South Park thrives on public discord.
Every civic debate is an opportunity for satire savants Trey Parker and Matt Stone to do what they do best: pun and parody.
Is this not the perfect time for South Park to return? The current presidential election alone gives the writers enough material for an entire season. And with the American people divided over polarizing issues, Eric Cartman is the hero we need.
South Park‘s irrational characters remind us of our own absurdities, forcing the general population to take itself less seriously. Or at least those who watch.
Though Parker and Stone are far from objective, their jabs do not discriminate — anyone watching this show will find their beliefs being challenged with humor.
The goal of South Park is not to pick sides in a public debate. The show is not based around using rhetoric and reason to prove a point; It’s the opposite. South Park wants to undermine the legitimacy of public dialogue. Its goal seems to be making those who are debating feel silly for being so divisive.
At times social commentary is masked by vulgarity, leaving viewers confused if the show they are watching is making sense at all, let alone a complex political point. Bodily fluids, excessive profanities and gory death are some examples of the show’s trademarked crudeness.
But viewers who look past the coarseness of the show will find plenty to appreciate. Whether poking fun at the countless movie reboots that are being made or the overall insanity of this election season, South Park is what we need right now.
Pushing people to their limits when it comes to defending their opinions is exactly what South Park does, and Americans on both side of the political aisles seem heavily entrenched in their beliefs. The Parker and Stone brand of satire corrodes the boundaries between us. It brings people together with a shared ability to laugh at themselves.
We all know the old saying about how opinions are like assholes, because everyone has them and they stink. This is the root of South Park‘s pitch to its viewers. To hold your opinion as more important than someone else’s is inherently silly and selfish. Parker and Stone aren’t making fun of your opinions — they mock your self-importance and belief that you know best.
Despite this, their boorish cartoon continues to shock and upset with reckless abandon, pushing our buttons and driving us crazy while Stone and Parker haughtily laugh at us all.
