Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A fictional movie or television program that is a parody made in the style of a factual documentary.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A television programme/program or movie presented as if it were a documentary but that is not factual and often a parody or satire.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Blend of mock and documentary.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Blend of mock and documentary

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Examples

  • A fresh, ironic take on the insanity of suicide bombing but also the reality of a fractured society and the frustration of disconnected people ... in mockumentary format.

    Movie Trailer: Four Lions | /Film 2010

  • In fact, I think a Tap-style mockumentary is in order for the Neocons.

    Think Progress » Addington Involved In Leak Scandal 2005

  • Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel, by Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett (Abrams Image), is a "mockumentary" - a supposed history of a steampunk robot told mainly through digitally altered pictures that show our hero taking part in great events.

    MIND MELD: The Best Genre-Related Books/Films/Shows Consumed in 2009 (Part 2) 2009

  • Bestseller sales for the past week saw the (unsurprising) debut of Jon Stewart's new "mockumentary" - style look at the planet and the human species.

    BOOK WORLD - October 3, 2010 Christopher Schoppa 2010

  • The main scene for the "mockumentary" - style film, which is being directed by Chris Boyle, will be filmed on Thursday August 6 and festival goers are being urged to turn up in costume for filming at the box offices on site.

    Latest news breaking news current news UK news world news celebrity news politics news 2009

  • During the opening scenes, it might take a few minutes to get used to the unconventional format that perhaps can best be described as a mockumentary with a serious tone.

    Avital Binshtock: Earth Day Film Review: A Sense of Wonder 2009

  • What Reiner did not foresee was that in its 25-year existence, "Spinal Tap" has influenced both the way we tell stories — Michael Schur, creator of "The Office," recently said the mockumentary is his preferred storytelling format — and the way we understand them.

    ‘The Real Spinal Tap’ 2009

  • Khikalov says they shot some scenes using a hidden camera to capture ordinary Kazakhs on the street reacting to his American character -- a move suggestive of the so-called mockumentary style used in "Borat."

    Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty 2010

  • Khikalov says they shot some scenes using a hidden camera to capture ordinary Kazakhs on the street reacting to his American character -- a move suggestive of the so-called mockumentary style used in "Borat."

    Spero News 2010

  • Khikalov says they shot some scenes using a hidden camera to capture ordinary Kazakhs on the street reacting to his American character -- a move suggestive of the so-called mockumentary style used in "Borat."

    Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty RFE/RL 2010

Comments

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  • A mockumentary (a portmanteau of the words mock and documentary) is a type of film or television show in which fictional events are presented in documentary style to create a parody. A dramatic mockumentary (sometimes referred to as docufiction) should not be confused with docudrama, a fictional genre in which dramatic techniques are combined with documentary elements to depict real events.


    The term "mockumentary", which originated in the 1960s, was popularized in the mid-1980s when This Is Spinal Tap director Rob Reiner used it in interviews to describe that film.

    Comedic mockumentaries rarely have laugh tracks.

    June 25, 2015