God, I hate the South Park guys

So, basically their message is to be a self-centered ass and not get involved in anything. I've always hated the way the show seems to attack anyone with passion on a subject as some kind of hysteric. And RS is doing its readers a disservice by quoting rightwing ass and star of dick morris' "Fahrenhype 911" as proof of Stone and parker's supposed independence.
----
From Rolling Stone:
To not be a pussy, then, is of foremost importance. Most of South Park's humor either advocates radical individualism (everyone is stupid, so don't listen to anyone but yourself) and/or a conservative agenda (this is a great country, and you're a pussy if you're down in the mouth about President Bush). Neither Stone nor Parker will delineate his political views, and both contend that the libertarian label, which has been applied to them in recent years, is not entirely appropriate. (As far as the "South Park Republicans" tag that was affixed to their fans a few years ago to define the "cool" part of the conservative movement, they say it's a dumb notion.) They won't talk about the war, even to voice an opinion on President Bush's new troop-deployment plan. "I wouldn't even begin to say I know enough to say if it's right or wrong, because whomever is telling you it's wrong is full of shit too," says Parker. Neither votes -- "like, ever," says Stone. Parker waves a hand in the air. "Each election is a choice with a douche or a turd, so who cares," he says. "If Gore had beaten Bush, things wouldn't be much different."

While Stone is in fact deeply immersed in politics and a serious reader of nonfiction books about the Middle East, I practically have to wrestle him to hear a smidge of his politics: He's against the War on Drugs, pro-gay marriage, against socialized medicine and basically in favor of free markets, except in cases like dropping public funding for roads or education. As for Parker, who owns a couple of guns, the closest I can come is his paraphrase of Team America's climactic monologue: "There's a difference between dicks and assholes. Because there are terrorists -- assholes -- you've got to have dicks, people who hunt down terrorists. Dicks are bad, and it sucks to be a dick, but it's way worse to be an asshole, and because there are assholes, we need dicks. So shut the fuck up, all you pussies!"

Try to argue back to this kind of logic, and the joke's on you, much to the glee of Stone and Parker. "We went to a party in Malibu on the beach recently," says Stone, "and this woman came up to us, like, 'Oh, my son is at the University of Colorado, and I can't get him to go to class, because he snowboards all the time.' I'm immediately thinking, 'Fuck you and your kid,' because I couldn't afford to snowboard in college. Then I say, 'Yeah, I still go to Colorado to visit my family.' She's like, 'So they really are just a bunch of gun-toting hicks out there, aren't they?' I'm like, 'I just told you my mom and dad and sister live there.' Then Trey walks up to her and says, 'George Bush is a great man.' She looked like we'd poured acid in her ear. We were laughing our asses off."

"That's the most punk-rock thing you can do in L.A.: say 'George Bush is fucking awesome' instead of talking about how lame it is that he's fighting for oil," says Parker. "The only way to be more hardcore than everyone else is to tell the people who think they're the most hardcore that they're pussies, to go up to a tattooed, pierced vegan and say, 'Whatever, you tattooed faggot, you're a pierced faggot and whatever.' '' He looks very pleased with himself. "That's hardcore."
more:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/south_park_still_sick_still_wrong/page/3

it can be funny, or not, but overall it is 'entertainment' and I don't let it guide how I think.

So I really don't care about their message or politics, if they make me laugh it is more than some in power have done for me.

And I could use a good laugh at times.

but the last few season have just been downright mean and full of preachy nihilism (if there is such a thing).

1 - they don't really give a damn about their characters and so why should the viewers (Family Guy/American Dad has the same problem). And if you don't give a damn about the characters why invite them in week after week?

2 - Lazy over reliance on the same damn jokes over and over again, enlivened by their ability to be "topical."

