mercoledì, aprile 26, 2006

South Park

I've been on a bit of a South Park Binge lately - Figaro had wanted to do some catch-up as he lives in a land that gets its televised chuckles from Silvio Berlusconi's plastic surgery, and the Paramount/Viacom/Comedy Central/Scientology publicity stunt worked its magic on me. And what a welcome publicity stunt it was.

Too many of us have the early seasons of South Park lodged in our heads - the Chef Aid, shitty cameo, predictable, hah-hah-the-animation-is-so-crappy seasons that stayed on the air because of all the fat Americans who emotionally indentified with Eric Cartman's wish to kick everybody in the nuts. All the dumbfuck Americans who got up in arms because they wanted to know who Eric's daddy was to the degree that they were unable to appreciate - indeed, violently objected to that peice of broadcast genius, Not Without My Anus. Back in the day when episodes like Mecha-Streisand were few and far between and it was obvious to the dullest observer that the show's writers were being bitched around by a nervous production and broadcast team.

I think it was the movie. After the movie, I don't know what the increase in the show's ratings was and how much creative leverage that gave the writers. I just like to think its success equipped Trey Parker and Matt Stone with great big sets of arrogant iron balls. But in any case all of a sudden the 4th season is solidly, unbrokenly awesome.

Then I left the country for years.

And then they attacked Scientology, vague rumours swept around the world, Isaac Hayes maybe-quit, and here I am again. Loving South Park. Now I have to go to the Four Seasons for some breakfast conference about how to make people my age buy stuff. They'd better have those little pains au chocolat, or I'm falling asleep in protest.

8 commenti:

The Outer Church ha detto...

I don't know, I don't think they ever fell off. Some were less funny than others but I think SP's been fairly consistent since the beginning.

Having said that my sense of humour is gutter-level, basically. I just spent several minutes tittering over the railway sign on Wommm's blog. Hehehe. Hehe.

Mistress La Spliffe ha detto...

I don't think they fell off - just that they picked right up. I laughed at all of the episodes when they aired, but seeing the old ones again, for me, is like seeing geriatric Simpsons episodes when it was still all about the Butterfingers promotions and action figures.

Yeah, that railway sign is fucking funny. Somebody really, really did that on purpose. Riiiiiiiight?

The Outer Church ha detto...

Aye, I do think the Scientology episode might just be the best and most important thing they've ever done...

That sign? I take the Mulder stance. I WANT TO BELIEVE.

Mistress La Spliffe ha detto...

Well, a little birdie - actually, half the media at work - tells me there's a new kerfuffle over an episode that slams into the revived Family Guy, which I do think has gone to shit, and the Danish cartoon fiasco AT THE SAME TIME.

Oh Trey Parker and Matt Stone, I *loooooooves* ya. I would pay $500 to make babies with them.

Dr Wommm ha detto...

I still think they're gonna have to go some to beat the stem cell research episode, that was beautiful. As for the sign, it's real, it's been there for years, but best of all, it refers to the trains owned by Richard Branson that speed through Penrith without stopping. Yep, Virgin trains. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks.

YNAMOH's sense of humour is in the gutter, but you have to drill into the earths crust for mine.

Mistress La Spliffe ha detto...

Virgin Trains: getting you home without blue balls for nearly 10 years.

Dr Wommm ha detto...

Nice to know I'm not the only one wallowing around in the mantle

Mistress La Spliffe ha detto...

It's warmer down here.