Montage Parody



A Montage Parody, also known as MLG Montages or even just MLG, is a form of remix video on YouTube involving video games and pop culture in general. Its origins can be traced back to 2011, when such parodies began emerging in response to montage videos posted by e-sports/MLG channels as well as amateur gamers trying their spin at it. Over time, montage parodies have taken a life of their own, sometimes using footage or material that have no relation to video games. Still, their foundations in gaming remain evident. Among the more well known channels that specialize in or feature such works are Ancient Reality and Materialisimo.

Montage parodies are also known for having a tendency to share certain tropes, regardless of their variety. These include the use of air horn blasts, dubstep, Call of Duty sound effects (especially the "hitmarker" sound), and applying a ton of memes, whether it's currently popular or intentionally invoking a Dead Horse Trope. The end result often comes across as surrealist, if not outright Mind Screws, with particularly popular videos becoming memes, if not source materials in of themselves.

In this respect, they're akin to Youtube Poops. But as montage parodies grow in variety, sophistication and insanity, the line between them and YTPs is rapidly blurring.


 * Acceptable Targets: E-sports gamers, MLG wannabes and just about anyone. Franchises such as Call of Duty as well as low-quality games and films tend to be fair game.
 * Affectionate Parody: These works tend to be this, in part because their creators either love the source material or enjoy gaming and the montage format. Though some also tend to be Satire of the e-sports scene as well as mock the stereotype of the MLG "dudebro" that's used to insult gamers, among others.
 * Conspiracy Theory: Parodied, with the occasional mocking references to the Illuminati over the flimsiest of "evidence."
 * Crosses the Line Twice: Pimp My Reich.
 * Epileptic Flashing Lights: A common trend among montage parodies is to splice in as many epileptic flashes as possible while still keeping the video watchable.
 * Fountain of Memes: A single montage parody can have so many crammed in, if not happening all at the same time. The more popular ones tend to become memes themselves.
 * Jump Scare: Done either by abrupt editing or a loud spike in sound.
 * Medium Blending: It's not unheard of for montage parodies to splice in not only different genres but wildly different media as well.
 * Nightmare Retardant: Any time skeletons, a failed attempt at horror or some variation of the phrase "2spooky4me" pops up.
 * Satire: Some videos can come across as surrealist Take Thats to certain companies, gaming stereotypes and online practices. Among the most recurring ones being the use of Doritos and Mountain Dew, both for their association with the "dudebro" MLG stereotype and the Doritosgate incident.
 * Serial Escalation: The more recent a video is, the crazier they get.
 * Small Name, Big Ego: Some videos poke fun at certain MLG wannabes who talk a big game but otherwise suck at it.
 * Spiritual Successor: Of sorts to Youtube Poop. The more sophisticated and higher-quality videos meanwhile tend to blur the line between the two.
 * Stylistic Suck: Some montage parodies intentionally use crappy effects or seemingly slipshod editing, resulting in stuff like "Sample Text" or the presence of grammatically incorrect Comic Sans annotations.
 * What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?: It takes quite a bit of skill - and possibly some drugs - to come up with some of the visuals these videos are notorious for.