Back on November 16th, 2005, I wrote a review of South Park here, having only seen maybe a season or 2 of syndicated reruns. At that time, edited versions were being played on my local WB affiliate after 11:30pm. (Now known as the CW).
My viewpoint of the show at the time , I liked it okay but was very put off by the very adult themes and storylines, plus the 'bleeped' language. Eric Cartman especially disturbing , except when he ended up in prison.
A few days ago, I re-read that review and I realized, it sounded judgemental, immature and really , like an over reactionary review. In short...it just wasn't who I am now. (I felt embarrased by what I read, so I ended up deleting it).
Since that time, I've really gotten to know the series better on Comedy Central. (I know they've moved recently) . The characters and what they are all about and really seeing the reasons for a lot of the things that bothered me then.
I wont kid you, there are still things (blooody or gory) that happen on the show that I just can't look at but, not as much as in 2005.
Having seen practically all the shows now, I feel the series is very good and while I know there's others who may disagree, they are entitled to their opinion. Everyone can't like the same things.
I've watched the storylines go from just being about the boys and the bizzare things that happen to them, as well as the adults who seem to either be loud and obnoxious or kind of immature for their age. Some even clueless or reckless. Thankfully writen in a very funny way.
Despite what Trey said recently about wishing he could destroy Seasons 1 to 3 , I don't see why. Just because he and Matt were in their 20s then and 'thought' a certain way about humor? In my view, any kind of artist should stand by their work, regardless of mindset at the time. (My old review wasn't art, it was a half formed opinion).
I know most South Park fans would agree, that those 3 seasons and the next 7 are very good to great. Not 'perfect' but, it was simply a work in progress. They were certainly doing something right , as not only did they get a theatrical movie out in 1999 (after only 2 seasons) ...in April 2006, they actually won The Peabody Award .
(Peabody Award, in full George Foster Peabody Award, any of the awards administered annually by the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in recognition of outstanding public service and achievement in electronic media.)
In short, their creativity, despite the things that offended people, was rewarded for at least having true purpose and meaning. ...and not just being Freshman humor or less , just to be shocking.
They don't give that award to just 'any' TV show, to be sure. I know brilliant humor on the show, has served them well for a very long time.
Emmy wins were kind of an icing on the cake for it. The boys and all the kids presented have had real, rich, meaningful storylines about them and while the adults can still be absurd, they're painted more human than they originally were.
I now have a great many favorite epiosdes and like a lot more of the characters than I did years ago. Butters is my favorite above all, as his inital Naive' ways , reminded me of myself at ages 8, 9 and 10. (Minus the language and villainy. I was just a normal good kid too.
I didn't even mind the story arc that they had a few years ago , although near the end , I kind of wanted them to get back to basics and be a bit less dramatic. They're good at being serious in their shows when it's called for but too much can be a bit of a drag.
The show in 2020, when Covid hit South Park, was necessary but very difficult to get through. We were in the midst of lockdown in America, so whatever was funny n that show, I could not find funny then. Maybe in time, I could .
With Trey and Matt's recent ...ah, "donation" of millions of dollars to stay in production, they have returned woith not only the 'futre' set South Park Shows but new ones with the boys still boys.
The episode with the 'bruh' teens agains t the boys & their dads was hilarious, the funniest show in a long time. "How do you make Ramen brah?" That line sent me off my chair.
Chef is missed on South Park and I still miss the character Pip, for sure but there's no way we'd want to replace Chef. Newwer characters are thankfully well thought out and played as well too.
All the kid characters have atheir own unique personalities and quirks and the adults are far more fleshed out then they were at the beginning.
In rating South Park as the whole entity, I now give it 9 stars. Only 1 off for a few shows that just didn't work (That's only an opinion, I do love the show). I was raised in a house where 'foul' language was grounds for, well, grounding. My older brothers were punished more than Butters!
So, likely, I steered clear of that kind of talk for a long time, which is really why my old rating was 7. That and just culture shock i guess. South Park could only exost on a paid channel when it debuted. I grew up with standard big 3 network programming, with very little swearing. (I 'do' sometimes swear but only with good reason, not constantly.)
None of those network shows could be like South Park of course, being an animated series , gave and still gives it the edge to be out there in creativity. Which now, 25 years later, has been refreshed and now in their early 50s, Trey and Matt seem to have their 'A' game back.
I also thank my wife , a true South Park fan, for helpingme see there was more to it than I had originally thought. Oh...and My favorite episode is still the Bin Laden / 9/11 show. (END)
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