It was funny till i figured out the game, then I got sick of it pretty fast.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

one of them did do some campaign appearances for the libertarian presidential candidate in 2004, while the other donated the maximum amount allowed to John Kerry.

ans supposedly pompous celbrities, but gave blowhards like hannity and o'reilly and the rest of the prowar movement a pass.

i think it goes back to their don't get involved, dont rock the boat and enjoy the establishment attitude

and you obviously didn't get that Team America was completely oblivious as to whether people wanted them to come into their country to try to take out three or four terrorists, while leaving the entire area they were in destroyed, maybe more so than if a terrorist attack had actually happened.

also, in the episode about illegal immigration, they made fun of the lefty in it for not being able to express his (reasonable) attitude without condescension, and really made a laughingstock of nativists who are usually reduced to shouting "they took my job!!!" they also made fun of the fact that while alot of public recyclying and other environmental programs are solid, effective ideas, they're presented in a way that turns off alot of people.

from Team America. Take the words to the song in the movie:

"McDonalds, FUCK YEAH!
Wal-Mart, FUCK YEAH!
The Gap, FUCK YEAH!
Baseball, FUCK YEAH!
NFL, FUCK, YEAH!
Rock and roll, FUCK YEAH!
The Internet, FUCK YEAH!
Slavery, FUCK YEAH!"

It's dripping with irony, don't you think? That's what I found funny in it, was the pompous, patronising "we're America, we know what's best for all of you" attitude they lampooned.

Starbucks, FUCK YEAH!
Disney world, FUCK YEAH!
Porno, FUCK YEAH!
Valium, FUCK YEAH!
Reeboks, FUCK YEAH!
Fake Tits, FUCK YEAH!
Sushi, FUCK YEAH!
Taco Bell, FUCK YEAH!
Rodeos, FUCK YEAH!
Bed bath and beyond (lighter fuck yeah)

Liberty, FUCK YEAH!
Wax lips, FUCK YEAH!
The Alamo, FUCK YEAH!
Band-aids, FUCK YEAH!
Las Vegas, FUCK YEAH!
Christmas, FUCK YEAH!
Immigrants, FUCK YEAH!
Popeye, FUCK YEAH!
Democrats, FUCK YEAH!
Republicans (lighter fuck yeah)
Sportsmanship (silence)
Books (silence)

(one voice, sounding somewhat uncertain) "fuck yeah?"

The "Right wing" is an unholy alliance between the religious right, fiscal conservatives, and nihilistic anarchists. Parker and Stone are in the latter category.

I've read that they are staunch republicans. That's why they only attacked the left. Because they ARE the right.

as they can. that's nihilism. its telling that they save their face-to-face bile for women. pussies.

Paris Hilton should be treated that by the press until she goes away.

Sounds like fun

He caused Paramount to have the show pulled - but, they swore vengence and got it a short time later when Paramount kicked Cruise off the lot.

I think they did the world a civil service by letting them know what scientology is all about.

I thought their stuff mostly sucked from the start.

I'm immediately thinking, 'Fuck you and your kid,' because I couldn't afford to snowboard in college."

I can't understand people who don't think popular political commentary is important when elections sway on such a small percentage of the population.

probably becasue they've never read real satire.

On the other hand, you can't say Baseketball wasn't brilliant(ly stupid).

but when they try to do satire, they fail horribly. Its too simplistic to be called satire or social commentary, and is instead just a bunch of hastily prepared jokes by a couple of libertarian hacks who have very little grasp of social issues or politics

Fart jokes get old pretty fast.

likes Baseketball? I just found my doppleganger! FUCK YEAH! Dude...

they just can't do social commentary.

when they went to see Mel Gibson to get their money back from "Passion of the Christ". Stan said, "It was even worse than Baseketball."

I agree about the social commentary. They try, but usually fail.

but, problem is, so does Bill O'Reilley

The MST3K guys were righties too, and they made me laugh.
They did it the right way and didn't interject politics
into it.

South Park always seems to begin to make a good point and
then poop all over it. I personally like the rain forest
episode where they list all the things in the rain forest
that cause cancer. I thought that was really clever.

