No comedy is as unusual as South Park, the series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Much less could they remain on television for 25 years with the politically incorrect as their flag and go unpunished. The sirens can have little effect in the face of laughter and the forces of order against the thousands of followers. Although censorship is going strong, those responsible do not take it as discouragement but as fuel and reaffirmation that they are on the right path for the condolences of their victims.
Characterized by its black humor and criticism of American culture, the series tells us about the adventures of four children from the town of South Park (Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Cartman) and they warn us: “This program is unreal and rude. Famous voices are poor imitations and due to their content no one should see them”. 10 years later, Time magazine included it among The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, naming it the best satire of the 2000s.
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Despite the current recognition of South Park, its content was heavily criticized during its early years. The line that differentiated the detractors from the offended was clearer and reasons were not lacking. The gimmicky method with which he sought a reaction from the viewer used shock humor, coarse language and violent images. Just with the titling of the first episode of him, Cartman gets an anal probe. It was to be expected that he was designed to shake the most conservative and mock the liberals.
Nobody was safe. Ed Sheeran confessed that his life was ruined by the Ginger kids chapter, where redheads were mocked. Kanye West was teased in Fish Fingers as well as his wife in The Hobbit. Paris Hilton had a harsh portrait as a terrible example for young women.
Like these cases, thousands more continued to add to the infamous list that was not only focused on personalities, but also on social, sexual, religious, political and moral situations.
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Despite the shocking way the series dealt with these controversial topics, nothing was free. At the end of the day, critical thinking and reflection were induced in the audience, since everything happened through the eyes of children trying to learn life lessons.
With greater or lesser success, the intentions of the program found better bellows with the passing of the seasons. As expected, South Park evolved alongside its creators. This is how they sharpened their sharp critical eye, but without neglecting the aggressiveness with which they stabbed at the heart of American idiocracy.
Thanks to this renewal, the show has remained relevant in pop culture for so many years and shows no signs of stopping. Trey Parker and Matt Stone have their particular way of seeing the world. They shrewdly mock society and make fierce denunciations of contemporary folly, while feeding off ridiculous reality that even attempts to surpass fiction.
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Certainly, the art of offending requires artistic skill and satire as a means uses subtlety. Otherwise, those referred to take refuge in the famous culture of cancellation against which South Park seems to have developed a certain degree of immunity. From its inception, the series was a pioneer in disrupting television censorship and exemplifying what happens when political incorrectness knows no bounds.