Category: South Park (Page 4 of 5)

Bullz-Eye’s TV Power Rankings Return!

July 29, 2006 /

Savor the moment, HBO. You currently own more than a quarter of our TV Power Rankings list, but with the imminent departure of “The Sopranos,” “Deadwood” and “Rome,” along with the TBD status of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and the oddly lengthy shooting schedule for the half-season “Extras,” the end of your reign as BE must-see TV could very well be nigh. For the moment, though, we heart you and wish you would ask us to the prom.

Unless Jack Bauer’s still single, in which case we’re spoken for.

Here’s a sample entry from our list:

13. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO): It seems like a long time between seasons of this great comedy, and I often wonder during the show’s hiatus: What trouble is Larry David into right now? Last season, he had to decide whether or not to give one of his kidneys to Richard Lewis. Richard’s cousin, Louis Lewis, was (conveniently) in a coma and Larry kept visiting him in the hospital, secretly hoping that Louis would croak so that Richard could have Louis’ kidney instead. The other season-long storyline was Larry investigating the possibility that he was adopted, leading to several funny scenes with his supposed gentile birth parents. The show isn’t quite as fresh as it was in its first couple of seasons, but with episode titles like, “The Korean Bookie,” “The Christ Nail” and “Kamikaze Bingo,” how could you be? ~John Paulsen

Check out the full list here.

24, Deadwood, Entourage, External Entertainment, External TV, Lost, My Name Is Earl, News, Prison Break, Rescue Me, Reviews, Rome, South Park, The Office, The Shield, The Sopranos, TV, TV Action, TV Comedies, TV Dramas

Either it’s all okay, or none of it is

April 14, 2006 /

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have done it again, somehow combining the lazy joke-writing of “Family Guy” with the recent events involving a Danish newspaper printing cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. When news arrives that an upcoming “Family Guy” episode will not be aired because it features an image of Muhammad, Kyle rides his Big Wheel to Los Angeles to persuade the network to change its mind. Cartman, on the other hand, claims the episode is offensive, and that the network would be wise to listen to their “conscience.” But Cartman, of course, has a hidden agenda; he simply hates “Family Guy,” and will do anything to get the show taken off the air.

In the end, the “Family Guy” episode airs (the idea of their writing staff consisting of a bunch of manatees putting balls with words into a hoop sums up my feelings about the scattershot joke writing on “Family Guy” better than anything), after Kyle persuades the network executives not to give in to what is basically a terrorist threat. Kyle even tells Cartman that his plan to use fear to reach his goal is like terrorism. “Like terrorism? It is terrorism,” Cartman replies.

Now here’s where it gets really weird.

The “Family Guy” sequence that Parker and Stone created features a scene where Muhammad gives Peter Griffin a football…and the image of Muhammad was omitted by Comedy Central censors. (If you, like me, thought the censored bit was just a joke on Parker and Stone’s part, you were wrong.) This after Kyle tells the network executives, when it comes to satirizing religious beliefs, “Either it’s all okay, or none of it is. Do the right thing.” Talk about life imitating art imitating life.

There are some incredibly complex ideas at work here. The episode actually pokes fun at “South Park,” owning up to its preachy nature of late (the bleeding Virgin Mary episode, the Scientology-slamming “Trapped in the Closet,” this), but it also makes a very valid point that there should be no taboos when it comes to satire. Parker and Stone, to their credit, are equal opportunity offenders; name a minority or interest group, and they have taken aim at it. They ran a cartoon post-9/11 that featured Cartman and Osama bin Laden in a Warner Bros.-inspired sequence where Cartman is Bugs to Osama’s Elmer, humiliating him nonstop. Comedy Central had no problem airing that episode. What makes this one so different? Hell, Parker and Stone weren’t even making fun of Muhammad here. They merely had him hand Peter a football.

In the end, not only do Parker and Stone make fun of themselves and “Family Guy” – mostly “Family Guy” – but they inadvertently forced Comedy Central to make hypocrites of themselves by censoring the image that Parker and Stone had said should never be censored. The Christian groups, meanwhile, blame Parker and Stone for the whole Jesus-Bush-flag-poop sequence at the end, but they’re missing the point. Parker and Stone tried to treat everyone with equal scorn; Comedy Central, in the end, gave in to the perception that they were insensitive to the Muslim community, and in the process, the network showed how insensitive they were to everyone else. That is not Parker and Stone’s fault.

But wait, it gets even weirder.

In July 2001 (the date is obviously important to note), Comedy Central ran a “South Park” episode that depicted Muhammad…and nothing happened. No threats, no riots, nothing. How about that.

News, South Park, TV Comedies

The cook, apparently, does go down with the ship

March 21, 2006 /

This will likely be the first and last time that I use a piece from anyone associated with Fox News as a credible source, but it matches my personal opinion, dammit, so I’m running with it: Chef is not acting of his own accord. According to Roger Friedman:

Isaac Hayes did not quit “South Park.” My sources say that someone quit it for him.

I can tell you that Hayes is in no position to have quit anything. Contrary to news reports, the great writer, singer and musician suffered a stroke on Jan. 17. At the time it was said that he was hospitalized and suffering from exhaustion.

It’s also absolutely ridiculous to think that Hayes, who loved playing Chef on “South Park,” would suddenly turn against the show because they were poking fun at Scientology.

Last November, when the “Trapped in a Closet” episode of the comedy aired, I saw Hayes and spent time with him in Memphis for the annual Blues Ball.

If he hated the show so much, I doubt he would have performed his trademark hit song from the show, “Chocolate Salty Balls.” He tossed the song into the middle of one of his less salacious hits and got the whole audience in the Memphis Pyramid to sing along.