I'm sorry we can't compare to your intellect and scholarly persuit of satire. I guess my reading of Gulliver's Travels pales in comparison. The satire of William Burroughs is just so damn low-brow and pedestrian, I can see why it cannot hold a candle to that which you have studied. I need to read better American satirists than I have been to keep up with you. So far I have been wallowing in the satirical mire of Dorothy parker, P.J. O'Rourke, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, Ben Franklin, Ambrose Bierce, Sinclair Lewis, Will Rogers, James Thurber, Molly Ivins, Langston Huges. Please let me know the REAL satirists I SHOULD be reading so that I can keep up with you in a conversation about satire. PLEASE!!!!!! I'm beggin you.

Maybe you're just projecting things you want to see into Parker's writing. But there is nothing to his writing.

You initially said that people who think Trey and Parker are satirists have not read good satire.

Is Parker as good of a satirist as Twain? No. Doesn't mean what they are doing isn't satire. Or do you think they are homophobic racists?

basically because most of their "satire" comes from their own lack of understanding of complex issues, so they end up making a dumbed-down spoof that they and their viewers can understand.

And, as a matter of fact, I do see them as homophobic. Their depiction of GLBT community is always done in a unfavorable, "that's creepy" kind of manner. Big Gay Al? Mr Garrison? Stan's dog? But are they racists? No real evidence I've seen. They call the one black student "Token", which I suppose could be considered satiric, but they lack subltlety or style. True satarists don't have to scream, "look at me, I'm being Ironic!" yet Parker feels the need to every time he wants to make a point. Furthermore, they never really say anything with their episodes that are supposed to be social commentary, except for "anyone who believes in anything is a douchebag".

The show about gay marriage really showed how crazy the fundies are in trying to disprove gay marriage, and has a pro gay marriage theme. Their views on social issues are libertarian.

Most of the points made on the issues argue about how both sides go overboard on the issues. The messages preached in the show mostly compromise between the two extremes and gives a reasonably moderate opinion. I don't agree with everything they say, but they usually within reason on most issues.

You really can't compare Trey Parker and Matt Stone to Mark Twain, but I think they're show is best satire out now dealing with present issues.

Their political shows play out not like satire, but by the work of a D student trying to BS his way through a Social Sciences presentation.

You are changing your argument. You said anyone who thinks they are satirist needs to read real satirists. I gave you the list of satirists I have read and I think Trey and Parker are satirists.

Perhaps you miss their more subtle satire:
1. Their movie as a depiction of the reaction that their movie was going to get from the public.
2. The "we destroyed their country to save them from terrorists" was pretty damn good.
3. Their "hell, yeah" song was dead on is probably sung by conservatives to this day.

I think your first point gives them way too much credit.

Second, I personally have my doubts that "we destroyed the country to save it from terrorists" was satire, considering it was protrayed as a necessary means to an end. And the "hell, yeah" song is in fact sung by conservatives today, lol. But their treatment of Republicans as well meaning, well-intentioned people who just got overzealous, vs. their depiction of left wingers as people so vile and contemptable that they happily sell out America... I get the feeling (also from interviews with Parker and Stone) that this is not satire, but a refelction of how they really feel.

"But their treatment of Republicans as well meaning, well-intentioned people who just got overzealous, vs. their depiction of left wingers as people so vile and contemptable that they happily sell out America... I get the feeling (also from interviews with Parker and Stone) that this is not satire, but a refelction of how they really feel."

Most Republican voters aren't evil people and in my opinion are just ignorant about the issues. Some of the nicests people I know are huge Bush supporters, and unfortunately they just trully believe in the Right's propoganda.

Their main beef with liberals is that they can act elitists sometimes, and fail to see things from the point of view of the average American.

observe these "nice people" you know. Sure, you know them, they know you. Therefore, they are nice. But observe how they treat strangers, people they don't know, especially those who are serving them (cashiers, waiters, drivers, etc).

Maybe you're a lot more trusting or open to them than I am, and I give you credit.

