Stick a fork in South Park. It is done.

[neuvocat]

I can't locate the original thread that was put up on the latest show that Trey Parker and Matt Stone put up this last week but no matter. The question was basically "What is the point of having Al Gore on there?". On the show Al Gore was trying to proclaim the existence of some sort of Big-Foot style ogre, a completely fictional beast that never existed even in the realms of fantasy before that.

It took a minute but then it hit me: Al Gore adamantly proclaiming the existence of something real.

You folks might be with me already on this by now. Al Gore proclaiming the existence of a false creature is the same as proclaiming the existence of the falsehood of global warming.

In other words, global warming isn't real. Its just a made up phenomenon according to Parker and Stone. This is despite the proclamations of scientists and many others around the world with better minds than the creators of South Park. This is despite the drowning of creatures in the arctic that can't find a place to rest because the ice melted away. This is despite the existence of a free-floating iceberg out there in the oceans that didn't occurr before any known period in history.

Folks these are the same two men who are thought to be brilliant despite their hatred of undecided voters during election time. At least undecided voters are taking the time to think about how they should vote.*

And going back to the show, so far this year they've taken their so-called "revenge" out on Isaac Hayes in a show that was very disingenuous-equivocating Scientology with a group of pedophiles.** The same thing happened when they did their spoof of Family Guy when they made their assertion that the show has no plot (and shouldn't be seen as humorous).

Parker and Stone are showing an increasing distance from reality in their shows. They would just as soon weasel out of what's going on in order to browbeat, mock and cojole rather than use humor as a medium for social criticisms anymore. Unless they do something radical like say put themselves in the show for example and subject their on-screen likenesses to the same sort of treatment they do everyone else, the show will continue to be a waste of time. It will be 30 minutes of your life you will never get back.

* As a side note, their is an ongoing pattern also of deriding people of faith-any faith whether christian, muslim, for example. It is one thing to criticize organized religion. However these dudes don't do that. They seem to think that vague moralizing based on extremely tenuous principles is far more appropriate and that any sort of diety is enough to single people out.

** During the Family Guy series GW Bush was cast in a way that wasn't insulting-during a scene that involved a press conference he was cast as though he had to explain to the idiot press what the First Amendment is. It all seems like a slap in the face to the man who made the show so popular in the first place: George Clooney.

[DS1]

1. Oh, right

Last week they had Oprah's vagina push a gun out of her pants and take hostages. Surely this show must be taken seriously, as it's a national, no GLOBAL threat to humanity

:eyes:

[danalytical]

2. I agree

this is exactly the type of thing we here at DU should take a stand on. Lets go get the pitchforks.

[seriousstan]

16. I'm all in, WE MUST STAND UP FOR OPRAH"S MING!!

[Beelzebud]

3. What out for the fanboys. I had one tell me I wasn't intelligent

this week because I stated that I didn't think this season was a funny as their previous efforts. He seemed to think that since I didn't find it funny, I was too dumb to understand the metaphores. He also seemed to be under the impression that since they won a Peabody award, they can never write bad material now.

I won't name names, but this person claims to be a lawyer, hollywood writer, tv writer, and novelist, and tried to say that since I don't claim to be an author, I shouldn't have any right to criticise someone else's work. He also tried to say SP was a "news" show :D

Yeah, there are freaks on DU just like anywhere, but I figured I'd warn you.

Apparently if you don't find this season funny, you're just dumb. :D

[jfxgillis]

23. My theory is creative suicide

They're tired, they're burned out, they don't want to do it anymore, but they don't want to do the right thing (See: Chapelle) and just hang it up.

So they're basically mind-fucking their fans and Comedy Central by feeding them alternately polemics and outrage, outrage that's literally NON-sensical: Self-justifying outrage.

At some point either the fans will rebel (ratings crash) or the network will shut 'em down, and they get to quit with all their self-righteousness intact.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

4. You detoured, but you were on the right track

In fact, the show did a great job of highlighting the global warming matter, and, along the way, made fun of people, as is its wont.

It does it in metaphor - consider Cartman and the "treasure" - ever think what THAT was about, beyond the obvious scatological? Hint: think about our Vice President and his business ties.

The show is brilliant. They're informed and smart and opinionated, although their opinions might not always agree with those with which we're most comfortable. They create an atmosphere of creative insecurity, which is the first step in learning, if you're lucky enough to have teachers who can bring that forth from within you.

What makes them so good is that they force their viewers to work to understand all the subtext, and most people don't want to do that - especially with a show on Comedy Central. But, as far as I'm concerned, its Peabody Award was justly earned, and their work is getting better and better.

I mean, think about it. A Peabody Award. Even Bill O'Reilly thought he got one of those........ heh heh heh.......... until Al Franken set him straight and flipped him out forever.

[Viking12]

17. I didn't see the show...

Could you elaborate on what you mean by, "the show did a great job of highlighting the global warming matter". What, exactly, did they highlight?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

24. It'll be on in rerun,

and you'll see it and draw your own conclusions. My opinions are only my opinions.

