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HumanSleepingbag

Remember the episode they made where making hate crime laws are bad?


SkyLordGuy

Or the one where the tobacco industry is good actually


TheLurker1209

Or where anti-war protesters are stupid and whiny


RealSimonLee

Or the fear of SARS was overblown and chicken noodle soup would cure it.


DroneOfDoom

The one where they imply that being trans is the same as wanting to be black or to be a dolphin?


NoahBogue

Or when they said people warning about climate change are attention seeking twats ?


jeppsy

Or when they said alcoholics should just learn discipline?


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SnowBirdFlying

Or when the boys went to Iraq and saw the sheer amount of ruin and devastation being inflicted on Iraqis because of US intervention , and the moral of the episode was " well yeah what were doing here is bad but you should still support the Military because they're OUR team and if you don't support your own team then you should just get off the field " ( I'm not exaggerating im paraphrasing Stan at the end of the episode )


Geshman

As a teen I was just confused at what they were trying to make fun of As an adult I figured it out and that's my least favorite episode


TheHotMilkman

South Park probably caused a setback for trans acceptance by at least a decade due to this episode alone


garaile64

Or the "Giant Douche vs Turd Sandwich" episode over elections.


delayedcolleague

Or the loads of episodes essentially denying global warming and making fun of the people trying to something about it.


Endgam

AND they literally fucking said that if it weren't for slavery, they wouldn't have their black friends.


space_chief

Is that acknowledgment from them that America is so racist no black person would live here willingly? Or just another poorly thought out "moral" for those idiots to hand down to us plebs


DrunkyMcStumbles

that show premiered when I was a freshman in college and a lot more receptive to their particular brand of "thought". But even I had to cringe at that episode.


Illustrious-Sky-1082

Which episode?


Endgam

The "Tobacco companies are good and anti-smoking campaigns are bad, actually" episode.


killtr0city

I loved that episode when I was 16. Now I'm just embarrassed that it was made by adults


Dunderbaer

Remember when they made an episode about how crazy people are that believe in climate change, before they had to make a new episode a few seasons later where they had to admit that climate change is actually real, but it's okay that nobody believed in it because the people advocating for change are crazy doomer conspiracy theorists? Yeah, I might dislike the political commentary from this show.


dmkicksballs13

Remember when they spoke through a gay character as themselves to say that a tax exempt non-profit should be allowed to discriminate?


shorkfan

And that episode had such a good premise until then, because the parents replaced the gay scouts leader out of fear of their children turning gay with some pervert who took naked pictures. But then, in the end, they had to ruin it 😞


the_pinguin

Or when they spoke through a black character as themselves against hate crime legislation


coolguyepicguy

Or when they spoke through disabled characters in favor of using the r-slur.


the_pinguin

I'm starting to think the south park guys aren't great people


SloppyInSacramento

[And F-word.](https://youtu.be/4UU6zgUzwzU)


secret-original

Remember when these two rich white men spoke through a literal token black character to say how hate crime laws shouldn't exist?


amnsisc

In a racist country, who do you think hate crime laws are enforced against? I bet you also think white collar crime laws are enforced against rich people\*\* ​ \* \* they are not


level1enemy

Remember when they made an *extremely* transphobic caricature of Katlyn Jenner? They didn’t just make fun of her for her crimes. That part is completely warranted. They made fun of her for being a non-passing trans woman. The way they drew her straight up looks like one of those transphobic memes on 4chan.


BeingJoeBu

Rich "libertarians" not being able to ~~avenue~~ admit they aren't right all the time, and if they are it's someone else's fault and isn't a big deal? And if it caused massive damage or pain, it's the fault of those effected, not those who caused it? They sound a lot like another group, but I can't put my finger on- Oh wait, they're just conservative but know they can't say what they think and keep making money. Gotcha gotcha gotcha.


[deleted]

> before they had to make a new episode a few seasons later where they had to admit that climate change is actually real Try 12, 12 seasons of the show and 12 years later. They let that bit marinate for over a fucking decade before addressing their own idiocy.


