I am working on a new project that draws influence from a currently running television show. What I want to do is make a reference to that show in my work. Almost as a joke to say, "We're nothing like that show."
Is it appropriate to use the name of that show in my work? Could there be a legal issue down the road? Is it ethical to drop the name of something that inspired the work itself?
Thanks!
Answer
Not only is this acceptable, but you should. Sometimes, mentioning the name of a book, a TV show or a brand can be a powerful way of making the reader feel like they are in the middle of the story. Remember that you should always try to make the reader feel what the characters are feeling. Use words that make the reader imagine the sounds the characters are hearing, the smells they are perceiving, etc. For example, something like
"She felt dehydrated. She opened a can of Coke and gulped the sugary, ice-cold liquid so avidly that the bubbles hurt her throat,"
is 1000 times more evocative than: "She was thirsty so she drank a cold soft drink very fast." However, note that this only works well if you can be sure that most of your readers know the mentioned brand and thus can relate to what they are supposed to feel.
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