Is South Park Mean-Spirited? - The South Park Stigma

[@LSMark]

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[@LazyCCP]

F

[@justgarfield9721]

p

[@jonska5812]

Ok

[@madgun5098]

Ratio

[@RyanSoltani]

@@LazyCCP f

[@Cartoonizando]

South Park made me realize as kid that you don't have to have a side, or see everything as an black and white issue. Sometimes you can just... laugh.

[@newsupermariobrosely7940]

@don't be surprised Shut

[@tre-engines]

I feel like other shows explain it better though

[@MintyCoffee]

That’s not a good thing. There are a lot of issues where not taking a side actively helps the wrong side.

[@nonamesorry7135]

everything has it's limits, if your joke can't make it at least somewhat clear it's a joke then it becomes concerning. I don't usually have an issue with south park but there are moments where it crosses that line.

[@BendonPC]

@@MintyCoffee That’s why he said “sometimes”

[@dumbsville]

I wasn’t allowed to watch South Park growing up. After rebelling and looking at the show on my own merits, I can officially say that it is one of the most clever, genius, and hilarious shows in my opinion. It’s one of my favorite animated shows. It’s also extremely nuanced. There’s a lot of “mean-spirited stuff” in it, but that’s intentional. The show never uses “mean-spirited shenanigans” or random edgy humor just to shock you, but rather to satire culture at its respective times while also fitting it into its own universe. I love how the show has plenty of social commentary yet is so simple and “stupid” that it ends up not being pretentious. I will always love South Park because in spite of its edginess, or even because of it, it’s one of the very few examples of a punk-like counter culture. If South Park were any less edgy, it’d end up at a risk of being another generic comedy show. Great video, Mark. Unsubscribed.

[@some_guy117]

Where did you come from *Dumbsville*

[@madgun5098]

nice pfp

[@milktea6676]

Your still alive!?!

[@saucymongoose7246]

Hey it's Lego Jesus

[@andykishore]

Same.

[@chickenlicker6207]

I think trey did despicable me so his daughter could see his work appropriate for her age. Bill Burr was talking about that on one of his podcasts. His daughter is really young and was saying she wanted to see the shows her dad was always away doing. So that made him realize why so many great actors/comedians go off and do kiddy shit when they get older, they want to make something for their kids.

[@theonlybilge]

Billy red hair red face red ass red balls Burr

[@A_Random_IRS_B0T_]

I see

[@lunar-studios]

Brad pitt only did megamind for his kids

[@mr_selfdestruct]

Reminds me of Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails (with lyrics such as "I wanna fuck you like an animal" and "fist fuck") ending up doing the soundtrack to Soul, one of Disney's most gorgeously animated and storytelling movies in recent years.

[@pixxieniicky]

we also now have an absolute banger out of this 😎

[@bicboyjoy]

I think it's kinda funny that the Twitter account making this claim was a Brian griffin account, as if family guy isn't the most mean spirited show to ever exist. Every single character is so cruel to each other, it's really hard to watch

[@stanmckinley764]

IKR I was waiting for someone to point this out

[@fduranthesee]

I'd say Familyguys' potty/crude/toilette-humor makes it hard-to-watch but I still agree

[@Jamangel]

It's not that hard to watch😭

[@jashinftw]

I think Mark just changed their pfp and username to protect the Twitter user for ppl to go after them.

[@DrRyan82994]

yeah but that guy would probably sit there and tell you about how brian is the true voice of seth mcfarlen and he would never be mean spirited towards marginalized people and that’s what really matters. i don’t really know if that’s even true but whatever actually with a bit of research, yeah generally brian is supposed to be an ally. seth macfarlane sees himself as an ally, but there have been instances of brian being transphobic for example

[@ChrisSuperDude]

Fun fact: There are actually 2 examples of the show being 'mean spirited' that the groups they were being 'mean spirited' towards actually praised them for it. After Le Petite Tourette aired, the National Tourettes Association actually gave glowing praise for the episode for actually clearing up a lot of misconceptions regarding tourettes syndrome and not beating around the bush with it. And also several Jewish groups have come forward and actually praised how Cartman treats Kyle because they see it as actually raising awareness and putting eyes on Anti-Semitism that often gets overlooked.

[@ddjsoyenby]

yeah cartman is the butt of the joke.

