In the most recent episode of South Park, “The Snuke,” Eric Cartman suspects a new Muslim student is planning a terrorist attack. The real star of the episode, however, is Hillary Clinton, who has a bomb in her vagina. An agent’s head is eaten up and spit out after he tries to take a peek inside, but this scores nothing but orgasmic pleasure for Hillary. It’s as tasteless and offensive as television can get. South Park has always been tasteless and offensive, but also very intelligent. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
In another recent episode, “Cartman Sucks,” Eric is caught trying to take a picture of himself putting his penis in Butters’ mouth. His friends tell him that it will reverse the gayness of the picture where Eric put Butters’ penis in his mouth while Butters was asleep. Butters, who is blindfolded during the episode, is unaware of the “gayness” of the activity. When Butters’ father catches this episode, Butters is sent to a camp to cure his gayness.
Am I, as well as other South Park viewers, really that hard up for entertainment? Or do we just enjoy watching a train wreck? The point of almost every South Park episode is to highlight the hypocrisy of society. But hasn’t South Park made this point over and over and over before?
I suppose I can create a cartoon where George Bush uses his penis to squirt out holy water. Then, I’ll make an episode where Oprah’s vagina carries on a conversation with her asshole. Oh wait, that’s already been done before on South Park!
Can’t anybody get the same ratings by appealing to the lowest denominator of humor and vulgarity? Does the fact that there are still a huge number of South Park addicts who watch every episode multiple times say something about a quality cartoon? Perhaps it did a year ago, but not anymore.
There is no doubt that South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are two incredibly gifted, creative people. South Park has created some of the most hilarious and culturally relevant characters, jokes, and one-liners ever on television. Lately, however, there seems to be a very thin line between creativity and desperation. The ratings are obviously still coming in, but is that all that matters anymore?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Chris
South Park gets better and better every season and the two episode you brought up have been the best so far this year. The show is funnier than it has ever been.
2 - Bryan
Ya I agree with #1. You have no sense of humor if you didnt find those two episodes mentioned hilarious. I'm guessing you are just a hilary humper and were offended by the portrayal of her cold dark vagina.
3 - Jon Weiman
While you say that South Park does not make a political/social point anymore, this is clearly not true. In the episode where Butters has to go to this camp , it is clearly highlighting the hypocrasy of Catholicism which sets forth un-attainable values of heterosexuality which some people cannot achieve , and thus ruins their lives in the process. In the case of this episode suicide. While some episodes are in fact satire , something that is perfectly okay , the creators of south park still challange American values, something that makes for create comedy and creates awareness about such issues that straight edge politicans could never be able to do.
4 - daryl d
I'm actually a South Park fan. A couple months ago, I wrote an excellent article about the show. I'm not even a fan of Hilary Clinton. Something just doesn't seem right. It just seems that the show, lately, just exists for the pure satisfaction of shock value.
5 - Mister Goat
Um, did you plagiarize part of the first paragraph of this review, or did someone plagiarize it from you?
The second sentence of a review by Jack Ryan reads "An agent's head is eaten up and spit out after he tries to take a peek inside, but this results in nothing but orgasmic pleasure for Hillary."
Compare that to your third sentence: "An agent's head is eaten up and spit out after he tries to take a peek inside, but this scores nothing but orgasmic pleasure for Hillary."
Coincidence? Hard to believe.
Love South Park or hate it, plagiarism isn't okay.
6 - daryl d
LOL! The last place I go to in order to write articles is the Post Chronical. I never even heard of the site until you brought it up here! Sorry if you don't agree with my article, but accusing me of plagiarism doesn't make your critique of me relevant.
7 - Mister Goat
I'm not accusing you--I pointed out that that person may have plagiarized you as well. I also posted the same question on the other article.
I'm also a bit confused by your reference to my "critique of you." I offered no comment on your article--honestly, I hardly care whether Suth Park has jumped the shark, and I have no desire to critique whether it has or not.
But the fact is that the wording of the sentences in each article are almost identical, and that points to plagiarism on one end or the other.
8 - DukeDeMondo
it would appear that the post chronicle site is the plagarising element here. they have "writes blogcritics.org" after the scenetence in question, presumably since it was pointed out.
9 - Mister Goat
Thanks for pointing that out, DukeDeMondo. That "worties Blogcritics.org" was not there just a few hours ago.
Daryl D, if I were you, I'd be pissed. Someone tried to rip off your stuff, and even now, they're not mentioning you in their attribution.
And incidentally, I only came across the similarity because I was googling reviews of the show to see how different outlets described it (i.e., whether they used euphemisms or were direct). But when I read both reviews, something had clearly been stolen from someone else.
