South Park

[Rynnec]

To be generous to Trey and Matt, they did eventually learn more transgendered people and portrayed them in a more graceful way in Fractured But Whole.

I'm not sure I can forgive that episode entirely, but it was 2005, and they've clearly evolved on the subject since then. For the most part, I think the show is really only likely to influence someone negatively if they're the kind of person who believes Cartman is a role model. It's not the creators' fault that (apparently) lots of people can't understand basic satire.

That's a problem a lot of people are having with satire these days. People would rather have characters and plots like that not exist at all rather than admitting that they're just too plain stupid and the blame lies completely with them.

[Dr. Insomniac]

I notice that AV Club, a site that has downhill in quality so much over the past two years, loved this week's South Park episode over the last one. And while I agree on the surface, it's telling they enjoy the episode with the simple "Marijuana and vape culture looks kinda stupid, doesn't it?" message over the one that says "Yeah, some people are offensive and shouldn't be brought back in the modern day, but getting mad at a character who hasn't been culturally relevant in almost two decades is a total farce".

[LumRanmaYasha]

Funny how an episode that makes fun of an easy, apolitical and non-threatening target is the show's "funniest episode in years" and the first episode to be given a "A" rating on A.V. Club since season 16. 

[Nel_Annette]

AV Club died for me when they switched over to that awful new commenting system. Couldn't get on to post anymore, as did a good 70% of the people I used to talk to there.

[Daxdiv]

Took a while, but South Park is banned in China thanks to last week's episode where they were very critical of the Chinese government. Not surprising considering we're talking about a country that has banned Winnie the Pooh & Peppa Pig for being icons of rebellion.

[Dr. Insomniac]

I didn't even know they still aired it until last week. I once searched for Chinese dubs/subs of the show a couple years ago, and they were only up to season 7.

[Daxdiv]

I honestly thought that SP wouldn't even fly in China before this incident. IIRC, they did stereotype the Chinese like they normally do with everyone/thing else, so I'm still surprised in a way that this was the straw that broke the camels back. I know badmouthing the government is an instaban in China, but I thought that they stopped airing after a few other episodes of doing unflattering stereotype.

[Dr. Insomniac]

The last episode I remember they did about China was the one about Cartman holding a PF Chang's hostage because he got scared of the China Olympics, but that episode wasn't taking the piss out of China, but out of Cartman for being a paranoid racist. And that episode about China buying the rights to Star Wars, but I didn't even remember that one until I looked up the wiki.

Of course, then there's the City Wok guy, but I don't think they cared. I watched an episode with some Chinese people, and they all assumed he was actually Vietnamese.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

This kind of made me want another musical episode: https://youtu.be/379oevm2fho

Also, is it just me or has Randy Marsh basically become the focal character of the series at this point?

[Dr. Insomniac]

Hasn't he been the focal character for a while now? But yeah, he's been getting more focus than ever lately. I've actually seen a "no Randy cut" of the Pandemic Special circulating online.

[Daxdiv]

That moment you realize that the Pandemic Special was just that, a special episode made that wasn't even the Season 24 premiere & we don't have a date for S24 yet.

As for the Randy note, he did dominate most of the season last year, to the point I was glad that they had 3 episodes that focused on someone else.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Yeah, I don't understand why Trey fell so in love with the Tegridy Farms joke. It was funny for a handful of episodes, but it didn't need to be the new status quo. At this stage, the whole thing makes Sharon and her kids look like idiots for not leaving him already.

[Daikun]

The new Vaccination Special recently aired, and the four main characters have ended their friendship.
So, what now?

[Peanutbutter]

No way they won't continue their version of the "Q" thing into next season.

[Daikun]

South Park has reached a deal to reach 30 seasons.
They will also be producing 14 original movies for Paramount+, the first of which will be releasing by the end of this year.