I've been meaning to ask... Warped9, Number6? Are you two actually married? I mean, there's a shitload of sexual tension between you two that you really need to resolve somewhere else. 
Now to the point:
I think the story outline was meant to be played straight, got tweaked into a 'lighter camp' episode (not unusual for the time, as well as for who Star Trek was going up against back then), then that intended tweak got played straight.
So, not a 'parody' but more light-hearted in feel akin to some (maybe most) of Coon's other episodes. Someone just didn't pass along the memo.

Now to the point:
I think the story outline was meant to be played straight, got tweaked into a 'lighter camp' episode (not unusual for the time, as well as for who Star Trek was going up against back then), then that intended tweak got played straight.
So, not a 'parody' but more light-hearted in feel akin to some (maybe most) of Coon's other episodes. Someone just didn't pass along the memo.