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[hollomat]

Seasons 10 and 11 were very topical as well so not sure what you're getting at. They might not seem as topical now since we are 10 years removed, but they were at the time (guitar hero, Hilary Clinton campaigning).

The seasons that weren't topical were the very beginning before they moved to the one week timeframe for new episodes (season 1,2, etc). These were actually my favorites because they were much more focused on making funny episodes. Now and even during season 10 it seems like they'd decide on one thing they thought was funny, base an episode around it, and run the joke into the ground until it stops being funny.

 

[Abilidebob]

Wait, people don't like the early seasons? They are great.

 

[Dishwalla]

Haven't really cared for the direction that South Park has been going for like a decade. Not really a fan of the week to produce an episode formula they do, I respect the work they put into it but I think it makes the stories worse. Like this premier, they just took a bunch of stuff from the news recently and proceeded to make fun of it for 22 minutes. For the most part I just don't think it's funny anymore.

Plus I've never been a fan of the over reliance on Randy and Butters. They are both fine in small doses, and some episodes that feature them heavily are classics(like The Losing Edge), but they could be given a rest once in a while.

 

[-sdp]

It's not that it's a bad show but it's a different show. Shows shouldn't last these long, they're a product of their time. South Park became more and more political commentary over the years, I mean sure it was always there but because they were able to make episodes so quickly that they would go for the next trend and the next. And just like watching The Daily Show it isn't as fun to re-watch older shows since they become obsolete in a sense. I was sad when The Colbert Report finished and it was usually great but it had had its best years. A lot of South Park episodes just aren't funny or don't make sense without the context of the time while the first few seasons can be more timeless. We need a new South Park for new generations not the Xth season of a show that has diverged of what made the original popular in the first place.

Nah, season 19 was the best thing on TV last season and the opener of this season was pretty strong too. People's problem is that GAF is a very left-leaning board. The left isn't used to being made fun of and predictably labels everything that includes them in their satire as lazy/nihilistic/racist/alt-right, etc. Last season pulled off a fantastic philosophical dissection of PC culture as analogous to advertising/gentrification, and this season's 'Memberberries hint at doing the same for nostalgia. But of course, in their mockery of Trumpism they also pointed out that a lot of people dislike Hillary Clinton, whom most people here are desperately trying to convince themselves is a great and wonderous candidate and everyone who won't vote for her is racist/alt-right/[insert buzzword here], so you get the usual regurgitations of 'they say every side is equally bad, how lazy' when recent SP has, in fact, been better than anyone at satirising issues in their full complexity and expressing very clear intellectual points of view, albeit supporting neither the left or right and thus pissing off both (but especially the thin-skinned left on boards like this), who see anything not offering them complete validation and support as being inherently stupid or evil.

This post is definitely true though.

 

[deadscreensky]

What?!?! This is a completely absurd opinion!!! What about Awesome-O? Casa Bonita? Lil' Crime Stoppers? Quest For Ratings? Good Times With Weapons? Cartman's Incredible Gift? I could go on and on and list dozens and dozens of episodes between seasons 5-11 or so that deal exclusively with original plotlines involving the kids and characters and the town without being at all related to current events or news stories. You must have actually stopped watching at season 4 to hold this opinion.

Good Times with Weapons is a fantastic episode, one of my favorites, but it was absolutely topical. The whole climax revolved around a wardrobe malfunction, complete with pointed commentary on the subject. They really snuck it up on the viewer, which is partially why it's so funny. You're not watching it thinking "Oh, this is an episode about the Superbowl nonsense last month", but that's actually blatantly what it's about.

Not trying to single you out, but I've seen other posts suggest the same thing about that episode.

 

[Rentahamster]

South Park is fine. Making fun of everyone is going to mean that there's always a small portion of people who don't like it when their side gets parodied.

 

[ElRenoRaven]

While I really miss the early years I still love the show. I would like to see some of the other characters come back. I miss Ned & Jimbo for example. They had so many good characters and now it's always the kids, parents, and school folks.

 

[Chuck Norris]

Every season of South Park is full of hits and misses. Last season was full of great episodes and some pretty average ones. But even going back to season 10 - 12 we had crap like the Return of Chef, Stanley's Cup, the Snuke, Elementary School Musical etc

 

[Arby 'n' the Chief]

Every season of South Park is full of hits and misses. Last season was full of great episodes and some pretty average ones. But even going back to season 10 - 12 we had crap like the Return of Chef, Stanley's Cup, the Snuke, Elementary School Musical etc

WTF these are great episodes!

