Grid Effect

Let me just say, there is funny, there is hysterically funny, and then there is The Three Stooges as represented by deceased serial killers on South Park funny. That is hard too top. The only exception I could think of would be for Satan celebrate his birthday on Halloween while satirizing the gluttony induced MTV reality series My Super Sweet 16. We got both in droves in last nights episode.

For starters, I have been waiting for years to see this series be dragged through the mud. Not only are the kids pretentious, spoiled little brats, completely devoid of how privleged they are. But MTV exploits their naivete for every penny they can muster. Fortunately, there are two people noble enough to assume the creative burden and appropriately parody this erosion of American decency in Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

It is really difficult to recap comedies, there isn’t much to say outside of observational explanation and comparsion. But I can say that one of the more creative gimmicks by Parker and Stone was highlighted in this episode: John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer in full “Three Stooges” form. The trio is delegated to oversee the proper handling of Satan’s Ferrari birthday cake… As the bodies pile up, the cake gets ruined and Satan has to settle for standard four-door car cake as opposed to the Ferrari cake, at which point he throws a tantrum (if you have never seen the MTV reality show, you will probably be at least mildly confused with this satire. Just as a semblance of understanding for the typical budding sixteen year-old cast on this show: a girl was once belligerently screaming into her cell phone, “And I don’t want to hear the world doesn’t revolve around me. Because today, It does!”).

The arc with Butters, Stan, Kyle and Kenny was pedestrian. In short, I think they were parodying Beetlejuice by repeating “Biggie Smalls” three times to resurrect his spirit. It had its high points, most noticeably Butters and Cartman spouting Notorious B.I.G. lyrics (if you didn’t know of them, just based on watching their show it is evident they are Gen. X’ers).

Some noteworthy lines/exchanges:

Satan: Listen, uh, coming as Crocodile Hunter, its just a little to soon, he just died a few weeks ago and some peo-
CH: But satan, wait, its me, Steve Irwin.
Satan: Oh, dude, no costume, you gotta go.
-Exchange between Satan and a guy everyone thought was in costume as Crocodile Hunter, but actually ended up being Steve Irwin.

“Satan is throwing a party, and word is, it’s going to be off the hook.” -Priest

“No one can dress up as ‘The Crow’. I’m serious.” -Satan

“Ive got kettle one and Bacardi to sponsor the alcohol.” -Satan, obviously funnier in delivery than in substance.

“I don’t want it if diddy did it.”
“How about a donut machine?”
“Did Diddy do it?”
“Diddy did it.”
“Damn it, what didn’t Diddy do?”
-Exchange between Satan and a party planner.

A lot of this humor is easily contrued as offensive, and possibly for good reason. From what I can tell some feel particularly upset about the bit with Steve Irwin. The only thing I can offer is in the world of South Park, nothing is sacred and everyone is fair game. I don’t think they were trying to say anything positive or negative about the man, they just threw him in there for shock value, and Parker and Stone have done much worse for shock than this. That said, I feel deplorable for laughing at it.