Here is an old fable which I narrate often to anyone who will listen:
A frog and a scorpion want to cross a river. The scorpion says to the frog,"Will you carry me on your back as you swim across?" The frog says, "Now, why would I do that? You will sting me!" The scorpion replies, "Well, if I sting you, then you would die and I would drown." The frog decides that this is a valid argument and lets the scorpion ride on his back. Halfway across the river, he feels a sharp prick in his side. He exclaims, "Scorpion! Why did you sting me? Now we will both die!" "I tried to help it, but I couldn't," the scorpion says. "It's in my nature."
In my Visual Communication class yesterday, we talked about parody, and why it is so popular. One theory is based on evolutionary psychology: we like to see spawn. We as humans like comparing children to their parents, copies to originals. I think this is definitely true, at least for me. I like comparing people to their family members, see what has been passed on, whether their little quirks or habits are inherited.