I freaking love Southpark.

[FuzzHugger]

I'm still a fan, but have never been obsessively so...I really enjoy watching old episodes at southparkstudios.com. That's a great service.

I've mostly enjoyed the transition to slicker, high-production, story-and-character focused episodes.
I saw the season 13 premiere, which was a bit of a letdown. Seemed like such an easy target. The Disney-being-evil joke seemed kind of like 5-10 years too late. But from what I've read online, a lot of people dug it.

I can't tell you how many times I've watched the "Elementary School Musical" episode. The kid's dad is **ing histerical!

I slap you, I slap you, I slap slap slap you!
Slappin ya slappin silly!

[Roseweave]

The transsexual episode drove me off South Park. Incredibly ignorant.

I hate that people bitch about Family Guy "Mouth piecing" when South Park is much worse at it and is more serious about it. Just because something claims to be a comedy doesn't excuse it.

[Brettski]

IMHO, if you can laugh at them making fun of Mexicans, Christians, fat people, famous people, kids, yuppees, scientology, the truth movement, or other things that might not hit close to home, you should be able to laugh at the things that do.

[McSpunckle]

IMHO, if you can laugh at them making fun of Mexicans, Christians, fat people, famous people, kids, yuppees, scientology, the truth movement, or other things that might not hit close to home, you should be able to laugh at the things that do.

Yeah, I agree.

I don't think I've seen the transsexual episode... unless you mean the one where Mr. Garrison got his sex change-- in which case, I don't get your point... because it was more a shot at plastic surgery in general-- and he was the only one that ended up happy about it.

[Roseweave]

But South Park isn't just about poking fun. No offense, but I think when a lot of people hear "comedy" they shut off anything even vaguely resembling critical intelligence and get defensive towards those who don't do the same. This is fantastic if you write a "comedy" show - you can say whatever you like and be completely ignorant and make a big satire out of it to influence people's views and anyone who speaks out against it will be shot down immediately because it's a COMEDY and they MAKE FUN OF EVERYONE EQUALLY HURR.

Many of the episodes contain some kind of moral or political viewpoint they want to get over, and the transsexual episode was one. I mean they mocked the idea of transsexualism by comparing it to wanting to be black or a dolphin. How is that fair game exactly? Even if they were only poking fun, th. Do transsexuals need even more hassle than they get already? I can't see how anyone can take anything positive from that. The only reason Mrs. Garrsion was "happy" in the end was for the same reason they blasted transgenderism, it was only "cosmetic" and shallow.

How exactly is ignoring the realities of transsexuality, using appeal to ridicule by comparing it with areas into which there is not a half century of research(transspeciesism etc.)? They showed no will to understand even the most basic ideas of gender identity? How is it fair to blast plastic surgery "in general" by using such a persecuted minority as transsexuals as the figurehead? Why didn't they actually take it out on people who have excessive, unnecessary plastic surgery?

There is no real answer SP fans are going to give to this of course other than DUDE DON'T THINK THAT FAR INTO IT, because of course if you do think at all far into it the answer is obvious.

People give these guys way too much credit - they're hardly unbiased, they said themselves they hate conservatives, but really, really hate liberals. They might poke fun at everything, but not equally. I'm sick to the tits of the apologism, just because they say they make fun of everything equally doesn't mean they actually do. They're just ignorant "libertarian"/republican hicks who used to make a funny show before it got riddled with political BS. I think people just don't want to accept this, so always try to make up explanations or flat out ignore when they're being massively ignorant of the subject matter. People are just convinced that a mainstream comedy show must be somehow safe and innocent.

This isn't just "poking fun", this is the kind of vicious satire that has kept LGBT people down for years but because it's Matt and Trey it's somehow OK.

[smile_man]

I don't think Matt and Trey think about their episodes as in depth as you do. I really don't think they have any specific hatred towards transsexuals.

[Roseweave]

blargh that was the most annoying possible reply.

There is no real answer SP fans are going to give to this of course other than DUDE DON'T THINK THAT FAR INTO IT, because of course if you do think at all far into it the answer is obvious.

Would you care to attach an argument to that naive optimism? Honestly, come on. I had like an A4 page as to why this wasn't the case, show some respect for the effort I put in at least.

[McSpunckle]

Why didn't they actually take it out on people who have excessive, unnecessary plastic surgery?

I think that's what they were doing with the whole "turning into a black guy or dolphin" thing.

