then act out the stories, lip-syncing to the drunken dialogue.

Airing Tuesdays on Comedy Central, you can catch recent episodes at the above link, including one that focuses on Boston. Highlight: Winona Ryder as Mary Dyer about to confront the Puritans who had banished her from Massachusetts for being a Quaker: “I’m gonna bloody deal with these laws in the face. In other words, I’m confronting this (expletive) head (expletive) on.”

• “Sesame Street Parodies and Spoofs” (sesamestreet.org/parents/theshow/watch/spoofs): In case you’ve forgotten, one secret to the 40-plus years of “Sesame Street” longevity has been its sharp wit that appeals to both kids and their parents. Now there’s a website just for grown-ups, and it’s full of parodies of adult shows, from “Birdwalk Empire” to “Upside Downton Abbey.”

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• “The Hobbit: Misty Mountains Cold” by Auralnauts (tinyurl.com/hobbitsongparody): Before they set out on their quest to confront the dragon Smaug, Bilbo and his companions prepare by singing an iconic song from the ’80s. “No one wants to be defeated — least of all the dwarves of Middle Earth.”

• “Honest Trailers” (search on YouTube): Ever watch a movie and realize it wasn’t nearly as good as the trailer made it out to be? “Honest Trailers” tell it like it is, from “The Hunger Games” to “The Phantom Menace 3D”: “From the billion-dollar jowls of George Lucas comes the chance to relive the biggest letdown in movie history — in 3D!”

Deputy Managing Editor Rod Harmon may be contacted at 791-6450 or at:

rharmon@pressherald.com

Twitter: RHarmonPPH

 


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