The issue with South Park is that it targets a narrow audience and I am not part of it. The best episodes are going to be studied as master pieces of political humor, but when I try to watch it in season order, those episodes are sandwiched between episodes that are offensive and obscene just for shock value. I am not opposed to those episodes existing but watching them feels like a waste of time.

[–] MyBrainHurts@piefed.ca 1 points 19 hours ago

I totally get being too offended to enjoy it but I don't think it's particularly accurate to claim it only has a narrow audience, it is literally one of the most valuable franchises on television in part because it targets a large swathe in the middle. (Despite what the internet would have us believe, I think there is a large group of folks in the middle who can laugh at the craziness on both the Left and Right.)

I'm reminded of my mom's stance on rap and hip hop, which is essentially, it might be really good and a valid form of art but there's just too much vulgarity and misogyny for her to ever enjoy it, which is fair.

But, comedy is subjective. When I look back at the last few years, the specials over the last half decade, I come to quite the opposite conclusion, there are great episodes with an occasional dud but a hit ratio higher than most shows currently on air and a "oooh, that's an interesting take" miles beyond anything else.

[–] P00ptart@lemmy.world 1 points 21 hours ago

This year has been very good because there's just so much material to work with. But for years and years they've only had 1-2 good episodes per season. They're not particularly good writers because unless society gives them something easy to mock, they struggle hard. They're basically bullies that if you don't give them easy material to work with, they've got nothing.

[–] MotoAsh@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

Those low quality episodes are worse than a waste of time. They directly detract from the satire that South Park otherwise survives on.

"Satire requires a clarity of purpose and target lest it be mistaken for and contribute to that which it intends to criticize."

Their insistence on making fun of everything makes them no more politically significant than all of the punk bands of the 80's and 90's... A footnote in history that otherwise did nothing but make the uninformed fools clutch their pearls and a bunch of teens cheer for that which they could never understand.