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

@@ddjsoyenby Yeah, if he was just racist or antisemetic it would be kinda off, but since he is also soooo stupid most of the time, it makes it so entertaining. "there are more minorities than white people at this waterpark" will always kill me :D

[@PercydeRoloFangirl]

Yeah Cartman is treated as a bitch not a good person.

[@GigaDonk99]

I grew up loving South Park, but at the same time I kinda hate it for their disgustingly bad takes on trans people. They don’t help to educate anyone, just reinforce negative stereotypes

[@powerist209]

@@GigaDonk99 At the same time, videogames seems to portray transphobia as bad thing and entire game explored systematic discrimination (starting money and micro-aggression). Either that or it is like "wolf among us" (a Libertarian fantasy comic that mocked big government while the videogame dissects the effects from underfunded small government), like Obsidian staff being more socially aware.

[@pennycat6317]

one of my most hated details is you can tell which characters in the new seasons are new models due to the more detail put in them, like it's creepy seeing detailed characters next to the more simplistic ones

[@YujiUedaFan]

Actually, Simpsons has that WAY worse.

[@reddeadspartan]

Same happened with Spongebob too

[@ivebenhere1843]

I don't hate really hate that (I think it can add to the humor in some ways) but I do miss the charm the older background characters had. Maybe if they had an even amount of detailed and simple background characters it would be less noticeable; but I personally don't mind it that much.

[@Alex-ft8bs]

Spongebob does that too.

[@Pitrek1113]

It reminds me how in newer episodes older character was standing next to new one barefoot and the older one had an one big oval where the new design had very detailed feet with toes.

[@blake2521]

I do wish Matt and trey did more shorts like they did for the first few seasons. It really added to the heart in my opinion. Nowadays you don’t really get any of those let alone interviews

[@gelomelo44]

@don't be surprised FUCKKKKK SMOOTHIE ROLLED AGAIN

[@smarkmalark]

Those little shorts were never aired on TV. They were made as transitions between each episode on the VHS releases

[@sleepyproduction7166]

I loved those. The bacon food they’d make, the camera man doing MTV style camera work and them telling him to stop. It was all great.

[@itsblitz4437]

Yeah Trey and Matt have been a bit more recluse. Which is not hard to imagine why.

[@rmn070]

No more commentaries either

[@arrietty6076]

A lot of the hate that South Park gets is from people taking the way they’re telling the story instead of the message underneath. I feel as if with a show like this, people will view it the way they subconsciously want to and take what the show presents that way, whether it be good or bad. It’s a really unique thing because people can have such strong opinions on how the show presents itself or what it is, at its core, but there’s no… right answer, really. There’s so much this show has going on that you can’t really say, “this is what South Park is, 100%”. There’s good, bad, and the inbetween, but never just one.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

@leafyv2 Yeah. That's why the serialization nearly killed South Park at that time before it went good again.

[@Phoenixifyable]

But the messages ARE the problem. Nobody cares about the plot of fucking South Park. How tone deaf are you guys?

[@NeroLeMorte]

Good take my man

[@pokemonmanic3595]

The heart of South Park has always been watching people become literal monsters when fighting over an issue while the kids stand adjacent to it watching in confusion and wondering what the hell the big deal is all about.

[@pkmarie04]

It’s unfair for South Park to be reduced to “grrrrr bad right wing/left wing take” or “grrrr coward centrist propaganda they don’t care about things” but instead a satirical conversation piece meant to make people actually think about topics that are being discussed. At its core I believe it shows how no matter your opinion, it’s how you carry yourself and your views that really matter bc not everything is black and white. Then again, Matt and Trey would probably think I’m fucking ridiculous for looking too much into a show about 4 foul mouthed 4th graders getting up to chaotic shit for shock value, but hey it is what it is

[@yeetthefeet2504]

Ehhhh, no, I think you can make a pretty convincing argument for South Park's centrism shit. Coming from someone who's actually a fan of the show, sometimes they absolutely try to play both sides of the fence, in ways that don't really jive with me. It's a good criticism that can be made.

