Critical Media Analysis of South Park by Dave Rael
Ask someone what the most obscene, degrading and humorous show of today is, and what will they respond? South Park. If you are in the mood for mockery, stereotypes, or governmental hypocrisy ,tune in. Once would ask what kind of idiocy does it take to create this twisted toon? Answer: Trey Parker and Matt Stone, two film school graduates from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Although South Park is a cartoon, its intention is definitely not directed toward children. Both Stone and Parker stated in the November issue of Maxim, "this show is not for kids." You could assume if a television program is a cartoon, it is probably produced for children. This is one instnce when that assumption is wrong. This is purely an adult cartoon. The humor is relayed via any of the diverse characters: Eric Cartman, Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick and Kyle Brofslovski to name the main characters. With episode names ranging from The Spirt of Christmas to Cartman Gets an Anal Probe to The Mexican Staring Frog of Sri Lanka, there must be a method concealed behind this humor.
As it is in America today, with every person voicing their own opinion, many remarks have been derogatory toward South Park, and the graphic extent of its characters/episodes/makers etc. It criticizes most everything that can be criticized, and does it in a no-holds-barred frank and humorous fashion. South Park responds to the public's perceptions about authority through humor. South Park reinforces our distrust with authority and their attempts to regain our trust.
An episode titled Volcano illustrates the blind idiocy of public officials and authority figures. The title is self-descriptive as to what the episode is relating to. There is a volcano that erupts near South Park, so they call upon the Park geologis who is too ignorant to work the job that he does. He later states, "Yeah, the little needle thingy is moving back and forth really fast...uh-huh." This is suggesting that he does not know how to operate or even read his instruments. Later the geologist enters into the courthouse only to find the Mayor and the local police officer, officer Barbrady is wearing leather women's lingerieand the Mayor is standing next to him with a whip, together laughing about how much money they fraudulently stole from the town. This seems to be portraying that governmental officials are not trust-worthy enough to engage taxes, or handle currency. Not only untrustworthy, but incompetent as well, as the geologist so vividly displayed to us.
