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Post by Mr. Atari on Dec 15, 2003 0:26:28 GMT -5
I have to disagree. Well, not with the part about MST3K being smart & savvy.
I, too, have a difficult time wading through the offensiveness on SP. Especially when it serves no other purpose than to offend. However, quite often, the offensiveness is there for the satirical shock value. In fact, the very nature of satire is to take a dangerous or foolish cultural norm to it's extreme conclusion to show how dangerous and/or foolish it is.
This is what SP does best (even better than the Simpsons who don't stay as topical).
For example: the debate on stem cell research satirized earlier this year, or the criticism of runaway sexual ethics on the infamous NAMBLA epsiode, or their take on the pro-war/anti-war debates in the 100th episode. Even the movie was a clever argument about the double standard that extreme violence is acceptable in movies, whereas naughty words are not.
Is it often too offensive to be worth watching? Sure. Is it merely toilet humor targeted at 11 year olds? Absolutely not. It may not be clean, but it's more sophisticated than it seems. Sometimes.
Plus, as a Denver resident, the Colorado in-jokes are brilliant. It exponentially increases the humor. In the same way that living in Wisconsin or Minnesota would increase some mst3k riffs.
I can't believe I just defended South Park.
On second thought, don't watch it. It'll rot your brain.
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Post by Buddhist Kitten on Dec 15, 2003 7:00:27 GMT -5
Okay, I kinda like South Park and the Simpsons and The Family Guy and so on. . . But here is something completely (or mildy) off topic: Anyone here liked Invader Zim? I used to rave over that show. I was like a rabid dog. And then it got canceled.
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Post by Ator on Dec 15, 2003 14:46:13 GMT -5
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Post by Tranq on Dec 15, 2003 14:54:18 GMT -5
Oh yes, I bought the complete Fawlty Towers DVD set. Just watched a few last night. Great stuff. My favorite scene in FT is when Cleese gets bonked on the noggin by the moose head and end up in the hospitol. When the nurse comes in he looks at her and says, "Good God, you're ugly". All of then are great really.
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Post by insomniac1551 on Dec 15, 2003 15:19:52 GMT -5
It looks to me that South Park has toned it down as of late. I watched an episode for the first time in a while, and I instantly saw how much less swearing there was, but it was still hilarious.
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TomServo69
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Post by TomServo69 on Dec 15, 2003 18:45:39 GMT -5
I think I might recant my earlier statement as the point seems to have got muddled. What I was trying to say is that in comparison to other shows and movies I find funny, South Park is elementary. Yes, there is some smart humor involved but a lot of it is unnecessary vulgarity. Not that I'm opposed to that, but, they could find better ways to use it.
Servo
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TomServo69
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Post by TomServo69 on Dec 15, 2003 18:55:04 GMT -5
Well, on your expert opinion Forrest, I'll give it a shot. I watched an episode last week and it was amusing. I've just never got the drop dead laughing from it that others have got. Maybe I will now. I get the humor, it's just not really that funny at times. Or it wasn't. But the one I watched last week was funny so, maybe they've gotten better. Like I said, I'll give it a shot.
Servo
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Post by Mr. Atari on Dec 15, 2003 19:29:16 GMT -5
In spite of my previously glowing review, I have found recent episodes to be hit or miss. When they have a topic to deal with, it's brilliant. When it's just a random plot, they seem to dump as much offensiveness in as possible.
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TomServo69
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Post by TomServo69 on Dec 15, 2003 21:05:39 GMT -5
That's what I've noticed as well Sampo, that's why I give it such mixed ratings. You never really know what to expect with it.
Servo
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TomServo69
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Post by TomServo69 on Dec 15, 2003 22:11:00 GMT -5
Yeah, I'll give it that Forrest, it is definitely better than most of the nefarious drivel they try to pound into everyone's brains elsewhere.
Servo
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trueschatzi
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Post by trueschatzi on Dec 16, 2003 22:56:08 GMT -5
Anyone else like South Park here? I think it's the second funniest show in the world next to MST3K, followed closely by Beavis and Butthead. lol, i have recently become such a huge fan of South Park. actually, Comedy Central just showed the very first episode of South Park about an hour ago (the one where Cartmen gets an anal probe). season one is my favorite season though. an episode that i find particularly amusing (not from season one) now that i think of it is an episode where Saddam goes to hell to try and hook back up with the devil. just amuses much more now than it did before ;D
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trueschatzi
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Post by trueschatzi on Dec 16, 2003 23:02:21 GMT -5
Anyone here liked Invader Zim? I used to rave over that show. I was like a rabid dog. And then it got canceled. i LOVED that show! i first saw it in my senior year of high school. my english teacher loved the show and taped it whenever he could, so one day he brought some episodes in for us to watch. at first i didn't know what to think of it, is was so odd. but its uniqueness was what a liked about it. too bad it was cancelled
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Post by GoldBootGirl on Dec 16, 2003 23:08:41 GMT -5
I think South Park is a really awesome show! It definately had to grow on me. It was really hyped up before I ever watched it. So I just expected not to like it. In fact, at first, I thought it was kind of stupid. The more I watched, the more I thought that it was just brilliant. Shocking sometimes, and downright bizarre other times. It's really one of my favorite comedy shows after MST. I like the one where the guys think that they are supposed to get their "period".
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Post by GoldBootGirl on Dec 16, 2003 23:12:23 GMT -5
I think it's the second funniest show in the world next to MST3K, followed closely by Beavis and Butthead. Forgot to mention Forrest, that I did like Beavis and Butthead. Mostly when they "riff" on the music videos. It's kind of like the MTV version of MST. Too bad, it's not on anymore. I think MTV went seriously downhill after that show ended.....
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donmac
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Post by donmac on Dec 17, 2003 22:25:47 GMT -5
I love South Park. Like some others here, I didn't get what was so great about it when I first watched it, which was back during its first season. But a friend kept insisting that I watch it. Then the first "Mr. Hankey" episode came on, and I about died laughing at that superb Christmas time satire and have been hooked ever since. I've even convinced some other friends over the seasons to start watching the show and they now all love it too.
So South Park is definitely a show that can take a few episodes to get into its vibe, but once you're in, you're hooked!
(...Family Guy is the same way.)
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