See what you think.

[Viking12]

25. So you're not willing to defend your statement

that, "the show did a great job of highlighting the global warming matter". Implicit in your statement is your assessment of the "global warming matter", so I want to hear from you.

In any case, I don't subscribe to cable so, please, indulge me.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

36. "...defend my statement....."?

Dear Sir or Madame, as the case may be,

This is a message board. I left a message.

I'm certainly "willing to defend," but I get paid handsomely for that in my line of work, so you'll have to cough up the cash first, since I decide what gets given away for free.

It's a message board, and I left a message. Make of it what you will.

<click>

[Viking12]

41. So you left a message that you are unwilling to defend...

Why bother leaving a message? Is it that you are unable to defend yourself? Perhaps the bluster is compensation for incompetence.

[Warren Stupidity]

26. Actually it was just dull.

There was no brilliance, nor was there any deep meaning beyond what was in plain sight.

"It does it in metaphor - consider Cartman and the "treasure" - ever think what THAT was about, beyond the obvious scatological? Hint: think about our Vice President and his business ties."

You have got to be kidding.

The message of that episode was that Al Gore is an asshole and that global warming is bullshit.

[jfxgillis]

28. Sometimes a cigar is a just a cigar

And sometimes adolescent right-wing diatribes are just adolescent right-wing diatribes even when they're produced by people who have previously produced brilliant work.

Their opinions aren't "smart," or, at least, they aren't any smarter than any other precocious priviledged self-absorbed teenager who reads "Atlas Shrugged" and thinks the world revolves around priviledged self-absorbed precocious teenagers.

It's funny for bit. If they're geniuses it's funny for a season or two, and it WAS funny for a season or two. But after that it gets old.

Technically speaking it's not really even "satire" in terms of literary genre--not even Juvenalian.

[sandnsea]

5. Nah, it's the corporate media's fault

Not self-indulgent assholes who take no responsibility for the consequences of their actions, nope not them. Only the corporate fascists are to blame.

Matt & Trey are EXACTLY like Rush Limbaugh. EXACTLY. Funny at first, made jokes about liberals who were taking themselves entirely too seriously. 20 years later, we see how that turned out. South Park is exactly the same and has clearly moved from a new generation of social commentary to crazy caricatures that influence millions of people to dismiss important issues with catstrophic consequences.

[mdmc]

6. cartoon

the only true cause of global warming is smug.

[sallyseven]

7. Looks like I have to start warching this program

Sounds good

[mdmc]

8. it is vulgar tripe

(i just started watching it this year)...and it is also brilliant.

[Poppyseedman]

9. Hello, It's a show, a cartoon show !

"Parker and Stone are showing an increasing distance from reality in their shows"

At what point did their show remotely mimic reality.

[JohnKleeb]

11. You know when a giant douche ran for president

and when third graders obbessed with Japanese culture bombed Pearl Harbor. I like South Park because it's absurdly hilarious.

[valerief]

20. Next you'll say Jesus doesn't have a call-in cable show! Or

MegaBarbra isn't real. (I'm in the Wayback Machine, kiddies.)

[OnyxCollie]

10. For a while, they appeared to be "balanced"

making fun of right-wing radicals and self-aggrandizing liberals. But they lost me after their "Katrina" show. They continued to be "balanced" after the floor had dropped out from beneath the right-wing. Now, they come across as pointless bloviators for the right. Matt and Trey, just give it up already. There's nothing redeemable on the right.

On Edit: Towelie sucks. Worst. Character. Ever.

[terrya]

22. They also did a show called "That's My Bush!"

Personally, I don't see this evil right wing agenda Parker and Stone are advancing in their shows. But, I guess that's just me.

[OnyxCollie]

30. The Katrina episode was just too much.

New Orleans is destroyed, over a thousand die, thousands are left in horrible conditions. Could you find any "crime" of the left that could balance that? I don't remember what their opposite storyline was in that episode, but I felt they let bush get off easy.

[danalytical]

27. Towelie is awesome

Although Matt and Trey did say that Towelie was the stupidest character they ever created. I like him, I want a towelie shirt.

[bluerum]

12. Burn the witches.

[ToeBot]

13. It's hasn't been funny in years, and now it's not even clever.

It's shark bait.

[Greyhound]

39. Opinion noted. n/t

[bigtree]

14. you bastards!

goddamnit! :P

[Fridays Child]

15. They lost me at feces humor.

[WindRavenX]

18. not this shit again

:banghead:

[tcfrogs]

21. Yes

Either you like the show or hate it, it seems. And neither side is budging on their views.

[Eric J in MN]

19. They also did an episode called "Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow"

which also ridiculed the idea of global warming (plus the idea the Bush is responsible for the NOLA Katrina dissater.)

[Cha]

46. I guess they don't pay

attention to the news..bush went off to fiddle at mccain's birthday cake party when Katrina struck and futher west to California when New Orleans was drowning(and it was his fault the levees didn't having funding for reinforcement.