[@harleymitchelly5542]

@@yeetthefeet2504 To which they will instantly respond with either telling you that this fence is the wrought iron one with spears you see at cemeteries, you go sit on that and tell us it's easy, laugh in your face for attempting to peg it as anything when clear counterarguments do exist, or just be frank and tell you that at a certain level, when you have absolutely nothing off the table for mockery and there can exist no golden calves, you will make fun of EVERYTHING at least once and pegging them as anything when their own standards say they have to play the field is unfair to them. You absolutely can make a convincing argument for South Park being centrists. You can also make the argument that they're left wing and right wing too. With that in play, all one can really say for certain is that that arena is a complete and total 15 car pileup, and we're all pretty sure we can hear 4 little boys laughing at the people in that pileup.

[@eridanampora3024]

based

[@pkmarie04]

@@eridanampora3024 thank you eridan homestuck

[@bobettethedestroyerthebuil1034]

@@harleymitchelly5542 There’s nothing “leftwing” about them though. Most you could call them is democrat stuff, and democrat isn’t even close to leftwing.

[@rageinternet9391]

Honestly South Park manages to balance mean spirited nature with some meaningful wholesome moments which modern family guy could not do while making it convincing. Especially since the characters always just push their reset button in the next episode and no true character development is kept.

[@jacksterattacks8326]

I wouldn't say that, each of the characters with maybe the exception of Kenny made changes over the show, For example Stan's saga with the depression episodes and the farm episodes grows shows that his personality changes, or with Wendy and their breakup making him act differently Kyle during the Jersey episodes made him definitely more tough in following episodes Cartman usually just never learns but we can see how with him losing his house makes him a bit more humbled These are just small things though

[@YujiUedaFan]

@@jacksterattacks8326 I'd say that Kenny has changed a lot. He started off as the kid who died a lot, then eventually became a hero and his sister's guardian angel.

[@jacksterattacks8326]

@@YujiUedaFan that's what I was going to mention but i forgot 😅 thanks

[@chickenlicker6207]

I definitely agree. It can be cynical and satirical without having nothing but irredeemable assholes for characters that never see consequences for their actions. I’ve heard some describe South Park as “preachy” but I think that’s just everybody being so used to farts and slapstick nothingness from Seth MacFarlane shows that they’re not used to having an actual message in an episode.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@YujiUedaFan I do like how he went from dying and somehow coming back to them literally explaining how he's essentially resurrected every single time. Pretty badass to be honest.

[@ComicalRealm]

South park is actually genius, able to maintain extremely entertaining and funny storylines with hidden meaning and statements behind all the jokes and profanity, this show needs more credit

[@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375]

But it’s also not for everyone and Dark humor is like food not everyone gets it

[@iwannahavearockstar2994]

South park comedy - double entendres, clever puns , hidden statements and life lessons hidden in humor . Family guy - we loudly say things you should never say in public! ( plz laugh )

[@unknownwill4th549]

@@iwannahavearockstar2994 Peter:This reminds me of the time i was put in fortnite!

[@alejandro9829]

@@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375 and people should be able to enjoy dark humor without being judged

[@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375]

@@alejandro9829 Yeah I agree Dark Humor should be Ok as long as it doesn’t go to far and goes to insulting territories in my opinion

[@kingcyclops4079]

The greatest lesson SouthPark has ever taught is self awareness. Being able to take a step back, view different perspectives and not to take yourself too seriously is an important and relevant lesson a lot of people need to learn. Understanding that just be a you strongly believe something doesn’t justify your actions.

[@shaneseem-sin3856]

I've got the same idea

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

People really have a problem with joking about themself and their ideologies. Everyone is so serious like someone is holding a gun to their head.

[@katlyndobransky2419]

South Park, ironically has always had the most heart out of any adult show. They started the Free Britney movement before it was even a thing. I miss when the nurse with a fetus on the side of her head was still around because I loved her message. Those that are different shouldn’t have special attention. Notice how those with disabilities are treated normally in the show. It’s a funny relatable show that has a great message every once in a while

[@admiralmage1544]

Tbh I’m not really a fan of when South Park tackles larger, broader Societal issues, especially recently. I’m more of a fan of when they go smaller in scale, satirizing parts of being a kid and such. My favorite episode has to be the baseball episode, where the kids hate it so much they keep trying to lose so they don’t have to play anymore, it’s really relatable to when you sign up for sports as a kid and realize “oh god this sucks,” and the subplot with Randy getting drunk and fighting people is hilarious too.