But how on earth can you call bigots and warmongers (who won't even fight themselves) nice people?

The problem is with their beliefs, and not the individuals themselves. If you were born in a conservative community and only watched Fox News, your beliefs could be a little crazy too.

Of course there are lots of Republicans who purposely do bad for their own interest, but not the average American

if they believe they are doing good?

Their actions on the other hand aren't.

Some people are more inheritably prone to do bad things, and you might consider them evil, even though I really don't believe in good and evil.

I just think that motive is more important than actions when judging a character as good or bad.

nt

So is exterminating pussies and faggots...

I think this is the logic of their "hardcore-ness." It's just simple street gutter fascism. Nothing new at all. History's been there. And the only way to deal with vermin like that has also been shown. The gulag was a good place for fascists.

You are saying that Stone and Parker are vermin who should be incarcerated in a Soviet-style GULAG??? "Good place for fascists"? Rather ironic statement since the GULAG was a creation of a totalitarian state every bit as brutal as it's fascist counterparts. Or was the GULAG a progressive institution in your view?

... they are pretty damn funny.

"That's the most punk-rock thing you can do in L.A.: say 'George Bush is fucking awesome' instead of talking about how lame it is that he's fighting for oil," says Parker. "The only way to be more hardcore than everyone else is to tell the people who think they're the most hardcore that they're pussies, to go up to a tattooed, pierced vegan and say, 'Whatever, you tattooed faggot, you're a pierced faggot and whatever.' '' He looks very pleased with himself. "That's hardcore."

Trying to sound like Ann Coulter's retarded younger brothers isn't it, it isn't anywhere close, and anybody who thinks it is can kiss my pasty vegan ass, because they just don't fucking get it.

it ends up with nihilism and they're not nihilists, so they end up being dishonest and hypocritical. That's what that comment of theirs reveals.

On the other hand, the episode where Cartman dresses up as a robot to get the tape of him pretending to be Britney Spears from Butters is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

"Ann Coulter's retarded younger brothers"!!!!


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:toast:

Vegan :popcorn:? Have you ever put truffle oil on popcorn?

LeftyMom you crack me up. That is such an apt statement. Indeed. I've never "gotten" the show and I have a great sense of humor and I love satire. South Park always just seems like some 14 year old boy's poop fantasies.
Lee

Try to argue back to this kind of logic, and the joke's on you, much to the glee of Stone and Parker. "We went to a party in Malibu on the beach recently," says Stone, "and this woman came up to us, like, 'Oh, my son is at the University of Colorado, and I can't get him to go to class, because he snowboards all the time.' I'm immediately thinking, 'Fuck you and your kid,' because I couldn't afford to snowboard in college.

Amen. I'm from the Canadian pacific northwest and I worked at least 40 hours per week to see myself through university. Only rich assholes went snowboarding in Whistler. If that woman's stupid child spends his time snowboarding, I hope he flunks out and his mostly subsidized space (tution at public universities pays only a small part of operating expenses) opens up for someone more deserving.

They hit people who need to be hit, and that's just about everyone.

It's amusing to read threads like this one and another where Jay Leno hammered Edwards for owning a 28,000 sq foot home -- people think the humor of South Park, Leno, Colbert, etc is really funny until they end up on the wrong end of a joke.

For all his faults, GWH Bush had it right -- he never criticized Dana Carvey for his wicked impersonation, he embraced it. It's called having a sense of humor, thick skin, and a great perspective.

Yeah, shit your pants over Ann Coulter or, if you're so inclined, Ralph Nader or Al Franken.

But South Park is a cartoon.

"Yeah, so the bigger bear advocates being deceptive and stealing, and the little bear enables this behavior. The park ranger clearly represents ineffective law enforcement that encourages crime through ineptitude."

