Leave it to a cartoon to figure it out

Southpark


ANALYSIS: This show started out as an obscure paper constructed phenomenon riddled with foul mouth kids and equally idiotic adults in a cold, disturbing town or Southpark, Colorado. The shows premise was simple: make fun of things, popular or not, and show the absurdity of human nature through extreme situations all leading up to happy endings.


Now into its 8th season the premise remains the same though Southpark has taken a wildly different direction, even though it does what it does best: make audiences laugh. The new season?s episodes all involve events occurring in popular culture today. Since the show production values have changed (more money, lotsss more money) episodes can be produced in a week alone so current pop culture events are dissected in the show weekly.


My concern about Southpark is that it is becoming the social commentator on the obvious that escapes the media and the people that are enraged by these events. If something is happening rest assured it will be in Southpark, from The passion of the Christ to Michael Jackson?s molestation trial?it is all there being mocked and analyzed through comedy. Does Southpark really need to take this direction? Such episodes exist in past seasons but they didn?t make up the bulk of the season, most episodes were comic events occurring in the fictional town of Southpark, concerning its people.


In the 8th season, however, all the episodes seem to be social commentary albeit hilarious social commentaries like that of the Jay Lenos, Jon Stewarts, Conan O Briens and the shock jock DJs of the world. Is that the only road the creators have left to take to get a laugh? Have they stressed out all the ideas and the situations that can happen to Southpark people? Or am I reading too deep into this because I have nothing better to do?

I suppose this mockery of social absurdity was always present but to me the 8th season seem to comprised totally of it and that sort of concerns me when a cartoon with rigid animation of 4th graders, and their less than inspiring parents, seem to speak the obvious truth far in far more clever ways than the media or those highly paid CNN consultants. It also concerns me that it is done so well and so quick that blink and you?ll miss and inside joke.

I still say it's been all downhill ever since the Jesus/Satan fight episode several years back.

I doubt the authors have no ideas left, I'd rather think that the company is making them focus on certain subjects they think are more profitable, sad but true, that's what happens in the end to every great show.

Well, that show is what pays the bills. It's like Friends on NBC, or Monday Night Football on ABC, or The Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet.

i personally think that the 2 guys ( trey parker? and...the other one) are enjoying mad success and are using the show as a sounding board for their views. the show has always been outrageous and that's part of the draw...so comedy central let's 'em do it. using events that are occuring at present is a good way to keep an unending supply of show ideas and the attention of the masses. it also makes it easy to be controversial, as we all know most of america is devoid of a sense of humor. i envy them the ability to create their work and to say whatever they please and have people eat it up. although i must say i haven't watch the show in ages but the original christmas episode is a classic. and the herpes one, and big gay al's big gay boat ride.

Inkara1 said:

I still say it's been all downhill ever since the Jesus/Satan fight episode several years back.

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That’s about when I got bored and stopped watching...Must have been quite a while ago, because I don't think I had spawned yet, and my oldest is 5.

As for social commentary on South Park, I haven't seen the current season, but I recall the subtle social commentary in the first few seasons as well, buried deep in a morass of much more obvious fart humour, and if you blinked, you missed it. I was always under the impression that those were meant more for the writer’s own amusement, without really expecting that they would be picked up by the general, fart-humour loving populace.

Like I said though, haven't watched in quite a while, so I don't know if this evolved (or devolved) into something different.

See, I find that misses the point, IC. South Park has always poked fun at the issues average people find important. It's just easier for them to stay current now. They aren't engaging in social commentary, they're making fun of people who take a badly animated, paper cut out cartoon show so seriously that they consider it social commentary. It's a cartoon. I promise you the creators of South Park are laughing all the way to the bank.

I think it's absurd & ridiculous. My 10 year old loves it. 'nuff said.

Yeah, my 12 year old nephews love it. Everybody else in the family pretty much thinks it's crap.

I was thinking more sophomoric, but maybe I'm giving it too much credit.

I liked the show when it was first out. then it was overdone and everywhere. I still find the jokes funny but I am not a big fan of it as I used to be.

I think you've stretched way too far with your accolades, IC...The show's popularity relies on primal comedic elements of vulgarity and defiance. Some of it is laughable...But mostly its retarded. Kinda like Jackass.
And we wonder why our youth are so...

I liked the Jeses/Satan fight episode because the humor was actually in the plot, not in listening to eight-year-olds out-cussing sailors.

south park is better than it ever was.

whoreable said:

south park is better than it ever was.

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Could be. That isn't saying a whole lot though

Havn't watched it in a while...then again, I don't have cable TV or satelite...so, it figures.

What I remember from SP was that it was sophmoric humour at best, but still came up with the occasional gem aimed at the older crowd...somewhat like you find in Disney Cartoons aimed at kids, but with several adult jokes thrown in for good measure.

The movie though...now that was sophmoric but hilarious. The fact that they copied "A tale of two cities" and made it a musical...made it that much better

hehehe......