[@Numberonedaredevilfan]

That's most of the show I'd say so surely you don't like most of South park. But then most would say just doing smaller scale is boring and that they want them to make fun of societal issues. It's pretty hard to get away from in any media, as it's a widely discussed topic

[@superfardman4332]

2:40 I have lost my dad due to testicular cancer and when I tell people, they laugh. I'm glad to see big companies realize how serious the disease really is. Cancer of any type should not be laughed at.

[@StrawberryCocoaPowder]

My condolences, hope he rests peacefully in paradise :(

[@Vaguer_Weevil]

They laugh? Seriously?

[@jacksterling9258]

My condolences friend, and amen. May he Rest In Peace

[@superfardman4332]

@@Vaguer_Weevil yes sadly

[@montygator8873]

lol

[@jewelsdragonfly]

My favorite thing about South Park is when people *snitch* on South Park when they're being called out on their shit jokes. Like Shane Dawson has made an excuse for his jokes because he took influence from South Park. But the thing is, South Park mostly makes a point about what they're criticizing. Not just throwing offensive jokes for the lols. South Park is just an entity that just grew up, had a stroke in Season 20 and improved. Plus, you really can't cancel a show that is Comedy Central's life support.

[@thahirshibu5042]

"Had a stroke in season 20" LUL

[@Spacething7474]

but if you cancel the show, the network goes down too! its a double win for me!!!

[@rmn070]

'Not just throwing offensive jokes for the lols.' That's literally how Family Guy handles comedy, and it always never lands.

[@t918theblade]

South Park is overall a very enjoyable show. There was a 2-parter episode of South Park where there were a bunch of live action guinea pigs destroying South Park, I couldn't help but crack up. Just one of the many things that doesn't make South Park ALL BAD. If anything, I like South Park better than Family guy because of the crude and dark humor. They also covered some pretty serious issues pretty well, sometimes in enjoyable ways too. (i.e. the NAMBLA episode, the Woodland Critters). Also Season 25 had some sweet episodes. Like the Teenager episode's ending.

[@Locket.L]

Also thank god the serialisation is secondary to the show itself.

[@jewels3846]

Just so you know editing comments removes hearts and pins from the creator! Sorry you lost the heart but kudos for getting it!

[@anto650]

“Obama was president when this aired and I still didn’t know what they were talking about” well... you were a child watching an adult series

[@rexventura4603]

And also he lived across the pond

[@EggyDaxy]

Holy shit you put my thoughts EXACTLY into words. I think people complain way more about south parks offensiveness because that is what it's most known for. Family guy is also offensive (and in my opinion even MORE than South Park) but it's mostly seen as a "meme" and to anyone who isn't on the internet 24/7 it's just a simpsons-like animated sitcom that is for adults. If you've never seen the show yourself it's going to be really hard to acknowledge all the good in it because you're going to have this idea that it's just "kid says bad word" constantly ringing in your head. And it's kinda sad because the show has a lot of good things about it :/

[@yeetthefeet2504]

No, South Park by all means is more offensive, because they actually try with their humor. And while I have my issues with the show, Family Guy doesn't really write jokes. They just say and do awful shit. Without it being even a little bit funny.

[@EggyDaxy]

@@yeetthefeet2504 id argue it’s more offensive to be awfully offensive without even trying to be funny than writing bad people characters who do offensive things

[@Tom-pl3wc]

I can’t believe Brian Griffin would say this im shaking and crying rn

[@xxxmcnuggwtsxxx9859]

Same

[@Jamangel]

Lollllll

[@BugsyFoga]

I feel like when it comes to South Park,it’s more cynical tone fits well for it was going for as opposed to that kind of tone being in used in stuff like Chicken little where there’s no real sense of justification .

[@Transmission_Rory]

Even though South Park is one of my favourite shows, I will acknowledge that it’s a hit or miss kind of gig. Some episodes hit their target, others miss the mark. What’s consistent throughout is how honest the show is with its viewpoints, not favouring one side or the other and presenting the issue for what they see it as. Compared to something like a Seth MacFarlane cartoon where he’s presenting an issue like atheism vs religion in a one-sided, straw man way. It feels like he’s placating the message first, then getting his gag writers (The kinds of writers Trey & Matt despise) to put in random jokes that have no bearing on the tone or scene.