Science almighty.

and id they attack everyone else for thier views, then they should be treated the same when they treat us to their oh-so-enlightened opinions.
the faux subversion of not voting and not getting involved doesn't impress me

They won't talk about the war, even to voice an opinion on President Bush's new troop-deployment plan. "I wouldn't even begin to say I know enough to say if it's right or wrong, because whomever is telling you it's wrong is full of shit too," says Parker. Neither votes -- "like, ever," says Stone. Parker waves a hand in the air. "Each election is a choice with a douche or a turd, so who cares," he says. "If Gore had beaten Bush, things wouldn't be much different."

This is completely irresponsible crap. The problems our country face are due to people like this. If people did start to pay attention to what was being done in thier name, the f*ckers that are screwing up our country wouldn't be able to get away with what they do. If you think that elections are 2 choices between 2 people that are the same, start looking into what each one stands for. If neither one stands for what you want, then find someone who does, or RUN YOURSELF!

:applause:

Stone and Parker care about two things only: Their stock portfolios and their celebrity.

They certainly don't care enough to make informed satire, but instead rely on "lowest common denominator humor" - the refuge of the intellectually challenged. Snark is easy to do. Smart, informed satire is difficult. Involement is difficult and these guys are not interested in involvement.

cause it's so much easier to believe there's little or no difference.


Disgusting.

I'm not criticizing them for doing it, I just hate hearing it.

Because it was slapstick.

They didn't try to masquerade as social commentary.

But hey, chacun a son gout.

And I have to agree with you about South Park - guys who can't draw, and can't be responsible for anything.

with you on clowns. Generally I find them almost as annoying as mimes.

They had some funny shit. Way funnier than anything the SP guys have done.

Not comparable- if you look at it, the 3 Stooges always made fun of the upper-crust & the powerful.

which apparently go over most people's heads.

I'm going home.

mrmph flooo mmmls mrr flifffm

I am not fat!

I am just BIG BONED!

God, I hate you guys!

And as deep.

It might be a tie,because both are pretty funny.

support the show, do it on its merits, don't try to say 'hey, it's a cartoon, it doesn't matter.' words and messages matter, even if the come out of the mouths of infantile cartoon characters.

I don't find any word in and of itself offensive.I've seen lesbians use the word dyke,I've seen black people use the word nigger.The words themselves aren't the issue,it's how they're used.In the instances I mention neither word was used in any kind of hateful or derogatory way.So,is the word still offensive? Or does context matter?

I giggled at your subject line because it's so over the top there's no other reaction I can think of,much the same as South Park.I can't take them seriously anymore than I can take your example seriously,for the same reason.

Now,if I knew you were a racist,sexist scumbag,that would put your comments in an entirely different light.However,I see nothing to indicate that from you.Hence,I'm not offended by your use of the words because I understand the context you were using them in.

Watch the movie The Aristocats for a great example of offensive language used in the context of one joke.The things they say are horrible,but funny when taken in the context they're used. :shrug:

As for the merits of the show...it's a cartoon.You may not like me saying it,but it is.Anyone who expects deep social commentary from such a show is seriously in need of a vacation.Why it's good or bad is subjective depending on each of us.It's like arguing over why one person's music is better than another person's music.

What cracks me up about the show being discussed here on DU is the handful of people I've seen over the years that love the show if it harps on the Right,but the second the show targets THEIR sacred cow the creators are dickwad conservatives who hate the Left.I'm willing to bet that the Right wing viewers do just the same.

They stopped being funny years ago anyway, right about the time they turned into a bunch of self-absorbed nihilistic asswipes. Funny how they're always making fun of everybody else for doing the things that they themselves are most guilty of, but I've found that's very typical of people like that.

You can't win arguing about people like that, because if you're passionate about anything then you're "taking yourself way too seriously" and "full of shit" and the like. Screw 'em. Life is too short and precious to waste time on dickwads like that.

Fuck em both. They're a bunch of pussies. (irony intended)

these men are nihilists, there's nothing to be afraid of.

Trey Parker sounds like a dipshit with a 9-toed woman. :)

It's just a perspective one takes from many perspectives to choose from. And, it has it's points.

