The Big Picture: Out of the Park

PunkRex

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Im not sure if thats to fair, I mean I take things away from Southpark but they tend to be things ive come to on my own. Like the hate crime episode made me realise that sentancing crimals by taking into account why they commited the crime really wouldnt work over all as people (in this case judges) are all different and it just wouldnt be fair. I mean I loooooooove the show but I think theres global warming and I think Hybred cars are the future, those episodes seemed to be poking fun of the people more then the message anyway.

And as for an overall message isnt that "EVERYONES a target or NO ONES a target". Southparks great and its made me think about stuff but that doesnt mean I follow it blindly. Still a good ep though Mr.Bob, people should really think for themselves more.
 

drisky

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MrDeckard said:
drisky said:
I have to say one of the most damaging episodes I felt was the one about the word "fag", and how words change meaning over time and people should not be indirectly offended when it is not directed at them. The problem with that is that it is still used as a homophobic slur, is always used in a very negative context, and people have every right it be offended even if direct offense wasn't intended. And that episode is a direct contradiction to the "****** guy" episode when the lesson was when you have no idea about the negative emotions that come up when the word is said, you have no right to dictate how others should feel. I'm just using that as another example.
And yet, there is living proof that words can radically change. If you said someone was "Queer" 100 years ago, it had NOTHING to do with being homosexual, it meant they were interesting.

Same with Gay. Happy!

Plus, words lose their power over time. For instance, if someone said "Poppycock" in the wrong decade, it was the worst thing you could ever do! But now "Fuck" and "Shit" are part of many peoples daily speech. Censoring and forcing people to never say things only gains those word power and makes them MORE offensive.

Yes, The F-Word episode may not have had the perfect message, but it's a start. I agree that if something like fag is said with harmful intention to a person who would be offended, it is bad. But intention is important.

If we completely disregard intention in words and allow reception to govern them completely, words lose meaning and I could say your use of the word "The" is offensive to me.

I will accept that the other episode is ABSOLUTELY contradictory though.

Sorry for the longness, just had to get that out.
The problem I had with that is gay and queer turned in to words with very different meanings. Fag went from "person that I hate (for being homosexual) to "person that I hate (for any reason that I determine). Both terms are 100% meant to offend someone. If you take a sentience containing gay or queer in it out of context you can still determine intent. Do the same with fag and you can't really tell if in is homophobic or not. Because of this I don't think we should act like they are completely different words, because they are contextually the same, a low brow insult.

Of course the point is these are opinions, not complete moral truths like people treat them. In that way it is the people that call me homophobic for being offended, while they are in fact morally enlightened and superior, they are the ones that really bother me. But they aren't being morally enlightened, they are being aggressive and mean, just to a different kind of person.

Edit: Oh one last thing, I feel that fuck and shit are a completely different issue because they are not about people.
 

The Random One

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I'm sorry, but I'm forced to draw Death of the Author on this one. Whether or not the guys who made South Park intend to deliver a message or not is completely and utter irrelevant. Just like Fahrenheit 451 is about censorship regardless of whatever Ray Bradbury wants it to be about, if South Park can as a narrative help me refind my own world views the authors' intention has no bearing whatsoever.

It's a silly source for such things, but I defend any unorthodox sources, seeing that my own is Calvin and Hobbes.
 

Saltyk

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Sep 12, 2010
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I'm going to disagree with Bob on this. I don't think that it is fair to say that you can't take some lessons from South Park. If for no other reason than because I don't have clear concise beliefs. If you ask me about my beliefs on one thing, you'd probably see me as left leaning while my other beliefs might make you think I lean to the right. I think most people are like this. The media and politicians like to think that people are simple and conform to certain preset beliefs, but that isn't true. We all have complicated beliefs.

For example, I support both the Death Penalty and Abortion. Yes, even late term abortions in the event of certain complications or emergencies. Is that such a simple and concise message to convey? Should people not listen to what I have to say because I don't have a certain overall liberal or conservative message?