[@MrBigdude912]

I think the people who say that South Park is just purposely mean and hateful are the ones who only look at it for that, instead of the stories and messages of a lot of episodes that you mentioned(hell, the article excerpt was a great example). Great video Mark!

[@alexschneider1667]

I’m a big South Park fan, and people who aren’t fans mostly focus on the bad episodes. There’s some terrible, mean spirited episodes but they’re few and far between. If you look for those certain episodes then yes it will feel hateful, but if you just flip on South Park and watch some random episodes then you probably see the more nuanced and well written South Park.

[@lowantichenor1438]

Most of the people who say that havent watched a full episode so they dont even get to see the story or context

[@jasonhaiad]

the britney episode is one of the ones that showed the most empathy as far as i can see and is one of my favourite episodes of the show, wasnt something i had to think about either it was clear on first watch. its entirely dedicated to how disgusting the medias treatment of specifically young female celebrities is, nothing in the episode came off to me as mocking britney in any way it was entirely sympathetic to her and attacking media culture

[@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375]

To be honest the reason why people loved South Park was because of it’s edgy and crude humor which makes fun of American media

[@GCAbleism158]

It is very late 90s, and thats not a compliment.

[@jimmy_os]

@don't be surprised It’s finally here les goooooooo

[@raheemaslam7363]

I think that’s why I don’t watch it anymore, I’m fairly worn out from the edgy and crude humor

[@unknownvariable9239]

I’m gonna be honest, I still like South Park. It doesn’t have the same charm if used to, and it’s become over reliant on current events, but it’s still enjoyable, it’s kinda like watching Matt and Trey get older. I personally hope they follow through with what they said earlier and bring SP to and before they’re 60.

[@garenthal9638]

Peak south park is seasons 8-10

[@NeroLeMorte]

Season 25 was decent though

[@CMGThePerson]

"South Park is a fundementally mean-spirited and nasty show"- A Family Guy character

[@FerdarPleaseSubscribe]

ironic

[@StrawberryCocoaPowder]

I remember seeing the premise of South Park and thinking “hm, this doesn't seem like my type of humor” (Not that big of a fan of offensive humor) but I watched two episodes of this show and I even watched the movie and I was laughing the whole time lol. I'm impressed

[@Cpt_Natalia]

I think one of the reasons why South Park ages better than Family Guy or the Simpsons is that the satire is sometimes more subtle. The more subtle episodes are better than the ones that straight up bring up the topic is because they point out the big picture of the issue rather than the what, who, or when of the issue.

[@Ollyiswild_04]

Brilliant video Mark, I get that South Park may not be everyone’s cup of tea and not everyone is going to understand what it’s saying but regardless of what some people think I love South Park and that’s something that’ll never change.

[@AwesomeLaggy]

SAME

[@Lucky_9705]

People are too quick to label a show like South Park as “offensive” or “bigoted” without observing the actual context.

[@TheArceusftw]

ESPECIALLY the Board Girls episode!(It's the one with Heather Swanson.)

[@juiceoverflow]

Nigga south park is deeply deeply offensive don't even try to say it isn't

[@theonlybilge]

But doing so makes me feel good and look like a good person!

[@juiceoverflow]

@@theonlybilge you are making up a person to be angry about dude

[@theonlybilge]

@@juiceoverflow I'm making fun of people who get morally outraged because doing so makes them feel good, look good to others, and allows them to avoid looking inward.

[@Kligor2]

My issue is that the good message is usually WAY overshadowed by the entire episode satirizing both the issue itself and anyone who cares about it. But I also havent seen the show in awhile so Im running on some relatively older memories at this point.

[@POIUYTREWQ62]

Does it really matter even if it was? What a show is saying is not as important as what you got out of it. Not every show needs a moral at the end or a good message to shine on. Life is going to give you the answer or the "good message".

[@steamboatwill3.367]

@@POIUYTREWQ62 ) too many episodes of SP do that

[@Jamangel]

Lollllll

[@bobettethedestroyerthebuil1034]

@@POIUYTREWQ62 the video talked about a good message though. And if the person is saying that it’s hard to find, then that kind of goes against the point.

[@MarkAndrews12]

The episode "The List," means more to me because I've been ostracized at school for being gay and seeing that episode made me realize that it really doesn't matter what they think because it only matters there.