As you can see Trey and Matt demonstrate in their interview.

I like the show.

I can't stand people like you just described. Are you sure you aren't talking about sociopaths? Or, are you suggesting that the 'true' ones are sociapathic?

Then again, most humans have a big dose of that. The war in iraq is proof of that - as long as we have cable and sports, etc - we don't care what this country does to other countries.

I heard MOST people saying we should go kill Iraqis because of 911. I would say 'it's okay to kill their babies?' and most people I talked to said 'hell yeah'.

**

"Elections suck. Opinions suck. We're proud of our willful ignorance. Our ability to piss you off is proof of our superiority."

I like South Park, but these guys are just obnoxious assholes.

Hence, "being a self-centered ass and not getting involved in anything" basically sums up their worldview if that's the case. Greed is good, don't you know?!

Whatever else can be said about them, it seems pretty dickish to just go up to someone who isn't bothering you in the least and insulting them.

though even more so if the person didn't react in the way they were expecting (throwing a huge fit, I'm guessing).

..in one ear and I have no tattoos yet but I am a vegan. I would love them to approach me because notice...I never said I'm a pacifist. Yeah...let them approach me.
Lee

Rolling Stone hurts even more.

Corporate wannabees

For that, I detest them.

I really feel sorry for those two, their apparent complete lack of consciousness must make their lives a colorless, confusing nightmare.

South Park isn't even funny anymore. It use to be mildly humorous but now it just sucks!

about Family Guy?

that episode pissed me off, by the way. More hypocritical preaching from Trey Parker. Cartman lays into Family Guy, complaining that its "just interchangable jokes, that can be used in any setting".

Yeah, true, but that's what makes it funny. The randomness inserted into what would, in most sitcoms, just be empty space, wasted lines, or cheap laughs.

Moreover, where family guy may take nonspecific, random jokes and insert them anywhere, South Park stretches these two second, throwaway, interchangeable jokes and stretches them over 22 minutes.

it started with the simpsons switching writers and losing its edge around season 10
futurama was canned around that time and king of the hill kept repeating itself. south park got preachy and mean. family guy has its mments, but i think between it and american dad, mcfarlane's stretching his talent too thin lately.

fuck them, being against socialised medicine is a bit weird when they both admit that it's OK to pay taxes for roads and schools and stuff.

All their brains are in their backside, I'd never confuse being committed to a cause to being a pussy. It probably makes their poor little heads hurt if they start thinking for a change. They obviously don't get much practice.

Keep up the dick and fart jokes guys, it seems to pay the bills and doesn't tax your grey matter. From now on I'll view South Park as a bit of brainless fun.

A show which was originally done with felt cut outs and now done with CG animation depicting felt cutouts can only draw such a crowd. I can imagine they appeal to the people they think will enjoy it most, so they carry on the right-wing fanatical rhetoric.

I'd personally like to see if they're capable of making jokes which laugh at serious crimes, but then they'd probably have to justify a lot of what they do is wrong :shrug:

:eyes:

it's a tv show.

albeit STILL the funniest cartoon series on television.

It's a moronic TV show, that encourages people not to take anything seriously.

OK, you're on here, so obviously it hasn't affected you. But how many people has it affected? No, I'm not arguing for censorship here, but what I am asking for is that intelligent people ignore these two celebrity hounds.

They have constructed an empire of CG felt cutouts, poo jokes and moronic insults that would make Sam Kinnison blush.

i suppose 15 yr old boys need their tv shows just like everybody else, but the concept of pissing off/insulting anybody and everybody for no good reason and disrespecting anything labeled 'feminine' does not make good viewing for intelligent adults.

No wonder their show is such a hit.

to actually understand the message Southpark is trying to make.

Most of their shows take a liberal stance on the issues and makes conservatives look bad. When they attacks liberals, its often because they can act elitists and fail to see things from the average small town American.