10 - sunshine
okay im sorry to say i dont agree at all
not one bit
it was a parody of 24 i found it histarical i love south park and there are millions of people who love it as much, if not more, then i do!
negative nancy i think its funny thier older stuff was funny too
you dont like it
and you think its a low blow or sumthing im pretty sure you have the power to turn off the tv!
okay
11 - J.J. Hunsecker
"I wrote an excellent article about the show."
If you have to tell people the article was excellent, most likely it wasn't.
12 - Dynamo of Eternia
South Park has done things much weirder than this. If the show ever 'jumped the shark', it certainly isn't because of this Hilary Clinton episode.
Did you ever see the one where Oprah's genitals and anus are talking to each other and plotting against her? That was worse than this, IMO. Or that episode where Cartman ends up having the one kid's parents killed, chopped up, and fed to the kid in some food that he eats at the end of the episode. That one was really dark and went to a much darker place than the show ever went prior to that.
I am still a fan of the show, and they've had some really questionable moments. And ones that are far worse than this new Hilary Clinton episode.
IF you are considering this as some huge moment to question the show over, then you must not have been watching the show very consistently over the years.
13 - Get a real job
Hey critic get a real job. click on daryl d's name and go to his blog. he wrote a 1000 word article on britney spears. that voids any criticism he even attempts to make. again critic get a real job that contributes to society in some way.
14 - daryl d
Mr. Goat: thank you for pointing this out. I'm sorry I just glanced through your comments before and didn't understand the full thing you were trying to say.
15 - daryl d
"A couple months ago, I wrote an excellent article about the show.'"
I'm ashamed of myself for writing that. It sounds very egotistic. What I MEANT to say is that I wrote an article praising the show's excellence. It's still not a bad show and I'm still fan, but something just doesn't seem right lately. I didn't even mention the lice episode because it was completely stupid.
16 - michelle Philp
I'm pretty sure that you did your entire review based on the articales of others because, well you got the entire second episode mixed up and flat out wrong.
Do you watch the show?
17 - Tommy
I've been watching the show since it began on my bday in 1997. I've seen EVERY episode numerous times and own them all. I think it keeps getting better and better! The Hillary episode was hilarious.
18 - AnArch
Why would it be ok to make fun of Saddam, for example, and posit him as the gay lover of Satan, but no jokes allowed about Hilary?
19 - Jesse
Funny how the show goes to far once it goes after the "untouchables" of the liberal elite. Grow a pair and just take it for what it is people, A CARTOON! And a hilarious one at that.
20 - s8ist
I have to agree with the OP. Recent South Park episodes haven't been as funny because they don't do what South Park is known for: express insightful social commentary. I'm not disappointed that the episode featured Hillary Clinton, and the OP doesn't seem to have that complaint either. What I am disappointed about is the fact that they could have gone for a longer-lasting laugh. Other episodes created this very satisfactory moment when the show ended, as if a lightbulb goes off and you silently say to yourself "I'm glad SOMEONE gets it." Recent episodes lack that affirming aftertaste.
21 - South Park Expert
Beyond incorrect, OP. Beyond. You're just trying to score cheap Google News crawler points with your sensationalistic shark-jumping headline. South Park is no more or less offensive now than it was when it pitted Jesus against Santa 10 years ago. If anything, they're just doing what they've always done: push the envelope. These guys are the satirical masters of our generation--and there will be no jumping of any sharks, now or ever. This isn't 3's Company.
22 - brian
if you desire social commentary...perhaps you should go to school and form your own instead of looking for answers in a cartoon ya twit. south park tells stories, if you don't enjoy the stories, don't watch. jesus.
23 - Tom
As others here have said, South Park has ALWAYS been irreverent/disrespectful/potentially offensive...which makes it often GREAT! I do prefer the episodes that don't get too weird/bizarre for my tastes...and prefer the ones that have a little "heart" underneath it all...but to say that the show has changed directions is ridiculous.
24 - eric
Where the hell did some of you learn how make an argument?
"If you don't think it's funny, you don't get it"
"if you don't like it, you have no sense of humor."
"You don't think it's funny 'cause you're a hilary humper"
All aguments against the person.. South Park is just not funny anymore, it's all gross-out and gore, predictable and unfunny.
25 - dan
"The point of almost every South Park episode is to highlight the hypocrisy of society. But hasn’t South Park made this point over and over and over before?"
South Park has almost always reflected society, and political figures who are mere caricatures of themselves (such as Hilary Clinton) are unfortunately always present in society. Whether it's making a specific point or just plain poking fun at a douche like Hilary Clinton, Trey and Matt are still delivering the goods, therefore to answer your question, "South Park" has NOT, I repeat, NOT jumped the shark. Furthermore, to say South Park has jumped the shark after one episode is not only harsh, but ludicrous as well.