[@EmployeeAMillion]

I think the increased backlash towards South Park online in recent years mainly comes from pop culture’s resistance to shocking and offensive material over the past 5-ish years. Most people don’t want to be provoked, and South Park is a very provocative show. I think the best approach to take with the show is to understand that it’s meant to be entertaining first and foremost. It doesn’t always stick the landing, and you’re allowed to think there are bad episodes or takes without having to change your worldview. I like ManBearPig, but it doesn’t influence my stance on global warming, because I just like that it’s a fun story with good jokes. If you’re old enough to watch South Park, then you should be old enough to recognise that it’s fallible and won’t always work for you. And that’s okay.

[@bobettethedestroyerthebuil1034]

There’s been quite a few offensive and shocking things shows recently. The main resistance to the show comes from people disliking the show taking a s stronger political stance on issues and going back to “making fun of both sides,” and people who don’t like the show because they think it tries to hard to be edgy type of funny

[@steamboatwill3.367]

basically, it's "edgyness" has gotten tired.....

[@powerist209]

Also imitation, South Park being seen as making every adult animation to be made as cringey and edgy rather than creator’s fault. Even Family Guy and Simpsons’ decline is attributed to it due to many writers trying to emulate its tone.

[@TrueAlto]

Family guy is a an astronomically more “mean spirited” show than South Park, while they’re are several episodes that show that Matt and trey aren’t the best informed (the manbearpig) and the few episodes that are genuinely in bad taste over all it’s still one of the best adult animated series

[@plexyglass429]

With as many episodes as they have, it's inevitable they trip up

[@littleblueclovers]

This is coming from someone who doesn’t watch sad shows or movies because I have the emotional defenses of a melted marshmallow and I cry about most movies: South Park usually isn’t mean just for the sake of being mean. It does so sometimes for humor, but other times to portray a character or send a message. Cartman does a lot of messed up things, but at no point does the show try and show him as the “right” way to go about life. His cruel and manipulative nature can get him rich or famous at times, but he is often disliked by the people around him. He’ll even occasionally get his “comeuppance”. A truly mean show would just show Cartman always winning. On the other hand, Butters is a bit of the opposite. Generally he’s sweet and worryingly naive. As a result, he often gets tricked into doing dangerous tasks and is often unfairly punished. I feel bad for him sometimes, but he’s gotten episodes where he “wins” or learns from previous events and doesn’t participate in the first place. Other times, good things happen to him as a result of being a kind/honest person. In that sense, the show is realistic. While being cruel and manipulative can get you ahead in life at times, it will often come back to bite you and you will often be disliked by others. On the other hand, being nice will sometimes reward you, but being naive/gullible will hurt you and you need to be more wary and willing to say “no” at times. In comparison to those two, Kyle and Stan are more balanced people who know to tell Cartman to piss off, but also try to do the “right” thing. Generally the show doesn’t punish that unless it’s for some punchline.

[@Crazedromantic2]

I started watching South Park when I was 10, far younger than I should have been, but the show is actually what started me on my research kick; I also didn't know what global warming was, or hell, even what being gay was (backwater town), but the next time I got to use the school computers, I looked it up. It allowed me to form my own opinions on topics I may not have otherwise became interested in, and then later finding myself confused as the internet changed and echo chambers came to dominate the political sphere, and also allowed me to see other perspective. Maybe I would have learned that without it, I can't say for sure, but it definitely started me down that path and I value that.

[@thelittleorangefriend393]

South Park is the only adult cartoon that doesn’t have a BAD season. Sure, some aren’t as good as others, but I still enjoy every single episode. Besides Pip… fuck that one 😂

[@frocoshake2107]

Season 20

[@MrTkillian]

Pip is only funny if you were forced to read Great Expectations in school...and even then it's funny in like a "oh yeah I understood that reference" way 🤣.

[@NobodyC13]

@@MrTkillian Supposedly Matt and Trey wrote Pip with that expressed purpose in mind: they had to read it in school, hated it, and wanted to rip it a new one.

[@SamuelSEdme]

I actually enjoyed Pip.