That would certainly explain an awful lot. It may also explain why Trey Parker and Matt Stone had their spokesperson spend more time attacking Scientology than attacking Chef. Their last press release was signed, “Trey Parker and Matt Stone, servants of the dark lord Xenu.” Even their comments against Hayes were phrased in a way to expose the intolerance of the church of Scientology rather than that of Hayes, so it would make sense that there is no bad blood between Parker/Stone and Hayes. If the “church” indeed took advantage of Hayes’ condition in order to cast a warning shot across the bow, then, well, they’re fucking idiots. Parker and Stone will hit them in ways that they won’t see coming until they’re lying on the ground, losing consciousness from loss of blood, while a mysterious figure looms over them with a silenced pistol to their temple, ready to give them the sweet, sweet merciful death they so desperately crave.

South Park, TV Comedies

“Goodbye, children!”

March 13, 2006 /

The email had the following subject:

“ISAAC HAYES requests release from ‘SOUTH PARK'”

Obviously, as a huge “South Park” fan, that caught my eye. Here’s what the press release said:

Legendary soul man Isaac Hayes has officially requested a release from his contract with the “South Park” television show, and the Comedy Central cable station. Mr. Hayes has been a cast member of “South Park” since 1997 as the voice of “CHEF”.

Mr. Hayes has decided to part ways with “South Park” because of recent episodes and press that have embarked upon what he feels are inappropriate ridicule of religious communities. While fully acknowledging “South Park’s” right to freedom of speech, Mr. Hayes is disappointed with what he perceives as a growing insensitivity towards personal spiritual beliefs, not only with “South Park” episodes but also the recent Danish cartoon controversy.

“There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins.” Mr. Hayes adds, “religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored. As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices.”

In all honesty, I’ve expected Hayes to walk away from the show for years; in fact, Trey Parker and Matt Stone said in an interview several years ago that they couldn’t believe Hayes signed on in the first place. The only thing missing from the press release is Hayes calling Parker and Stone “a couple of crazy crackers”.

As for his reasoning, it makes sense considering “South Park” has banged on Catholics, Jews, Mormons and, most recently, Scientologists (in the legendary “Trapped in the Closet” episode). Then again, they’ve been doing that for years. Could the Scientology episode really have been the last straw? Maybe Hayes and Tom Cruise are buddies, I don’t know.

The bigger question here is, what now for Chef? I can’t see Parker and Stone try to carry on the character with new voice talent. It just wouldn’t be the same. Granted, Chef’s profile on the show has diminished since the early days, when you could count on at least one vintage Chef song (“I’m gonna make love to you woman. I’m gonna lay you down by the fire.”) in nearly every episode, one of my personal favorites being “Chocolate Salty Balls.” But using someone else to voice Chef, even in a limited role, would be a disaster.

So the question is, how do they kill Chef off? That’s the only option, isn’t it? Then again, maybe they can get Barry White as a replacement….

News, South Park, TV, TV Comedies

“Trapped in the Closet”: Best, South Park, ever

November 17, 2005 /

Trey Parker has never been afraid to skewer someone that offended his sensibilities. Janet Reno, Mel Gibson, Rob Reiner, OJ Simpson, Russell Crowe, Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Phil Collins have all felt the wrath of Trey. He even dedicated an entire episode to debunking the “psychic” abilities of John Edward, which effectively (and thankfully) killed Edward’s career.

But last night’s episode, “Trapped in the Closet,” is by far the biggest swing Parker and Matt Stone have ever taken at a celebrity; they took on Tom Cruise, the Biggest Movie Star in the World. The setup to this is that the Church of Scientology thinks that Stan is the reincarnation of church founder L. Ron Hubbard. When Stan/L.Ron tells Tom that he thinks Tom’s just an okay actor, Tom is devastated, locks himself in Stan’s closet and won’t come out. For the sake of space, I will list my five favorite bits in the episode.

– The conversation between Tom and ex-wife Nicole Kidman, who is summoned to lure Tom out of Stan’s closet.
Nicole: Don’t you think this has gone on long enough? It’s time for you to come out of the closet.
Tom: I’m not- I’m not in the closet.
Nicole: Yes, you are, Tom. And you just need to end this and come out. I’m not going to think any differently of you. Katie’s not going to think any differently of you. You don’t need to be in that closet anymore, Tom.
Tom: I’m not in here, though.
Nicole: Yes, you are.
Tom: I’m not – I’m not in the closet.
Nicole: Then how am I talking to you, Tom? Come out of the closet, you’re not fooling anyone.
Tom: But I’m not – I’m not in here.

– The summary of the tenets of Scientology, equipped with a helpful animated reenactment. At the bottom, there is a super that states, “This is what Scientologists actually believe.” Hard, core.

– R. Kelly. He sings throughout the entire episode, and after three or four lines, he sings, “So I pull out my gun!” Everyone runs for cover, including the police. Even better is where he ends up in the closet with Tom (and John Travolta). Anyone who makes videotapes of themselves peeing on 14 year-old girls has deeply conflicted sexuality issues.

– Stan’s speech when he’s dismissing his friends. They all walk away slowly, thinking that they’ve lost Stan forever. Cartman waits behind to say, “Stan, I just want you to know that I still hate Kyle more than you.”

– The final scene, where Stan dares to dismiss Scientology as a global scam. The church’s response: “We’re gonna sue you!” Stan stands up to them. “Go ahead! I’m not scared of you! Sue me!” The credits roll, with every name changed to “John Smith” and “Jane Smith.”

The last act was a stroke of genius. If Tom Cruise or the Church of Scientology dares to actually sue Trey and Matt, they’re only validating everything the episode implies. It’s a preemptive strike that neuters their opponents before they can even respond. Bravo, Trey and Matt. You are my heroes.

South Park, TV, TV Comedies

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