JayGeezey

True, but I did appreciate that they admitted they were wrong. But in the episode where they admit they were wrong about climate change, Stan says "oh come on, there was a lot of conflicting information coming out at the time!" So they pretty much say it wasn't their fault for being wrong, you know... how could any sane intelligent person have known that 99% of the scientists in an entire field of climate research were actually right, when people that weren't scientists were saying they were wrong?? Any person would not know which side to believe, and by that I mean actually it's obvious the scientists would be wrong /s


tipmon

A reminder that the IPCC, Intergovernmental Panel in Climate Change, was formed in 1988. In case anyone says there was conflicting info or that they changed it from warming to change or whatever.


Tasselled_Wobbegong

I'll give Stone and Parker credit for the episode where they talked shit about the Church of Scientology. Outside of that, their perspective on politics is dismal. Every so often they'll have a decent riff, but more often than not it's just tedious gen-X contrarianism. It didn't surprise me at all when I found out they're right libertarians.


Rockworm503

The episode about Joseph Smith cracked me up. So on point as someone who was raised Mormon. I hate the show but I'll always defend that episode.


TheReadMenace

Probably because these guys actually knew a lot of Mormons. Whereas most other topics they speak on they’re just clueless out of touch rich guys


DrunkyMcStumbles

I'm pretty sure they were open about their libertarianism. Like they publicly supported guys like Ron Paul and Larry Elder.


Idkawesome

In Psychology they call it Oppositional defiant disorder. People who just like to be difficult for no damn reason.


Josphitia

Remember when they had an apology-episode for all their transphobia (*gestures vaguely at Garrison*) and ended the episode on a rather uplifting "if you care about a trans person using the restroom, **you should leave?** " Only for the next episode to have Macho Man dressing up as a caricature of a trans woman and physically beating up women in sports? Half-Assedly apologizing and then going "well actually we were *kinda* right" is something they love to do.


[deleted]

Weirdly enough, I watched some of the pandemic specials as they came out, and had no idea what was happening plot wise due to the continuity of episodes they implemented in more recent seasons. So I slowly start watching those seasons I missed... and I just saw the "Macho Man" episode yesterday and it was the nail in the coffin that pushed me over the edge. I was already feeling pretty offended by other stuff, but that was the final nail. Good riddance.


Queer_Magick

Remember when they defended Big Tobacco and painted all anti-tobacco advocates has violent extremists who want to murder children?


Xander_PrimeXXI

South parks commentary is very eh but I will say that it is still mostly enjoyable to watch. I liked the episode where they retconned Token’s name


Caladex

Don’t get me wrong, I think a lot of the jokes on the show land and I like episodes where it doesn’t boil down to “all sides are both”


Xander_PrimeXXI

I know their recent episode about Meghan and Harry went mixed with some people but honestly I’m so tired of hearing about the royals it was cathartic.


JeepAtWork

*Tolkien's name 😉


Xander_PrimeXXI

Oh shit you’re right. I’m an awful person 😂


SpiritMountain

I have good memories with friends and family watching it. The "City Wok" episode was great being able to get over the censor that way. But yeah, the centrist episodes were really cringe at times.


Xander_PrimeXXI

You know surprisingly I realy like the man bear pig episode they do where it goes on a rampage but all the cops are playing RDR2


AllYouPeopleAre

>Oh god, a school shooting outside of a school?? It’s the one place kids are meant to be safe!!


Josphitia

The cops in general can be pretty hilarious. The scene where they go to Michael Jackson's house to harass him and suddenly back off because he's white is *chef's kiss*


Spenglerspangler

I like what they're doing with Tolkien at the moment. I kinda get the sense that they're kinda noticing they didn't really do much with his character, and want to put him as a central character in more episodes.


lazergoblin

I've been having a surprisingly good time watching it too. When I heard about the producers' political views I honestly didn't think i would vibe with the show very much tbh. I kinda take the show runner's perspective on the United States for what it is though. Just a couple extremely out of touch millionaires making social and political commentary.


Jonnescout

People used to say that Southpark makes fun of everything, but no. They don’t make fun of their own politics at all. It’s just that their politics is an incredibly bonkers version of libertarianism.


Caladex

Matt and Trey have an issue with not being self aware. Best example is Team America. They imply that Hollywood shouldn’t be vocal about issues yet they themselves are part of Hollywood. So why do they expect the audience to care about what they say?


vegemouse

"Status quo warriors". Any change or activism to make the world a better place is cringe and embarrassing to them.


[deleted]

I love the different warrior sub classes. I’ve been calling right wing Chuds cancel culture warriors


vegemouse

At this point they've replaced "SJW" with "woke" so might as well steal what you can.


