"It is part of the price of leadership of this great and free nation to be the target of clever satirists. You have given the gift of laughter to our people. May we never grow so somber or self-important that we fail to appreciate the humor in our lives."
--President Lyndon B. Johnson in a letter to the Smothers Brothers, 9 November, 1968
I'm a big fan of satire. Its sole purpose is to poke fun at societal institutions and make us laugh at the absurdities of them--especially ones that seem to take themselves too seriously. Having grown up on "Saturday Night Live" in the 1980s, I became quite fond of "Weekend Update," which put a humourous spin on the news of the day. As a teenager, I began to realize that, in our society, it's permissible to make fun of our leaders. As an adult, I've come to the conclusion that this is a necessity for a free society. I mean, after all, this isn't Russia or Egypt. These days, it seems like this is the only form of accountability we have left for those in charge--on both sides.
"Weekend Update" begat "The Daily Show," "Real Time with Bill Maher," and "This Week Tonight with John Oliver." Some satire outlets like The Onion (one of my personal favourites--I've often described it as "Weekend Update" or "The Daily Show" in print form) are not afraid to cross the line into what might be considered poor taste. I've often gotten the impression that no one who ever worked for The Onion ever asked the question, "Too soon?"
But even The Onion seems tasteful compared to the long-running TV series "South Park." I've never seen a line of decency (or even indecency) that "South Park" wasn't afraid to cross boldly and unapologetically. It latches on to every taboo conversational topic we have in our society and gleefully takes the piss (and probably any other bodily fluid it can find) out of it--politics, religion, race, sexuality, political correctness--it seems nothing is off limits. They cross lines that I admit outright that I'm not brave enough to cross. They are nothing if not equal opportunity offenders.
A week or so ago, I saw that the show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, had signed a $1.5 billion dollar deal with the newly merged Paramount/Skydance thing for them to become the exclusive streaming service for "South Park." Because the show is done crudely, cheaply, and quickly, Parker and Stone quickly released the premier episode of the show's 27th season on Comedy Central. I heard that a certain world leader was outraged by it. And I can't imagine that the people at the Paramount/Skydance thing were probably that happy about it either.
I hadn't watched the show on a regular basis in some time, but I've always admired it, so I decided to check it out, particularly when a friend of mine suggested I should. When I see satire as the news, as opposed to just making fun of it, I get a little concerned. Words failed me in the moment. I immediately texted my friend to let him know I'd seen it and was only able to say, "Wow! Just... wow!" It was crass. It was disgusting. It was completely tasteless. Frankly, it was like every other episode of "South Park" I had ever seen. But there was a certain level of audacity, even--dare I say--bravery, that I haven't seen on television in quite some time. They didn't just bite the hand that fed them, they tore it off and swallowed it whole. If I could, I would nominate the episode for an Emmy as well as a Peabody Award. I can't wait to see what they do next.
“Without getting into politics and stuff, we’re all living in a culture, a society where we’re scared to speak and scared if we don’t. That’s what I feel. And we need the Dave Chappelles, we need the Ricky Gervaises, we need the Robin Williamses to make fun. That’s why they have gargoyles in cathedrals, to remind us, ‘Come on, don’t take yourself too seriously.’”
--Liam Neeson in an interview with The New York Times, 31 July, 2025
Like the satirical works of the late Tom Lehrer, much of the humour and satire of "South Park" doesn't seem to lose its relevance over time. The popularity of the show in its early days eventually spawned a theatrical feature which was originally released in 1999. I saw it again last summer in a special "Sing-Along" version (you know--follow the bouncing ball...) to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Even after a quarter of a century, I was stunned that it didn't feel dated in any way--despite Saddam Hussein's cameo. (And, since no one pulled the fire alarm, I also got to see Big Gay Al's dance number this time!--Long story.)
In the movie, Stan, Kyle, Eric, and Kenny are excited to see the film debut of their favourite Canadian TV stars--Terrance and Phillip. The only problem is that the film has an R rating and as school children, they're not allowed to see it. They sneak in anyway and start repeating all the "dirty" words they hear in the film. Before too long, their parents are so outraged they nearly start a war with Canada.
(FUN FACT: Some years back, I found the DVD in the discount bin at Best Buy. The clerk rang up the item and suddenly excused himself to help another cashier with something--having worked retail, I totally understood. While he was gone, I looked at the register and discovered that it was prompting him to ask for my ID to make sure I was old enough to purchase it. Y'know--R rating, dirty words, all that. I suddenly felt like I had become the plot of the film I was trying to purchase. Fortunately, I was in my 40s at the time.)
Believe it or not, Trey Parker and composer Marc Shaiman went on to receive an Oscar nomination for the song "Blame Canada." Robin Williams even performed it at the ceremony--I mean, why not? It wasn't like it was going to win anyway. Featuring cameos by George Clooney, Minnie Driver, Eric Idle, Brent Spiner, Dave Foley, Stewart Copeland, and Mike Judge, this week--especially if you ever wondered what exactly Brian Boitano would do if he were here right now--please enjoy the heavily R-rated South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
Until next week, stay safe, be good to your neighbours, and please remember...
OH MY GOD! THEY KILLED KENNY!
Yours in peace, love, and rock 'n' roll!
The Reverend Will the Thrill
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