It seems like a lot of people lack that empathy too. Instead of always being so defenseive about everything, try to understand the othersides point of view first. There are many good well intentioned Bush supporters out there who genuinly feel like they are doing the right thing, and feel that many democrats are elitists. This has always been a problem with democrats especially in the national elections. There is a reason why some strong Bush districts elect democratic reprentatives, and thats because those democrats can connect with the average American.

I don't always agree with Matt Stone and Trey Parker, but most of their beliefs are fairly reasonable and well intentioned.

And generally find it wanting.

Stone and Parker certainly don't have reasonable beliefs if you read through the rest of this thread. They want to have their cake and eat it without paying taxes to do so. Kind of that typical libertarian stuff.

They also lack the intellectual rigor needed to be real satirists. As I've stated before, CG animations masquerading as felt cutouts and poo jokes - real cutting edge stuff that.

i went to a school with a graduating clas of 100 in central w.va.
i'm not exactly a big city cultural snob.
i just think it's hypocritical for them to act so pompous and then attack anyone who gets involved with a cause. i mean what was the point of the al gore episode?

and yes, i know satire when i see it. that defense along with 'it's just a cartoon' is just a cop-out.
dr. strangelove is brilliant satire. as is chaplin's "the great dictator."
south park is just mallard fillmore with dick jokes.

Different strokes, as they say.

These two teens sound like they still have a lot of learning & growing up to do...

...But then again, I cant say I had my own cartoon-TV show when I was a teenager, so at least they have some business sense & know how to hold on to their audience.

The writing- and I have to add, the poor artwork, plus the ignorance as to how politics and the real world works-it does all seem to suggest that they are young teens...

Reading their quotes- it sounds like high-school or middle-school aged children talking about "punk", "hard-core" , "dicks" and all of that.

My mistake- even still, I imagine that they must still be in their very early 20's- they must have been teens when they started the show.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey_Parker

So even when Comedy Central picked up the show in 1997 or so, he was in his late 20s.

Oh well, I guess no one can ever accuse these boys of having wisdom beyond their years. Maybe acting like 9th graders is their secret to remaining youthful?... ;)

I grew out of turd jokes when I turned 8.
I just don't think they are that clever, insightful, witty, bitingly satirical, etc. Once again, I grew out of turd jokes when I was 8.
Lee

Sure, no one is safe from their twisted humor, but my god is some of it funny.

...expressed in as immature and rude a manner as permissible on cable.

And they are right: this is a sexist culture, therefore assholes respect dicks (aggressive masculine stereotype) and not pussies (passive, whiny feminine stereotype). As Ann Coulter illustrates, a woman can gain the respect of assholes by being an aggressive, rude c**t. Likewise, Tony Blair gets no respect because he's a douche.

I'm not sure what proportion of the population are rude, uneducated assholes who resent rich people and have absorbed the prevailing prejudices of our dumbass culture, but it's a lot. A party that seeks power, or whoever wants to institute social change needs to reach them in a way they can understand and respect.

And just because they are liberal, doesn't mean that they are smart. Granted, Parker and Stone don't just go after the stupid ones, they had an episode about George Clooney who is not stupid by any stretch of the imagination.

They're libertarians which means that I'll be inclined to agree with them on certain issues, but not on others.

and equate them with self-important elitists like streisand

meanwhile, dennis miller and glenn beck get a pass

Barbara Streisand and Tim Robbins don't belong in the same category.

i.e. often authoritatively stating their views on topics they are not really experts on (except they are cowardly enough to do it through their cartoon mouthpieces).
Especially of late they have become more opinionated and more political.

from the absolutely hysterical and quite progressive theatrical release SOUTH PARK--BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT:
"Horrific, deplorable violence is OK, as long as people don't say any naughty words! That's what this war is all about!"
This thread shows me why my friends are punk rock fans, not politicos, and I'm over 50. NO ONE considers Cartman a role model, and that's the difference between him and Ann Coulter (oh, and that he's NOT REAL)...