On the subject of parody v. burlesque, I do have something non-digressive to say.

The OED definitions give:

parody
a composition in which the characteristic turns of thought and phrase of an author are mimicked and made to appear ridiculous, especially by applying them to ludicrously inappropriate subjects.

burlesque
that species of composition which excites laughter by caricature of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects

which already indicates that they may not always be easy to distinguish.

In the context here, I take a parody to be an imitation of an existing work, possibly, but not necessarily, with the intention to ridicule, and reflecting, as the OED has it, the thought and phrase of the original. A burlesque on the other hand I take to be a ludicrous imitation of a serious work or style (cf Child's Othello reference), whose intent is humour, but which doesn't usually closely follow the form of the original. Your content versus style comparison seems quite close to the mark (though a burlesque should have as its target something originally serious).


Mick