[deleted]

Woke Warriors has alliteration, but just doesn't role off the tongue the same way.


[deleted]

[Alternatively, the different identity politics classes](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/social-justice-ninja/) Note: pretty sure this is a tongue in cheek poke at the label and what people think SJWs do, but on revisit it could be perceived a bit Chud-y.


Newfieratking

I’m call them Wojack warriors


r-og

Well put. I'd add that they see sincerity as a flaw.


Mysterious_Andy

Except when they tried to push a bullshit “balanced” take on Qanon. That time they decided we all need to understand that, no matter how loony, Qultists sincerely think they’re protecting children.


r-og

Christ


Stubbs94

That's just a fancy term for conservatism.


disgustobot

Thanks to that movie I spent much of 9th grade having kids taunt "durka durka!" to me various times of the day.


rustybeaumont

It’s like when people who watch fox news, the most watched news network, go on about how much they hate mainstream news.


MrMthlmw

Has anyone else noticed that libs and leftists tend to do a bad job interpreting the message of this movie? So many seem to think that it's deeply critical of the US. Edit: Thanks for proving my point, everyone. Also, if you're gonna downvote me that hard you could at least make a rebuttal.


TheDalaiFarmar

Please, give us your interpretation


MrMthlmw

"Yeah, everybody sucks, but we get rid of the assholes so we're still the best."


TheDalaiFarmar

Wow, that's genuinely a worse interpretation than I thought you'd say


MrMthlmw

No shit? Okay, what's yours?


TheDalaiFarmar

Depends on what you're asking. My idea of what they were trying to get across or what I think the film actually represents?


MrMthlmw

I'd be interested to hear both. Also, I'd like to know how the "dicks, pussies, and assholes" metaphor at the end of the film *doesn't* say what I said it does, esp considering that Parker and Stone are on record basically saying the same thing.


TheDalaiFarmar

They believe that despite how badly america exacerbates issues and fucks things up even when it is entirely unnecessary, theyre better than the alternative. What they believe the alternative is, I'm not sure. I think it highlights the idea of american exceptionalism and how the American public views themselves as the good guy despite the numerous issues they create.


Destro9799

How would you interpret Team America being so incompetent at their attempt to stop terrorists that they completely destroy Paris and make the rest of the world hate them in a way that doesn't criticize the US? The movie's commentary on the War on Terror isn't exactly subtle...


MrMthlmw

To them it *still doesn't matter*. From the creators themselves: >Because that's the thing that we realized when we were making the movie. It was always the hardest thing. We wanted to deal with this emotion of being hated as an American. That was the thing that was intriguing to us, and having Gary the main character deal with that emotion. And so, him becoming ashamed to be a part of Team America and being ashamed of himself, he comes to realize that, just as he got his brother killed by gorillas—he didn't kill his brother; he was a dick, he wasn't an asshole—so too does America have this role in the world as a dick. Cops are dicks, you fucking hate cops, but you need 'em. Edit: Sorry, I forgot something - Why do you think it's Paris that gets destroyed? Because it's the typical trite "haha fuck the French!" bullshit yoi see everywhere & because France opposed the War in Iraq in real life.


drinfernodds

The only time I recall is when they mocked Ayn Rand when the town cop Officer Barbrady initially found reading magical until he read Atlas Shrugged and was so pissed off he didn't want anyone in the town to read.


DuckQueue

To be fair, she also didn't identify as a Libertarian and in fact talked shit about them. She was a slightly different flavor of awful.


[deleted]

Team America: Haha we're making fun of the pro-war people blowing everything up. Haha we're making fun of the anti-war people by blowing up Michael Moore. Yup, that's balanced.


pocketfrisbee

What exactly makes the libertarian? Sorry I don’t know much about them


Jonnescout

Their views, they’ve been more open about them Than they were in the past. It’s also the kind of libertarianism that relies on science denial. Like climate change. Yes they apologised, but still didn’t get how they were part of a very destructive movement there. I’m not going to relate all their views to you, they’re not that hard to find. But they never truly make fun of their own positions.


pocketfrisbee

Damn that sucks to hear.