I'm not saying you should live you life according to what South Park and Matt and Trey Parker say. But I don't think it's fair to disregard that aspect just because they have a complicated concept or the show is funny.

As for the accent. I can understand why you don't use it during your "respectable" work. The Boston accent does rub some people the wrong way. Then again, most "in your face" accents do. I absolutely hate the valley girl accent. Not even a fan of the Southern Belle accent. I think what got most people is that in you last video it just seemed random. You'd have it for all of a sentence and then you'd be back in your "normal" speech making voice. The fact that it was so random and over so quick, I think made it stand out so much. It did for me at least. Every time you'd slip into the Boston accent, it kinda knocked me off my train of thought.

Also, my spell check suggested speechifying when I wrote "speechmaking" in that paragraph. Somehow that just makes me sad.
 

RDubayoo

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Haven't watched South Park very consistently so I don't think I could say I base my entire life around it. That said, what? You can't get life lessons out of South Park? Bob, you pointed specifically to ManBearPig as an example. Well, I just watched that episode, and I think the message was pretty clear: Al Gore feared that he was no longer relevant, so he invented a boogeyman for people to fear, came up with a series of solutions which only caused more harm, and in the end took credit for saving everyone from something that was never a threat. Guess what, Bob? THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. Moral of the story: Don't make life worse by fighting imaginary problems.

What's bothering you about South Park isn't that it doesn't have to do with an inconsistent message, but rather that the show frequently turns against your own ideology. So, I'd say this episode was less for our benefit than for yours, providing a vehicle for allowing you to watch the show without offending your far-left "conscience" (for lack of a better word).

No, there's not enough in South Park to form a philosophy around, I'll grant that, but saying there's no valuable messages to be found in it is also wrong. And by the way, Andrew Sullivan is a TERRIBLE example of a conservative. If he was any more of a RINO people would be hunting him for his horn.
 

pearcinator

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Dunno why I watched this... I am not American nor do I particular like South Park.

But heres a comment about the accent! LOL Y0U $OUND L13K 7EH $C0U7!
 

Mangue Surfer

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CM156 said:
Mangue Surfer said:
Some people will prefer to buy their ideas from a rad cartoon than from a 19th century man who had a strange relationship with his nazi sister.
Wait, are you talking about Friedrich Nietzsche? Or am I thinking of someone else

OT: You seem to be a bit more non-partisan Bob. Kudos on that.
Yes, is Nietzsche.
 

XMark

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I always figured the entire point of South Park was to make fun of everyone and everything that could possibly be mocked for any reason. I don't think any major political movement, religious belief, corporation, organization, or celebrity has been spared in South Park's run.

Kinda funny how some people like to point out the episodes in which South Park happened to be making fun of whatever they agree with like it's something special.
 

Andy of Comix Inc

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I take lessons from South Park when it agrees with me. Which is almost all the time.

Also, I think it's funny because one of the guys (not sure if Parker or Stone) said something about religion making more sense than athiesm, which I guess would make at least on philosophical viewpoint between Parker and Stone conflicting - their opinion on religion. Hmmm.

Well I think South Park basically has everyone and everything in their sights anyway. Except World of Warcraft. Even when the South Park boys became grotesque carpal tunnel-inflicted half-humans, the tone implied Parker and Stone are totally fine with World of Warcraft. ...huh.
 

Wriggle Wyrm

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While I?ll admit that the show has had some hilarious moments, a lot of it basically amounted to Matt and Trey beating up on straw men. That more than anything is probably why some people (especially in the political realm) would try to label it as philosophy.

Anyways, I've always been on again and off again with South Park but I stopped watching the show entirely a couple of years ago. Mostly because it got to the point where it stopped being funny and became mean spirited than anything else.
 