I know different tastes and all but to call them crap, come on

 

[Chuck Norris]

WTF these are great episodes!

I know different tastes and all but to call them crap, come on

Crap is probably too far, but forgettable? Sure

Personally I think all episodes of South Park are generally good. But there are a few every season that are just a leap above the rest

 

[A-V-B]

Crap is probably too far, but forgettable? Sure

You're joking about Stanley's Cup, right? That episode is quite memorable.

 

[Staccat0]

No they haven't. You only think that because you didn't understand that they were attacking extremists in the first place.

The finale of last season is literally the end of a PC Principal redemtion arc. It's them saying "Yeah, PC Principal might be overly aggressive and unreasonable at times, but ultimately his heart is in the right place and what what he's striving for is reasonable and good, even if he doesn't go about it in the most reasonable way."

This is true. The show also made a point to acknowledge (with a wink of course) that they have been on the wrong side of things regarding PC politics. It did acknowledge the need to grow and change, it just casts a cynical eye at many of the methods other people do it.

I don't really think they stuck the landing though. It was clumsy. If anything, probably because they didn't spend enough time mapping and plotting it. Shit gets muddled in parts of that season that feel like missteps.

 

[inner-G]

Yea. I like the first seasons the best.

 

[Arby 'n' the Chief]

You're joking about Stanley's Cup, right? That episode is quite memorable.

Randy's nightmare about stan losing had me dying lol

 

[Darth Ghandi]

Having watched SP since the start I must say that I love it being topical.
That said they DO take the middle road schtick a lot. Sure the last season the did some critique of PC culture but talked about many other issues too.
But the whole "both sides" IS getting old. Wouldn't mind them sticking out their necks a bit more.

 

[Riposte]

If South Park had stayed the way it was, we'd be having a thread on "Does anyone feel like South Park has lost its creative spark?" right about now.

I know that, because it had lost its creative spark. The few seasons before 18 were okay, but definitely not top tier stuff. Season 18 started a resurgence, then season 19 went full steam ahead on the structure they had started playing around with in 18.

And thats ok. South Park remains a lot of fun, and really funny. The focus has shifted, but they did that to keep the show fresh.

Also I do agree that since GAF is super left leaning, some people take it a bit personally that South Park isn't 100% in line with their views. But if you're ok when South Park makes fun of conservatives, you should be ok when they make fun of liberals too. is okay to laugh, even if you disagree with what they're saying.

I have a hard time seeing the "both sides" complaints as not really saying "they are not choosing the correct side" (or it's not a convincing enough victory when they do). It's transparent when it gets paired with being dismayed with the duo's apparent libertarian bias, which I would think is choosing a side. Riffling on everything means more jokes or at least a wider range of potential jokes. A real "both sides" complaint is if they were less scathing, mocking, or outrageous on their targets, but that's not really the case (and it clearly does get under people's skin, even if they bother to preface their comments to say otherwise). Is anyone going to say they were kind to Trump last season? No, but they may be frustrated at their point of view not getting the respect or signal boost or w/e it deserves.

 

[tr00per]

Didn't like the whole PC/ads/gentrification thing and didnt like that each episode fed off the last so directly

Really? I thought the narrative was one of the best aspects of last season. They've never had real continuity outside of 2 or 3 part episodes (and they've even poked fun at that!)

1) And I think it comes down to that some people cannot take a joke that laughs at their expense, but hypocritically can laugh at the expense of others as long as it has fuck all to do with their causes.

Preach. Not to be OT but people had the same problem with family guy.


For what it's worth, in my opinion, the show became very hit-and-miss starting at season 11, with 13 and 14 being the weakest, but since then they've been on fire.

 

[outunderthestars]

The show definitely seems like it has gone way downhill in the last few seasons.

 

[Rentahamster]

You're joking about Stanley's Cup, right? That episode is quite memorable.

Hell yeahs. I can remember the ending right now, and it still makes me giggle and feel bad for doing it.

 

[March of the Crabs]

To me, South Park is funnier than ever (although seasons 16 and 17 were pretty bad).

 

[Demon Lizardman]

I think my biggest problem is that they are trying to cram everything in one episode and it just feels bloated. There isn't enough time for the jokes to soak in because of it.

There could've been an episode focused strictly on the female ghost busters and cartman trying to side with it because of the fear of war between males and females. But now it's a whole plot for the entire season and I fear it will grow stale near the end.