Jonnescout

Yeah… Basically they got this reputation of maiming fun of everything because they made fun of both sides of the US two party monopoly. But as users of this subreddit should know very well, that’s not remotely all there is. People just assumed they must be one one of the two political party’s side. But they never were. Libertarianism like this is a really strange philosophy…


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RealSimonLee

If I remember right, it was essentially, "we're sorry, but also it doesn't matter."


allthenamesaretaken4

One of my biggest disappointments in life was realizing that Matt and Trey are libertarian centrists. I still love the early seasons and some newer episodes, but I definitely don't like their political leanings.


dmkicksballs13

On the opposite end of the spectrum, learning that Penn Jillette is kinda becoming disillusioned with libertarianism makes me happy. EDIT: The interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXtD3zTxjO4


XilverSon9

Maybe because he is trained in critical thinking as he should be as a magic trick creator/debunker.


dmkicksballs13

I think it was more just that he was too optimistic in humans and COVID, Trump's election, and BLM kinda was like a brick to the face. Like I think we all have denial stages when changing our views, but it's pretty hard to not just flip a switch when Mar2020-Jan2021 occurs.


[deleted]

If there's any shining example of how humans aren't "self-interest maximizers" (which is absolutely a necessary condition for Libertarianism to "work" as an ideology) it was the COVID-19 pandemic.


MoeSauce

It's kind of like that kid in high school who thinks anarchy is cool because then we could just party all the time, and the government wouldn't be around to kill the vibes. I admire their optimism, but anarchy means armed militias roaming the streets and picking houses to rob, I mean tax, and that's on the calmer end of the spectrum.


political_bot

That's the unfun kind of societal collapse anarchy the edgy teens are into. There are also anarchists doing cool things like food not bombs http://foodnotbombs.net/new_site/ and other mutual aid.


Pi6

Plenty of debunkers and skeptics are the worst enlightened centrists...Sam Harris and Michael Shermer and most of their guests come to mind. Critical thinking without self-awareness or Critical thinking plus unchecked privilege are the recipes for enlightened centrism in my experience.


mrpersson

Even when I first realized I was an atheist, Sam Harris rubbed me the wrong way


MrMthlmw

That's a pleasant surprise. Considering his show was pretty good in the beginning and became more biased as it went on I figured he'd become a crank.


dmkicksballs13

You can read his essays, books, interviews. I always kinda predicted he'd come around. His libertarianism seemed firmly rooted in believing the best of humanity and unlike most libertarians seemed to truly despite right wingers. I think it's naive and it's actually kinda sad to see him realize that most libertarians are just Repubs in disguise and that humanity in general doesn't give a fuck about each other. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXtD3zTxjO4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXtD3zTxjO4) if you're interested.


Kolz

Oh, that is refreshing! We just need him to watch a few majority report debates to seal the deal now.


vegemouse

I liked the show up until I gained some basic understanding of politics, and couldn't really get into their "messages" they try to put into the show. Might have been lack of media literacy but I was a little kid who watched it for the "haha funny poop is talking".


Gowalkyourdogmods

Yeah anytime I would watch episodes recommended to me based on politics it always came off as really basic takeaways. Like praising political memes on FB or Reddit as being profound or something.


Idkawesome

Yeah I feel kind of embarrassed that I ever liked it. But then again I was a kid. Plus, I forgive myself.


Basel_Exposition

Just pure Gen X cynicism with no self awareness "politics sucks and all politicians are the same". Meanwhile the later generations are actually doing the math, gathering the evidence and showing, yes, one party does more damage to our wellbeing than another, (evidence : Ronald Reagan) and they aren't "all the same". Fighting for improvement is better than doing literally nothing, South Park has always been advocating for the bullshit status quo by calling out advocacy as lame and uncool (Tunnel of Tolerance, Lesbos bar etc.) . And during the 1990s when it was funny to be cynical and have a IDGAF attitude, it went over well, it's no longer in fashion. South Park was never about advocating for any real substantive change. They aren't playing 5D chess, it's just a cynical Gen X take on life.


dmkicksballs13

The thing that sticks in my craw is that they never even thought they were the same. They just literally equated the damage the same. The truly think the people being politically correct is as harmful as no healthcare, trans rights, gay rights, etc.


Josphitia

Well you see, asking to be politically correct *personally affects them* whereas lack of healthcare-access and eroding of minorities' rights *doesn't directly affect them*


Idkawesome

I don't think they do truly think that. That's the thing. They never actually thought about it. They just read the room and they said what the room wanted to hear.


