South Park to Viewers: Go Bush

Well, not exactly. But many blogs this week are discussing whether or not the show "South Park" offers up a conservative agenda.

I have been thinking about this a lot myself recently. I thought Team America: World Police, the puppet movie from the creators of "South Park," Trey Parker and Matt Stone, was funny enough, but it did kind of rub me the wrong way at times. By focusing all their scorn and ridicule on entertainers protesting the war, and not including goofy puppets of any notable conservatives (Ann Coulter? Rush Limbaugh? Where were they?), they sort of let the audience know what side they stood on. I don't think the movie was neccessarily right-wing propaganda, as some reviewers suggested, but it did seem to reflect a generally approving viewpoint towards the War on Terror as a concept. And the whole dick-pussy-asshole thing basically makes the case that America has a right to fight wars with whomever it pleases to "keep the world safe," which certainly sounds like a Bushian take on diplomacy to me.

But I digress. This week, bloggers are arguing where "South Park" stands in response to an idiotic article by idiot Brent Bozell. Bozell is a right-wing hysteric who wrote a column about "Winners and Losers 2004." Don't bother clicking that link, because it's stupid, but here's what he wrote about one of 2004's "big losers," "South Park."

Loser: "South Park." The producers of this curdled, malodorous black hole of Comedy Central vomit want to elicit only one sentence from viewers: "Did I just see that on television?" For anyone who thinks television today is not as offensive -- and downright stupid as those "prudes" say it is, we suggest a look at the Dec. 1 episode. At the South Park "Whore-Off" competition, Paris Hilton inserts an entire pineapple into her vagina. A gay man in a biker vest then takes off his pants and puts the entire body of Paris Hilton up his rectum. Remember this episode the next time some TV critic raves about the "talent" behind "South Park."

Ha ha! That was great. What a fantastic show!

Anyway, I'm going to give Bozell the benefit of the doubt on this one, and assume that he didn't watch the show, and someone merely described it to him. Because anyone who saw that episode would know that the point had nothing to do with inserting things in your butt. The concept behind the episode was simple: Parker and Stone argue that we as a society attempt to limit depraved sexuality behind closed doors, where it belongs, while extolling the virtues of whores and gold-digging openly in public, where children are exposed to it. You see? Paris Hilton is looked down upon, because she's a whore on television that girls want to emulate, but Mr. Slave is a good whore, because he acts on his sick, depraved fantasies with other like-minded individuals as part of a subculture. Like I said, simple.

Anyway, Bozell published that bit of silliness (another big loser of 2004? Janet Jackson! You heard it here first, folks!). And then righty blogger Tom Monster wrote this excellent take-down, making the case for "South Park." It's pretty similar to the case I make above, but better written and more thorough.

What made me take notice of Tom Monster's argument was both its airtight reasoning and logic, and its final sentence:

Of all popular entertainment aimed at young people in America today, South Park is one of--if not the--most likely to persuade them of the value of conservative principles. And fart jokes.

So, as far as he's concerned, there's no argument: "South Park" extolls conservative principles.

In a lot of ways, his case can be made. Obviously, there's constant jabs on "South Park" at well-meaning liberals who go to far in their attempts to "protect" one another through law or civic service. Remember "Conjoined Twin Fetus Week"? Or the recent attempts to ban WalMart from South Park? Or when all the women in town started buying Cherokee hair tampons to get in touch with the environment? Plus, Cartman constantly harps on "hippies," while there aren't any characters on hand reserving that level of hatred for anyone on the right.

Additionally, despite making a heavily satirical, political television show between the years of 2000-2004, "South Park" has not once made any sort of direct criticism of our president. There have been episodes mocking certain results of his policies (such as when the kids travel to Afghanistan and see the destruction, or the Black Hawk Down parody starring Santa Claus), but the only time Bush has even been featured on the show was in a reference to the duo's short-lived live-action sitcom "That's My Bush." Even that show, which featured the President as a main character, didn't really address any criticisms of his policies (it appeared before 9/11), preferring to make him a typical sitcom dad.

But, all in all, I don't think "South Park" actually encourages conservative or liberal values. I think there's too much cynicism on the show for any one ideology to hold sway. Most of the time, Parker and Stone argue against taking any partisan side too fervently. They're centrists at heart, always hoping for cooler heads to prevail and opposing mob rule.

So, having said that I don't think the show contains a specific ideology aside from rationality, I do feel that, in these political times, centrism is a silly philosophy. Parker and Stone like to think that they can balance in the middle of the spectrum, mocking everyone on the extremes and waiting for the hysteria to blow over. But with Generallisimo Bush in charge, is this responsible? Despite their willingness to push the envelope in terms of content (like, yes, having a grown man insert a woman into his anus), Parker and Stone almost staunchly refuse to allow "South Park" to take a stand.

On the Iraq War, for example, the show's message seemed to be that both anti-war and pro-war activists were neccessary. That America needed tough hawks to fight its wars and peaceful doves to try and solve conflicts diplomatically, and to show the world that Americans care about them. But this is total bullshit. The best satirical show on television should have been taking the President to task on this war, or at least looking at it through its usual mixture of scorn and curiosity. Instead, Parker and Stone played it safe, going their usual route and insisting that not believing in either side is the best policy.

I still think "South Park" is the most consistantly funny show on television. It's been a favorite of mine for nearly a decade now, and I think the most recent season has been among the best. That's why I'm occasionally frustrated by its relentless fence-sitting. On the other hand, that's why it's embraced by intelligent people on both sides of the political spectrum.