XPost: rec.arts.tv
From: suzee@imbris.com
On 11/4/2023 11:22 AM, Rhino wrote:
> On Fri, 03 Nov 2023 14:47:45 -0700
> BTR1701 wrote:
>
>> In article ,
>> Ubiquitous wrote:
>>
>>> Critical mass is a tricky thing. You can't make it happen by sheer
>>> force of will or by dropping a viral video at just the right moment.
>>>
>>> The mad scientists at SOUTH PARK? The folks behind the Comedy
>>> Central series can muster it with one perfectly timed episode.
>>>
>>> The enduring creation of Trey Parker and Matt Stone has a knack for
>>> sharing thoughts we're all having on challenging subjects we're too
>>> shy to share in public.
>>>
>>> Once the show's foul-mouthed lads have a crack at it, suddenly it's
>>> acceptable to speak on it loud and clear.
>>>
>>> They did just that earlier this year with "The World-Wide Privacy
>>> Tour", an episode featuring Canadian royalty who looked and sounded
>>> just like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Cultural voices had
>>> struggled to critique Harry and Meghan up until then, fearing a
>>> similar backlash to what British pundit Piers Morgan faced for
>>> defying the royal couple.
>>>
>>> Morgan lost a lucrative gig with GOOD MORNING BRITAIN for
>>> suggesting Meghan wasn't telling the whole truth about the alleged
>>> racism she faced within the royal family and her suicidal thoughts.
>>>
>>> The fiery pundit faced an investigation into the comments as well.
>>> It wasn't worth it for other high-profile voices to weigh in on the
>>> former SUITS star.
>>>
>>> Cartman and co. had no such fears. And, after SOUTH PARK's "Privacy
>>> Tour", it was open season on the royals. The commentary dam had
>>> broken. Suddenly, we began to hear stories about how dismissive
>>> Meghan Markle was about her podcast gig, for example.
>>>
>>> One brilliantly satirical episode made that happen.
>>>
>>> We just saw something similar with the premiere of "Joining the
>>> Panderverse". The SOUTH PARK special episode skewered Disney
>>> executive Kathleen Kennedy for pushing woke on many Mouse House
>>> products, including movie reboots like the short-lived shows
>>> NATIONAL TREEASURE: EDGE OF HISTORY and WILLOW and franchise
>>> extensions like INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY.
>>
>> "Just put a chick in it and make her gay!"
>>
>>> It also mocked Hollywood's aggressive diversity mandates, where
>>> classic characters are routinely race-swapped in the name of
>>> progress and equity.
>>>
>>> YouTubers and right-leaning influencers have said as much
>>> repeatedly over the past few years, but the subject was mostly
>>> off-limits to mainstream journalists. Or, if the topic came up,
>>> journalists would dismiss it as the ravings of "right wing trolls".
>>>
>>> Suddenly, the hilarious SOUTH PARK satire had even The Hollywood
>>> Reporter weighing in on the topic, exposing it to readers who may
>>> not follow the aforementioned YouTube stars. The news site even
>>> quoted Gina Carano, the TERROR ON THE PRAIRIE star who was famously
>>> fired for sharing opinions that clashed with her far-left industry,
>>> in the process.
>>>
>>> The magazine wouldn't share Carano's views on the subject under
>>> normal conditions. When SOUTH PARK brought the issues up, however,
>>> it forced the outlet to expand its coverage.
>>>
>>> Plus, viewers who never made the connection between inferior Disney
>>> content and Kennedy, a veteran Hollywood executive, suddenly did
>>> just that.
>>>
>>> None of this is new for SOUTH PARK.
>>>
>>> The series, which began in 1997, routinely hits controversial
>>> subjects sans fear or regret. "The Jeffersons" episode skewered pop
>>> superstar Michael Jackson all the way back in 2004, offering an
>>> unflinching perspective on the icon's relationship with young
>>> children and plastic surgery overkill.
>>>
>>> Even longtime Jackson fans worried about his mental state and
>>> accusations of improper behavior with children. Then SOUTH PARK
>>> shouted it from the Comedy Central rooftop and the public could now
>>> reference the series as a portal into difficult conversations
>>> around the King of Pop.
>>>
>>> The show introduced its PC Principal character in 2015, several
>>> years before the woke mindset took hold in both Hollywood and the
>>> culture at large. The character's virtue signaling, combined with
>>> an aggressive mien that took no prisoners, captured what many would
>>> soon fear about the far-left movement.
>>>
>>> Some SOUTH PARK fans even embraced that episode's title, "Stunning
>>> and Brave", to describe woke theatrics meant to inspire applause
>>> (or else...), such as describing trans star Caitlyn Jenner in such
>>> fawning fashion.
>>>
>>> Sometimes the SOUTH PARK magic doesn't happen overnight.
>>>
>>> The prime example is the 2019 "Board Girls" episode which skewers
>>> trans female athletes competing against biological women. The show
>>> featured Randy "Macho Man" Savage, who becomes a trans woman and
>>> crushes the competition.
>>>
>>> "I'm not here to talk about my transition. I'm here to kick some
>>> fucking ass!" the character, who transitioned two weeks prior, says.
>>>
>>> The installment drew some mild media heat at the time, but hardly
>>> as much as if it had come out this year or last.
>>>
>>> Ironically, a clip from the episode went viral a few months ago,
>>> with even THE CLAY AND BUCK bringing it up on their nationally
>>> syndicated radio show.
>>>
>>> How does SOUTH PARK do it? The series carved a unique niche in pop
>>> culture, one that gives it leeway in the raging culture wars. It's
>>> been outrageous for so long that people no longer judge it like
>>> other Hollywood content.
>>>
>>> It's just SOUTH PARK being SOUTH PARK.
>>>
>>> That, plus the crude and cutesy animation, help it steer clear of
>>> cancel culture's clutches. It helps that the show hits both sides
>>> of the cultural and political aisle, leaving no one safe from its
>>> satire.
>>>
>>> The "Panderverse" episode poked fun at conservatives who cry "woke"
>>> at every opportunity, for example.
>>>
>>> Best of all? Parker and Stone aren't interested in apologizing for
>>> their past offenses. Why apologize for sharing what the rest of us
>>> already think?
>
> I've been hearing a lot about South Park in the last few years but I
> have to admit I have never seen an episode of it. I've been toying with
> the thought of actually watching it but watching 25 seasons worth of
> ANYTHING unfamiliar is a massive undertaking. Do I need to watch it
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