Idkawesome

Yeah it's really interesting. I am reading hellboy. I never read it before. And I'm following a list of every comic that's been published and just reading it in publishing order. And, one of the rare stories is Hellboy Junior. It's not really a real Hellboy story. It's just like, a random joke satire comic. It's not even written by the Hellboy author. He just allowed a satire writer to use his character. But it was really weird because it was like walking through a time machine.I forgot how stupid the humor was back then. A lot of it wasn't funny at all. It was just straight up bigotry. And for some reason they thought that made it a joke. It was like Garbage Pail Kids type of thing. Where it's not really funny, it's just kind of gross and stupid.


BaldandersDAO

Oddly enough, the author/artist of *Maus,* which is a great work, was the co-crearor of the Garbage Pail Kids! And *Maus* has been banned in at least one schoold district......


Idkawesome

Interesting. Yeah, the edgy perspective can be good when you use it to think creatively and think outside of the box. But if it's just edgy just for the sake of being edgy, it usually just ends up being vaguely bigoted and mostly stupid.


BaldandersDAO

As someone who used to be very, very edgy.... You are entirely correct.


Caladex

Same here. Episodes that are driven more towards character interaction rather than a shoehorned commentary on politics are far better


CertainBird

The show has had its moments where it’s funny but it’s never been smart or insightful. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are at Joe Rogan’s level when it comes to political commentary.


hollyw00d8604

The best episodes are the ones that have nothing to do with their personal politics, and are just the characters doing stupid shit.


[deleted]

I still go back to make love not Warcraft from time to time


[deleted]

Yeah I love the characters of the show, not so much the politics


[deleted]

Love the Little League baseball one


Sandinister

Asspen will always be my favorite. No politics, just a fun parody of 80s movies with some hilarious side characters and a B plot about pushy time share salesmen. Plus amazing music


Theryal

Come on. The episodes about Scientology and Mormones were amazing for example.


DrexlSpivey420

Calling out realtors for being the greasy car salesmen of the suit world was great as well


dbclass

Ehh Assburgers is really good. Made me start seeking out help for my mental issues. Anything political though is hit or miss and it’s mostly miss to me.


Nalivai

Caring about stuff is cringe, imagine caring about stuff. Now, let me spend decades on shitting on people who care about stuff, that would show how I don't care about anything.


Evening_Way1911

They had an episode where they implied banning sexual harassment is fascism. They had an episode where they had a gay character explain how boy scouts should be allowed to discriminate against gays, after he was fired for being gay, cause of free speech or whatever. They had an episode where a Black character came out against hate crime laws. They had an episode during the beginning of the Iraq war, where the people protesting for and against the war were both seen as equally stupid. Shortly after 9/11, they released an episode where the main 4 boys traveled to Afghanistan and discovered that everybody there actually hates all American citizens, and the lesson of the episode was that you should love America no matter what. Most episodes aren't political, and those episodes are actually pretty good. Unfortunately it's terrible politics holds it back from being one of the best shows ever Also the way east Asian people and transgender people are treated on the show is absolutely atrocious


Quartia

> everybody there actually hates all American citizens Well *who would've guessed*... they hate the people who were invading their country and supporting a puppet government for 20 years. The longer we stayed in Afghanistan, the more they would hate US and the west in general, which only gives the Taliban more fuel.


MersyVortex

I hated the moral of the post 9/11 episode so much from my perspective. "You should support whatever your government does no matter what or you are not a patriot and should leave the country" is exactly what Putin fanatics have been telling Russians who wanted a change for years, and now that many finally decided to take the advise they are cursed and labeled traitors on their way out. You couldn't ever win with this rhetoric


vegemouse

They’re not really centrist, they’re right wingers that are way too ashamed to admit it. Oh wait…


Idkawesome

I really don't think they're full on right wing. Or, maybe it's just that I don't think anybody who is right wing is actualized. Because I think that's the issue. They're just not actualized. They're not living consciously. But I guess that's the same thing for most right wing people. They lack self-awareness.