Cliff_m85

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I'm certain someone said this already. The message about Mormonism was about acceptance, or at the very least tolerance in some fashion. The scientology episodes were meant to prod at the lawsuit hungry higher-ups, hence the "We'll SUE you!" that went on for two full minutes and the names being altered to John Smith and Jane Smith for the credits.
 

Mcupobob

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Totally called out the Boston accent!

Also south park fan here, yes its satire but I think some episodes can really do point out social message. Like you said yourself bob you liked the episode on censorship, so its really only a message when it pertains to you? Other episodes are just about fun and silly.
 

funguy2121

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-Dragmire- said:
I found most episodes were common sense oriented attacking the over reactions of a particular group. I need more than Trey and Matt for source material for my views(HUMANCENTiPAD's take on click-to-accept agreements/contracts is one I've held for a while now though as with many people on this site who don't like the EULAs).

And who wants to be part of a group that changes political views on an episode to episode basis.

Canadian columnist Jaime J. Weinman observes that the most die-hard conservatives who identified themselves as "South Park Republicans" began turning away from the label when the show ridiculed Republicans in the season nine (2005) episode "Best Friends Forever".
Shows how deep their beliefs were doesn't it?

My personal favorite episode from this season at this point is "City Sushi". Political/Social views be damned, it's just a really funny episode.
I would never say that my views align very much with those of Parker and Stone, as theirs do seem to be opportunistic and "everybody is dumb but us" more often than not, or simply "let's make fun of this person, because they're famous," which of course replaced "let's make fun of this person, because they DON'T DESERVE TO BE famous" (Paris Hilton is a Stupid Spoiled Whore, anyone?). But one thing I've noticed is that they ALWAYS make fun of Republicans.
 

kickyourass

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Thank you Mr. Chipman, I don't really care much for South Park one way or the other, but these people who use South Park as the corner stone of their personal philosophy (Or worse, hearing some of the jokes and mistaking them for facts) are among the most irritating human beings that have ever existed.

Also, I actuall like your Boston accent Bob, Boston is one of my favorite American cities, though I will say that it is a bit jarring to hear you switch from one voice to the other within the same sentence.
 

Samoftherocks

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Two things:

1. I blame as much of the "South Park is news" idea on John Stewart and Steve Colbert as I do Matt and Trey. Yes, South Park existed well before, BUT TDS has toed the line of "comedy as politics" as often as any other in TV history. You can go even further back and blame Lenny Bruce for making fun of the establishment and helping to inspire Pryor and Carlin. Bottomline, South Park is part of a wave of Comedy is Politics brand shows, but one that remembers to take a HUGE shit for laughs sake at least once an episode.

1.5 I'm from SF, and the smug episode is out personal douchebag test. If you loved it, not a douchebag. Got offended? Fuck off, hippie!

2. Eric Cartman is the sum total of all good and bad elements of being an American. He is the Everyman for our time. We need to raise the bar!
 

Samoftherocks

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Rogue 09 said:
Most of the people who count themselves among their members never so much as research the stance of the opposition, but take their personal liberal pundits at their word.
While your statement can be true in a variety of cases, we are certainly not the only side who sometimes believes at face value and does no further research. If we were judging on voters who attend town hall meetings and debates: right wingers have accused Obama of being an Arab (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QhJJBfwJME&feature=related) and when Ron Paul was asked the question (paraphrased) "should the government let the uninsured die?" audience members shouted "yes" O(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irx_QXsJiao).

Any logical mind should find the hypocrisy with that second example, AND, the blind, uninformed belief fed to the right wing masses by politicians and pundits that were never fact-checked by those who still believe it, that Obamacare was setting up Death Panels to "kill the elderly". The elderly being especially prone to not being able to afford healthcare, and therefore part of the "the government should let the uninsured die" sentiment. Of course, the average right wing voter, if faced with the death of a loved one for not having health care, would still blame Obama because Glenn Beck said so.

I know we have some wingnuts on our side. I invite you to research and present them.