Is Parental Unit an insult or complement?

Question

Lauren Graham along time ago was nominated at teen choice awards she got nominated Parental Unit in television

Answer 1

complement, she got awarded for it. duh! lol

Answer 2

It refers back to a Saturday Night Live skit about aliens living in the U.S.  There's a couple who have a daughter and the daughter refers to them as "parental units".  So it's meant to be funny.  The way it was used at the Teen Choice Awards, it was probably a compliment since she was nominated for the award.

I use it to refer to the parents of my children's friends, as a joke, as most of the parents remember the SNL skits.

Answer 3

neither, it just means "parent"  

it's like an "in" way of putting it. like "i've got to ask the parentals" or "hey did you speak to your parental unit about joining the whatever"

it's just cool slang