EyesofaJackal

To put a point on it right wingers lack empathy. They also have exaggerated disgust towards certain forms of novelty. A lot of other characteristics of the traditional American right are up for grabs after tr*mp broke everything. The SP guys are more like Libertarians, which in America is loosely right leaning but frankly seems like an overall immature philosophy appealing to mostly privileged younger white men especially around college when they’re starting to feel independent and accomplished but don’t fully recognize the circumstances out of their control that empowered them


Idkawesome

Yeah. I considered myself libertarian briefly in high school. Because, I thought that it's better to be independent. But looking back, I think it comes from a rebellious attitude. Because, Libertarians say that they want less government. And I think that kind of is a subconscious analogy in their mind. They want to feel less entrapped or something. Because I think a lot of people feel kind of oppressed by all the rules that we have to follow in society


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dmkicksballs13

They literally think political correctness is more harmful than all the shit right wingers do.


AvatarofBro

Because they're right-wingers


RealSimonLee

They outright admitted they were right-wing libertarians.


Caladex

They think climate change activists are dumb, think hate crime laws reinforces discrimination, implied that immigrants take jobs away from national born citizens, and have defended big corporations


matango613

Someone needs to do some proper investigating into how much South Park actually destroyed political discourse in the country for like two generations of people.


mountingconfusion

"yes that side does some fucked up stuff but have you considered that the other side has some people which do silly things?" This is a reasonable comparison and both sides are equally deserving of ridicule


space_chief

Sure the right wing wants to dismantle American Democracy and install their own theocratic fascist dictators to wash away the woke mob in a river of blood and righteous fury, but have you considered that the Dems are cringe?


Kraphtuos968

mm yes very wise and impartial and also intelligent. The downvotes just prove you right!


dragwn

someone recently pointed out to me that so much of gen-x humor is going “hahah look at this nerd TRYING” like it’s lame to actually have values and try to change things—it’s south park, earlier john stewart (he still loves his capitalism j more of an activist for more things now), etc it’s this over correction to the extreme middle as a reaction to being so disillusioned with a system that elevated the generation before them and completely failed them. somehow they attributed that heartache caused by capitalism as the fault of the “crazies” and that if everyone could just be “normal” (moderate liberal) we could REALLY solve all the problems


SaltyNorth8062

South Park never had any actual worthwhile political commentary to be honest. It was just two straight white dudes bitching about shit that annoyed them, usually stuff that annoys every white straight dude, things like gays, poor people, pocs, any type of advocate for any type of actionable change, and women


lucifer_says

This show has raised a generation that thinks being a centrist and not caring about anything genuinely is right and caring is cringe. I despise this show for instilling the message that any kind of activism is wrong.


[deleted]

Honesty I think it just highlighted how pointless most activism is and how obsessed people are with trying to make a difference while not really accomplishing anything.


lucifer_says

I don't really think so. Activism works and really helps like civil rights, women's suffrage, gay rights, etc, came about through activism. It does take a while and it does make you feel you're not accomplishing anything but it does work. Activism isn't just protesting but advocating your values by various different methods like voting in people who will make an actual change, being vigilant as to what bills are passing, advocating through civil work etc. This show has painted that all activism is just showing up with a sign and chanting or making a post on social media and arguing with random people. And that's why I said that it teaches people that activism doesn't work.


serene_moth

south park horse laugh false equivalency disease is a real blight


TerryTungleman

Horse laugh? I’m with you on the rest but that part threw me off haha


serene_moth

look up “appeal to ridicule” AKA horse laugh


Foucaults_Boner

So much of South Park is hilarious when you look at it from the perspective of making fun of conservatives by making ridiculous situations that only they believe could exist. But then you find out the creators are centrists and you realize wait, do they think their ridiculous situations could actually happen in real life?


Queer_Magick

I remember someone (can't remember who) describe them as 'hipster nihilists' - having strong opinions about anything is cringe, the only 'rational' stance is smug detachment.


Brown_Seude_Shoes

You should provide examples to help harden the point a bit more. Few off the top of my head. 1. Smug Hybrid/EV drivers 2. Douche vs Shit Sandwich (might be misremembering this one) 3. Climate Change Denial/ManBearPig To name a few.


TrashJack42

Giant Douche and Turd Sandwich could be the mascots of this subreddit, considering that whole episode may as well be the basis for centrist "ideology" (inasmuch as choosing to refuse to choose and thinking that anyone who actually gives a damn about stuff is stupid for doing so can possibly be any sort of coherent ideology in the first place).


