I think parody is an essential part of the "folk" tradition. Like any other kind of folklore, it makes a point about how people in a culture think and react in a certain time and place. I love recorded parodies, and think the joke stays funny no matter how many times I hear it, if it was a good joke to begin with. Yes, I'm the person who buys the Wierd Al CD's and videos, and while I don't listen to them constantly, they do provide a certain leaven to my existence.

I can't be alone in this. There must be people like me. Why else would Flanders and Swann be available on CD?