Written by Robert Scucci | Up to date 31 seconds in the past
South Park has at all times been a counterculture present, and one of many causes I have been criticizing episodes of the present seasons 27 and 28 is that the sequence, like different late-night reveals, has change into a hotbed of political commentary. It is not distinctive. It is like preaching to the choir, but it surely’s actually boring. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are properly conscious of this, they usually pull again the curtain for the primary time of their newest episode, “The Girl within the Hat,” which criticizes not solely the Trump administration but in addition their very own creations.
Stan Marsh, who has at all times been Parker’s avatar, sums it up succinctly: “South Park sucks proper now, and it is all due to this political crap. We’re completely mired in it. Bear in mind after we used to do stuff? Simply us? Ever since all this political crap took over, it is like, what? Like what occurred to us?”
Folks like me at the moment are the targets of South Park satire.
I have been saying for months how a lot I miss the outdated South Park. As a result of episodes involving boys and their misfortunes are at all times one of the best a part of this drama. I have been known as a fascist for criticizing applications that criticize the present president. As if you cannot criticize each for various causes.
Let me be clear right here: Simply since you criticize a TV sequence that criticizes Donald Trump does not imply you possibly can’t additionally criticize Donald Trump. They’re two various things. The info that should be defined are past unhappy as a result of they present how unhealthy we’re at vital pondering.
Latest seasons have revolved round lengthy political arcs that includes Trump, Devil, and steady storylines, moderately than the one-off chaos that made the early years so iconic. This alteration tremendously divided followers.
Nonetheless, it is price noting that I am not the one one who has these ideas about South Park. “The Girl within the Hat” is presently ranked #286 on IMDb, in line with fan rankings, and has a 7.3-star score on the time of this writing. Parker and Stone, who now appear to comprehend they’ve gotten themselves right into a nook, are dealing with the same predicament, simply as they did in season 20 (once they had been relying on Hillary Clinton to win in 2016, solely to rewrite their complete arc on the spot when she misplaced).
South Park commentators on YouTube have expressed comparable sentiments in regards to the sequence changing into too political, and creators like Blooms and Trough’s Stuff have not too long ago provide you with intelligent explanations of what is flawed with the present. Though it’s unclear whether or not Parker and Stone really noticed these breakdowns, we will say with confidence that they had been conscious of the decline within the high quality of their work.
They spent a lot time holding up a mirror to their critics (and themselves) on “The Girl within the Hat,” that I am really beginning to assume seasons 27 and 28 are a part of a protracted con to have their cake and eat it, too. They’re nonetheless going after the Trump administration, however they’re deliberately ruining their very own present within the course of to show their level.
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I will not go into the political satire angle that South Park retains spouting in “The Girl within the Hat,” which anybody can search for on Wikipedia, however as an alternative I would prefer to concentrate on the boys and their marketing campaign to avoid wasting their city from being consumed by politics. Determined to avoid wasting South Park, Stan takes a web page from the playbook of the season 16 episode “Butterball” and decides one of the simplest ways to show his level is to extort cash from individuals by an elaborate cryptocurrency scheme. Hopefully he does not chew off greater than he can chew on a San Diego road nook together with his pants down.
That is precisely what Parker and Stone did with their $1.5 billion cope with Paramount+. They delayed manufacturing on season 27 as a way to keep away from politics and concentrate on the boys, however then, after prolonged negotiations and authorized wrangling, they felt compelled to change into totally concerned in politics.
Throughout this time, different politically charged reveals, reminiscent of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Present, had been canceled or modified by Paramount International, which solely bolstered the concept that Parker and Stone wanted to say one thing within the identify of free speech. Decided to go all in and concentrate on present occasions earlier than the ink on the brand new deal dries, South Park creators made “The Sermon on the Mount” extra related than ever.
South Park is extra common than ever and was enjoyable for some time. However then it grew to become monotonous and I shortly acquired uninterested in it. Having already opened a can of worms within the type of a season involving Trump and Devil’s “ass infants,” season 27 ended after simply 5 episodes, and season 28 marked a stylistic shift for the sequence. In my thoughts, Stan’s lament that South Park sucks displays Trey Parker’s present emotions in regards to the present. However when Stan says, “What’s flawed with making an attempt to make a bit of cash whereas stating what’s flawed with our city?” it is telling.
Contemplating South Park is a counterculture establishment, you possibly can see why Parker and Stone really feel accountable for utilizing their platform to satirize the system they really feel is accountable for worsening America’s media-friendly course. Feeling powerless to interrupt away from politics, they determined to do what they do finest: satirize themselves and the followers who not benefit from the sequence as a lot as they used to.
I will do my finest in the hunt for an enormous center finger
We’re beginning to see the items fall into place. South Park not too long ago landed one of the crucial profitable contracts in tv historical past, however they could be raking in tons of money whereas on the identical time doing sabotage to show their case.
If this decline is intentional, it should reframe the response from failure into efficiency artwork. As quickly as “South Park” finally loses rankings from new politically-minded viewers who solely watch Trump-related content material, long-time followers like myself might develop uninterested in the present on account of its new course and regularly transfer away from the sequence, probably irreversibly damaging Paramount’s backside line.
My opinion right here could also be off base, however this definitely appears to be by design. Parker and Stone stealing $1.5 billion and alienating their core viewers within the course of might be probably the most countercultural factor anybody might do, they usually snigger all the way in which to the financial institution.
For the remainder of Season 28, I believe I will keep it up. It was nice to see the boys sitting on the identical desk making an attempt to determine how you can save South Park, and it was additionally nice to listen to Trey Parker use Stan to vent his frustration with the artistic course of the present.
I hope I am proper, however we’ll simply have to attend and see.
“South Park” is now obtainable on Paramount+.