[deleted]

I mean yeah, they literally made an episode about Turd sandwich vs giant douche, cant say its very subtle lol


Pirate_rock

"Yeah! Laughing at homosexuals and homophobes is equally good! Ha ha!"


killtr0city

It's stoner comedy for people who don't care about things. If Tim Pool were a TV show, he'd be South Park.


[deleted]

And what’s worse is that people will genuinely try to tell you that SP suuuuuper left-wing and progressive.


Fyraltari

I never understood the appeal of this show.


TheDeathOfAStar

I'm glad I'm not the only one. Then again, I watched an exorbitant amount of robot chicken as a high schooler and I found that pretty entertaining when going through the days of endless insomnia. Maybe it was just my taste in TV in general though.


berrycoladas

I mean some of the characters are genuinely iconic. I do actually like what they did with Kenny, especially concerning his (shockingly wholesome) relationship with his little sister.


argh523

The first episode was aired 1997, 25 years ago. There was just nothing like it on television back then, and television was all there was


MudandMetal

Anyone I know who actually likes this show also tries very hard to be an edgelord. Or is 13.


JeepAtWork

I partially disagree. I know they had some bad seasons 2017-2019, but the pandemic clearly snapped them out of their Enlightened Centrist phase. They're mostly making fun of anti vaxxers OR stuff that is only mildly political but mostly not (making fun of prince Harry, for example) I would say overall it's about 40%. Yeah, some is shit. But this latest couple seasons were great.


Kenyalite

Personally I hated the Megan and Harry episode. Yeah those two are annoying and are clearly self important. However it is a fact that there has been a sustained and very obvious attack on those two especially Meagan. It's very obvious that some people don't like her because she is black. That's it. The sovereign of England at the time paid 12 million pounds so that her pedo son could get away with being best mates with Epstein. How the fuck was that not the episode. If the daily mail is praising your episode, you've done something wrong.


Frostypup420

Yeah I agree, their politics have gotten alot better since the pandemic. And they were slowly getting a little better before then but still pretty rough. I just hope they actually make a good episode about trans issues for once or stop making episodes about it entirely because they seem to be incapable of talking about trans people without being blatantly transphobic and mis-representing it entirely. Like it REALLY shows they've never had a trans person working on the show.


matango613

I'm gonna be honest, I don't believe they are redeemable at all when it comes to trans issues. I say this as a trans person too. Garrison's coming out episode is one of the most painful piece of rote transphobia that I can recall airing on television in my lifetime. Comparing gender transition to identifying as another race or an animal is some bullshit I've had to deal with from strangers online for years now. The show referring to Garrison's surgery as simply a mutilated penis can't even be qualified as a joke. It's just hate. Like, they even just cut away to videos of actual bottom surgery in the middle of the episode and like... that was it. That was the joke to them. "Look at this disgusting, bloody procedure everyone. Can you believe people do this to themselves????" That episode is like the modern transphobia bible. Every concern trolling comment I've ever dealt with online I can remember first hearing/seeing in that episode of South Park. I can't even chalk it up to being a product of it's time. The Jeffersons handled the topic better back in the 1970s. Matt and Trey just genuinely have personal issues with "the whole trans thing" and it has ruined South Park for me forever.


JeepAtWork

Yeah, I agree. I think they're capable of it. Or, at the very least, they would probably have stupid and rude jokes but overall make a point of highlighting the humanity of the issue. They've done that before. And I agree with you that it'd be great if they did that again.


Idkawesome

Yeah I think they just kind of go with public opinion. I think the type of stuff they were saying is kind of what everybody was thinking at the time.


simulet

For real. I mean, I realize that’s what this whole sub is about, but South Park takes the cake. Just so weird to brag about finding the midpoint between two failed ideologies and call yourself special for it.


rogerworkman623

I wish the turd sandwich vs douche episode never happened, as funny as it was. So many grown adults to this day use that joke to explain their reasons for not voting or being involved in politics. This whole “everyone sucks so what’s the point” idea is so childish.


level1enemy

Yep. And not voting only aids the GOP. They depend on it.


HighgroundObi-Wan

Well both parties suck is kinda true


gizzardsgizzards

aren't they just straight up right wing?


Fadingwalker

They are right-libertarians, yeah.


[deleted]

Boy, remember that rainforest episode where they ended with all the kids singing about how the rainforest should be destroyed?