Buy, beg, or borrow a clue south park cause you're ignorant dumbasses when it comes to political commentary.

And Al Gore is what's happenin'!

[B Calm]

29. Jesus Holy Mary, some people take this show serious!

[neuvocat]

31. Thats because its not funny anymore.

[B Calm]

32. Maybe this post needs moved to the lounge

[Mr. Blonde]

33. A lot of the things they said in the Cartoon Wars were aimed at themselves

Who do you think they were referring to being preachy and up their asses with messages?

[genieroze]

34. I think SP is funny, they make fun of everybody, though they do

seem to have a slight leaning lately,(meaning bashing more liberals than conservatives) it's still funny. I loved the Tom Cruise in the closet one. I always thought they were a satire, am I wrong? The Oprah one was kind of dumb, I don't think I got the joke.

[stevietheman]

35. The show was a funny caricature of Gore. That's all I need.

I'm sick and tired of the "this show doesn't exactly follow my politiics, so it's shit" rhetoric.

It's an effing sitcom folks! It's designed to make people laugh folks!

Geez.

[Uncle Joe]

44. It was the caricature of Gore created by the MSM

that enabled Bush to power in the first place, possibly leading to 9/11 definitely leading to Iraq. The overall masking of the truth just for their own agenda.

Today finally more of the MSM is actually coming out and saying what many of us already knew, Al Gore was correct, Global Warming is for real. Al even has a movie coming out in May "An Inconvenient Truth" regarding this planetary crisis, South Parks's contribution to this is only to fuzz up the picture, basically stating the MSM was right to lie to the people in 2000 about Gore's veracity and integrity. While this may seem funny to some, I find it uncomfortably close to the B.S. perpetrated on the people by the rest of the MSM. While the cartoon irreverent humor aspect may appeal to the counterculture, it's all corporate. They might as well be a hip and funny Rush Limbaugh.

[stevietheman]

48. Methinks you're reading too much into a sitcom episode.

That's all I'm saying.

If South Park is politically influential with anyone, I'll eat my hat.

[Beware the Beast Man]

37. Umm, it's a TV show.

One that went past its prime about 8 years ago, to boot.

[Greyhound]

38. Terrence and Phillips (Stone and Parker) are equal opportunity offenders

BTW, in case it has escaped your notice, it's a satirical cartoon!

They make fun of and offend everybody, the ineffectual and universally ignored Jesus Christ, the big, scary, yet sensitive and gay, Satan, Token the single black kid (who's parents are also wealthy), the completely self-interested, self-promoting politiwhores, the ignorant, racist, white, parents, the fascist liberals, the vapid, vacuous, media that misses the point of every issue,...

It is a comedy that millions of us laugh at, not a politically correct indoctrination medium, and yes sometimes it just isn't funny, but you try to write a new episode every week that is consistently funny. Nobody has succeeded yet.

[McCamy Taylor]

40. Ever wonder how the left got the rep for having no sense of humor?

[Beelzebud]

45. Do you think global warming is real or BS?

Because that is what this episode was about, and they were taking the stance that Gore is just full of shit, and global warming is fake.

I guess if you find crap like that funny you're free to watch it.

I've loved South Park up until this season. After the Chef Dies episode it was all downhill.

[McCamy Taylor]

49. Did they say it was about global warming? I never heard them do so.

Too sensitive.

It would have been funnier if the man-bear-pig had showed up at the end after the credits were over, though. My son and I were expecting that to happen.

[Balbus]

42. SP is an equal opportunity offender - great show.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

43. LMFAO!!!!!!!!!

I just love these threads that take cartoons and tv shows so seriously. :rofl:

MUST. ONLY. WRITE. MATERIAL. THAT. I'LL. AGREE. WITH. ALL. THE. TIME.

CONFORM. CONFORM. CONFORM.

:rofl:

Methinks thou dost protest too much. After all, it's a cartoon. A C a r t o o o o o o nnnnnn

[gatorboy]

47. That's true, it's only a cartoon.

But to not take them seriously on occasion?

Well....We should probably ask Denmark about that. ;)

[mcctatas]

50. I have a hard enough time keeping up with my outrage at the bushies,

corporate crime, the coming of the new theocratic government and the destruction of the planet....and now I'm supposed to get pissy about cartoons?!!!! When will I sleep? ;)

[Freedom_Aflaim]

51. Yea I hate it when they attack my point of view to

But I think its funny as hell when they attack others.

This episode was weak and infuriating, and last weeks (towelys) was proably the worst episode yet. But I really loved the Scientology episode and the Chef episode.

If they would just stick to attacking people I disagree with, the show would be much better.

[Greyhound]

53. LOL! n/t

[GoneOffShore]

52. South Park jumped the shark

their first episode.

Clueless, crass, childish (one can't use the word juvenile, because they don't even approach that) and utterly without merit. All the noise and passion of Beavis and Butthead with none of the talent.