By Wyatt C.
It’s no reach to say that for the thirteen seasons running since the show originally aired in 1996 South Park has been the funniest animated television show, and possibly the funniest television show in general, in existence. Why the show is so funny is no great mystery; the humor is an intoxicating cocktail of dirty jokes, hilariously flawed characters, insanity, sex, drugs, rock and roll, parody that has crossed the line by a mile, and a grain or two of truth. The show is pure, unbastardized satire, and that is what makes it so successful.
The genious of South Park is its ability to stay culturally relevant on so many different levels. It is media within the media about the media. Who else would have Cartman on the cover of Rolling Stone as he takes a picture of Saddam Hussein’s execution via cellphone camera?
What other show would win an Emmy for an episode that parodies hardcore videogamers, the final battle between Heaven and Hell, Keanu Reeves, and the Terry Schiavo incident at the same time? Where else would you see the paparazzi’s obsession with Britney Spears related to human sacrifice?
What really brings South Park home, though, are the characters. We see in them a reflection of American society, and even though we don’t always like what we see, it draws us in. Cartman, for instance, symbolizes America at its worst. He is a spoiled, materialistic, greedy, self obsessed, hopelessly obese, crude, whiney, impatient, ignorant, belligerent, biggoted, racist, anti-semetic asshole, and that’s on a good day. But he is also very laughable, as are the homosexual Mr. turned Ms. Garrison, the moronic and often misguided police department, the incredible immaturity of Stan’s father, and Kenny’s inexplicable death and reincarnation cycle.
When they react to current events we are made to understand our own follies and hypocrisies. We see in the movie “South Park, Bigger, Longer, Uncut” how the parents declare war on Canada because their children saw an R rated movie. We see how the aftermath of the 2008 presidential election results in a drunken liberal stupor and a conservative attempt to shelter themselves from the end of the world as Obama and McCain secretly team up to rob the Smithsonian. We see our own addiction to the internet as the entire town migrates to California in a striking parallel to “The Grapes of Wrath” in search of the last little bit of network. And we see how Stan’s dad proceeds to foolishly squander it on a few minutes’ worth of pornography.
South Park is undoubtedly, unashamedly, politically incorrect. In other words, it provides judgement in a judgement deficient society.
Our civilization often encourages the supression of opinions while South Park does the precise opposite; it has the balls to have an opinion, encourage our own opinions, and to make us see ourselves for what we really are. And it makes us laugh at ourselves regardless, because what the show evokes more than anything else is the ludicrous delusions that form the foundation of our civilization. Everything that we commonly accept as “normal” is made to look absolutely ridiculous. Anything ranging from an amusement park to television to money. But I cannot say that the show has disenchanted me in any way.
Rather, it has quite subtly led me to accept the irrational, often ridiculous reality of everyday existence. And this is why people relate to South Park so well, because whereas other media only thrusts new ideas and foreign concepts upon us, South Park takes the time to explain those new ideas and foreign concepts to us on our own terms.
It’s an encyclopedia of pop culture as much as it is a part of pop culture itself, and this is what makes it so relevant.
hyperlinks:
http://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/13641289/2007_rolling_stone_covers/photo/6/large/
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/180239/South-Park-Bigger-Longer-Uncut/overview
http://www.poligazette.com/2008/11/06/south-parks-election-day-satire/
Great! As a south park fan I really liked the refrences to episodes. I wish you would talk more about your relationship with South Park. This was really well written. Favorite line, "the humor is an intoxicating cocktail of dirty jokes, hilariously flawed characters, insanity, sex, drugs, rock and roll, parody that has crossed the line by a mile, and a grain or two of truth. The show is pure, unbastardized satire, and that is what makes it so successful."
ReplyDeleteWoah! I have NEVER thought of South Park in this way-all I can say to that is that you worked in very strong windows. I think you really helped explain both the story and the situation behind the plot(s) of South Park. So you've explained what South Park stands for, and why we connect to it as a nation/culture, but why does it stand out to you?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments made about expressing your relationship with the show. I definitely saw a new side of South Park and I enjoyed when you said "It is media within the media about the media" because from the very few episodes I have seen I definitely agree with this statement. I love the different ways you explain the series by using examples, but I'd like to know more about your journey with it. Do you ever feel like it goes too far even for South Park's standard of "crossing the line by a mile?"
ReplyDeleteMolly
So much substance here, and well argued. The "World of Warcraft" episode is genius. I really wonder though about the idea of providing judgment in a "judgment deficient society". Satire is by definition, judgmental. It's very nature is to pass judgment on the foolish, the pompous, and the idiotic. Every artist has the right to do that. But it's not as if we need more judgment in our culture. A simple tour of pop culture reveals that we are crushed by the weight of it daily.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything said so far, especially about the window. I think this piece actually identifies South Park as doing all the things we're trying to do here, it lays out our judgments and flaws as a country/society in a way that leaves room for dialogue about why we have these judgments. But now I want you to take this one step forward and do with South Park exactly what you say it's redeeming quality is, and use it as a mirror for itself. You get very they with this, that our culture is flawed and those flaws are showing in South Park, but what of YOUR flaws are shown/parodied in south park? do you have any personal gain/growth from south park?
ReplyDeleteBekah