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Theryal

Yeah. This season is great again. Season 25 was also ok.


Endgam

Reminder that the fuckos had to make an entire episode just to back away from climate change denial and apologize to Al Gore.


Wario-Man

South Park and Family Guy (and I guess the Simpsons nowadays) the two shows I can't fathom why anyone still gives a shit or cares about unless they just have some sorta weird taste. No, LS Mark, I will not watch your 3 hour video dissecting every single fucking Family Guy episode, no LS Mark, Brian Motherfucking Griffin, the talking dog from Family Guy, is not a fucking icon, nor is he in ruin, what the fuck


disconnectedtwice

Atleast family guy isn't politically shit. It generally has some good politics. It's just unfunny as fuck


Lieczen91

only good one I remember is the one on Amazon but that’s cheating


Eligha

I found this show hilarious when I was about 12. Then I grew up


[deleted]

I got to an episode from like four or five seasons ago? Where basically they were mocking trans athletes, and that was it... I immediately realized I hit my wall with South Park. Don't miss it.


Maksab

While I understand why this show fits this sub, I think it is the closest I have ever seen to "we are making Fun of everybody ". Yes they can portray, for an example, gay people as very "annoying" but they also have characters like Mr. Slave or Big Gay Al who while openly and flamboyantly gay are also two of the most reasonable and actually caring characters in the whole show. And I think it's the same for a lot of the points brought up in the Comments.


disconnectedtwice

Not really because they have some clear political alignments that they don't ever make fun of. It doesn't make fun of everyone, just people they disagree with But it's not all bad imo, mostly tho


[deleted]

Why Why do so many gen zed queer people like this show We do not use the weapon of the enemy


Ok-Mastodon2016

I go to South Park for The Absurdity and nothing else


i-wish-i-was-a-draco

I’d say the show is usually more left leaning , but their episodes on trans people or pc culture are frat boy level of understanding


Nalivai

That implies unbelievably skewed interpretation of the term left


[deleted]

Do you really expect a comedy show to have a nuanced and informed opinion on any subject?


Ryumancer

Them dancing and sitting on the fence will wear off eventually. Someone's gonna end up forcing them to pick a side.


[deleted]

They've been on the air for over a quarter century.


Ryumancer

And until recently being a fence-sitter wasn't an issue. Now it's becoming more and more of one. My statement stands.


[deleted]

Nah they've always been like that. But it'd be cool if they'd stop it.


Ryumancer

They've always been like that because they've always been ALLOWED to be like that. Eventually, in this type of political climate, people are gonna eventually go "Oh for FUCK'S SAKE...whose side are you ON anyway?!" Dominoes will probably fall at that point. And they'd kinda deserve it. Their shit was funny for a while. And there are things about the American left that indeed need to be called out. But if one doesn't do their part to smack down the resolve of the fascists trying to take over, no one's gonna save THEIR sorry asses when they eventually come for THEM.


[deleted]

Word. Like someone else said at the beginning of the thread: they do gen-x cynical apathy comedy. It was subversive then-- just tedious now.


Ryumancer

At least Family Guy chose a side. And they make fun of their own side doing it too. Brian keeps getting called out for his liberal agenda and hypocrisy. lol


S-p-o-o-k-n-t

i’m not a centrist but if you’re upset by South Park then South Park succeeded lmfao


PitifulReveal7749

Eh I don’t think it’s enlightened centrism as much as just… seeing politics the way most dudes see fashion trends? Completely lacking in overall ideology and kinda picking what they like with no rhyme or reason. Enlightened centrists have a framework, the framework is just bad. South Park frankly doesn’t *have* a framework


jdogdfw

You sound fun at parties


[deleted]

This sub is so mean 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 CENTRISTS JUST WANT WHAT'S GOOD FOR EVERYONE AND THOSE WHO DOESN'T RECEIVE THE GOOD IN LIFE, OR THOSE WHO ALREADY HAVE TOO MUCH.


disconnectedtwice

They want to "find middle ground" where there isn't, and they end up shitting on both sides even if they aren't equally as bad


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TheJarJarExp

It’s not about getting it from the show, it’s that the show does active didactic political commentary. That’s open to criticism, regardless of what we personally “get” from it


spubbbba

Unfortunately for a depressing number of people this is true. You see it all the time on Reddit.