Remember, the transsexual was the only one in that episode that came out OK.

I think you are looking to far into it. Yeah, they have messages, but I think you're just making that one up in your head.

South Park has made fun of beliefs I have before, and I just laughed-- because it was funny. I'm a bit of an environmentalist-- and though I don't believe he's right about everything, I'm glad Al Gore helped to bring environmentalism to the spot light (well, one aspect of it, anyways), and I found the "Manbearpig" episode hilarious.

But, ya know, you're totally free to your opinion. Just don't watch South Park.

[metalmariachi]

I didn't like that episode ether.

Sadly It is after all an over the top depiction of the stereotypes fostered by “legitimate “ dramas and the news media.

Cop shows use the term “trannies” much in the same way they use “perp”, and they are either criminals or dead.

The news media constantly misuses 'transvestite' to describe every thing from a cross dresser to a drag queen.

Don't get me started on the whole 'ugly man in a dress' depiction.

ok there is the attractive actress occasionally thrown in to confuse some male character about his sexuality. Oh funny a beautiful woman used to be a guy, so being attracted to her means your probably gay.

CSI new York pissed me off when they had a female impersonator who was murdered in a mens room.
She wouldn't have used the mens room because of the danger of being raped and murdered by some one.
Law and Order SVU didn't do too bad pointing out the the flaws in our penal system in dealing with the transgendered and actually made some very good arguments for change .

Of course 'law makers' really only care about staying in office and keeping their largest contributors happy, so really won't make changes.

Oh god I could rant for hours

MM

[Gunner Recall]

You're better off not watching it anyway...there were a few gems this season but largely the show is a big for me these days.

I think if anyone can take issue with south park it is the Jews. I realize Matt Stone is jewish, but the rampant anti-semitism in almost EVERY episode is starting to get offputting...

I'll admit the passion of the jew was hilarious (one of my all time favorites), some of the best episodes have been at the expense of Kyle or the Jewish people.
Yet as of lately they just make jew jokes as filler because they couldn't think of a plot line (Jews can't be pirates, Cartman asking how to jew jimmy out of the fishdicks joke, kyle bailing everyone out of the magaritaville episode) The whole "when all else fails, just jew it" thing is getting old.

[Mudfuzz]

Is SP still on? I stopped watching it years ago when it turned lame, actually I stopped watching TV years ago because it was always lame and I couldn't take any more.

[htsamurai]

oh crap, second page turned epic!
i love this, debate on peoples!

[aen]

Still love southpark. I think it's funny pretty much every time. No holds barred shit-stirring, everybody is made fun of, and at least in my experience, there's a thread of social commentary that i almost always agree with underneath all the zaniness. I can't recall ever getting offended or upset about an episode, but Ive probably only seen 1/4 of them.

[Roseweave]

Why didn't they actually take it out on people who have excessive, unnecessary plastic surgery?

I think that's what they were doing with the whole "turning into a black guy or dolphin" thing.

Remember, the transsexual was the only one in that episode that came out OK.

And I pointed out why that was.

See, what gets me is that even if they weren't being anti-trans, they were still presenting an extremely misinformed version of transgenderism(as if people didn't confuse gay people and transsexuals enough already), more or less the exact same bloody one that's responsible for negative protrayl of transsexuals regardless of how they wanted it to be taken. That alone should be offensive, but again, brain shut off when it comes to this for most people.

I think you are looking to far into it. Yeah, they have messages, but I think you're just making that one up in your head.

No, I'm not. They were insanely blatant.

You know, what if I'm right and Matt and Trey DID overstep the line? There'd be absolutely no way of knowing since you refuse the possibility completely.

But, ya know, you're totally free to your opinion. Just don't watch South Park.

But my issue isn't the quality of the show, it's it as a political mouthpiece. It would make no difference if I watch it or not, there are still slews of impressionables who actually do inherit their political views from South Park. The 4chan generation especially. It pisses me off because I know how much influence they have and how little responsibility they display with it.

[FuzzHugger]

Yikes!

I did expect this thread to head this way...actually, expected it sooner! haha.

It's definitely a mind-fuck, making you think they're attacking one side and all of a sudden, they undercut it all and switch over to the other. Often to the point that you don't know their point--which is often just to offend in a funny way.

With all great comedy, sometimes it will go "too far" for some people and not for others. And most comedy is political.