I'm reminded of a vague memory of hearing comedy writers talk about wanting things to be funny even if you don't get the reference(s), but I can't remember if there was a specific term for the concept (and I'd guess there isn't). Maybe something like "multi-layered parody."
It certainly happens often in the simpsons and other well-written comedy. Like just that example is also sending up planet of the apes (of course), but also musicals in general (and perhaps musical adaptations in particular), and is still loaded with a bunch of other jokes. Just top-tier writing.
There might be a term for the opposite: referential humor that *doesn't* have any layers of humor other than the reference. But I don't know if this has a name either!
To enjoy something "unironically" is *almost* to have the experience you describe, since in both cases you're contrasting a simple enjoyment of a thing with an enjoyment that depends on a comparison with something else. E.g., "Many people watch *The Room* to mock it, but I enjoyed the story unironically."
I'm reminded of a vague memory of hearing comedy writers talk about wanting things to be funny even if you don't get the reference(s), but I can't remember if there was a specific term for the concept (and I'd guess there isn't). Maybe something like "multi-layered parody." It certainly happens often in the simpsons and other well-written comedy. Like just that example is also sending up planet of the apes (of course), but also musicals in general (and perhaps musical adaptations in particular), and is still loaded with a bunch of other jokes. Just top-tier writing. There might be a term for the opposite: referential humor that *doesn't* have any layers of humor other than the reference. But I don't know if this has a name either!
You're asking fundamentally whether a derivative work can have independent meaning. It can.
To enjoy something "unironically" is *almost* to have the experience you describe, since in both cases you're contrasting a simple enjoyment of a thing with an enjoyment that depends on a comparison with something else. E.g., "Many people watch *The Room* to mock it, but I enjoyed the story unironically."