[@imagery5425]

@@NobodyC13 :) yeees…

[@blackoutsampler9993]

I do not think South Park as a show is "Mean Spirited" I do however believe that Cartman specifically is a very cruel character, and having him sit on so much of the PR and advertisements of the show gives a lot of people a biased impression on what makes South Park good. And I feel Cartman is the biggest example of people pointing at a character and saying "That right there is the message of the show". It's not true, and many times he will get his comeuppance by the end of the episode but so much of the advertisements treat him as the star of the show, that it's easy to get the impression that the show is about him. Its like what happened to Rick in Rick and Morty. That said, yeah, Family Guy has evolved into becoming way more mean spirited than South Park. It wasn't during it's first few good seasons, but over time Edge for the sake of Edge has taken over the show.

[@owenwilson2869]

Don’t worry Mark I believe your statement and your right the show can be mean at times but it can also have nice moments

[@lsk7443]

I read “stigma” as “sigma” and I thought you were gonna talk about Eric being a sigma male

[@BursterMFG]

If people truly think South Park is "meanspirited" therefore it's "bad", then explain how the majority of the characters likable. Like early Family Guy, the characters in the show feel like real people and to this day you can sympathize and relate to them on a personal level. However, if it was literally a mean show, then these characters wouldn't have been what they are today, they would just be one dimensional characters who constantly hate being around each other. Plus there's one thing that South Park does that Family Guy fails to do, and that's the fact that they acknowledge the toxic relationships each character has with each other. The Biggest example would have go the the vaccination special, where it acknowledges that the boys lately have been disliking the thought of being around each other and then taking the time explore what would be like. However Family Guy's relationships (Especially with Brian and Stewie) are extremely toxic, but the show wants to make you believe that they "love" each other. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that South Park doesn't intend to be a mean show, but when it is, at least they almost always take notice of it.

[@VicenteTorresAliasVits]

Well said. I think that partly has to do with the passage of time. Both shows follow the cartoon rule that characters don't age, yet there are plenty of cases where a "South Park" episode acknowledges past events. Sometimes, it's just a reference; other times, there's a purpose to the story. "Family Guy" doesn't do that. Not really. It's stuck in this never-ending plane of anti-progress. Hmmm... Maybe "stuck" isn't the right term, since it's kind of doing that willingly.

[@weregretohio7728]

If people want meanspirited, later Family Guy sure is that...

[@whyisthisafeature]

I find it so weird how people still hold South Park's old transphobic episode against it, but ignore how The Simpsons and Family Guy have been even more blatantly transphobic. At least South Park still referred to Mrs. Garrison as a woman

[@ariiiiiiiiiiiii7356]

honestly out of all of the 3 i think sp had the least actually transphobic episode, sure it could cause problems for the trans community but i dont think it was nearly as malicious as the Simpsons and family guy.

[@ellagage1256]

South Park trans stuff can be either really touching and funny, to just bottom of the barrel 4chan level jokes and ideas. Rarely does there feel like there's an in between

[@lunac6094]

@@ellagage1256 When was it ever touching and funny? I say this as a long time fan of the series, only falling out with it shortly after the whole 'Heather Swanson' episode.

[@ellagage1256]

@@lunac6094 It's usually pretty bad, but the episode that was about bathroom bills was weirdly wholesome at least by South Park standards

[@carmelmulroy6459]

That whole Mr. Garrison sex change thing was horrible. That actually happens to people. They have sex changes and then go f..k I am still a f..g man. The number of detransitioners coming of age now is super sad. Lots of gay men sans p..s transitioned by not just greedy doctors but by homophobic parents it's tragic

[@Rodrigo_Vega]

I think the less-good part about South Park is not that it's "mean", but rather than it's extremelly _cynical_ .As it comes from a time in which not caring was the pinnacle of coolnees. If the show stands for anything is that you shouldn't care about anything or anyone. And whenever the show seems to "take a side" it's the side opposite of the people who cares the most about it. Watch any episode, anyone who claims to care about something is either a naive fool or a manipulative *sshat. The characters framed "in the right" are always the ones who don't care or who are just trying to "mind their business".

[@heihogreenzx4704]

You do know that Family Guy and Rick and Morty, and hell, even SpongeBob have become just as, if not even more cynical, right? Like, Modern Family Guy just makes similar edgy jokes without any commentary about it and instead just for being edgy. The entire cast has even devolved into just hating each other (Peter and Lois’s constant infidelity and marriage that they hate, everyone hating Meg, basically every relationship Brian is in or has being extremely toxic, willingly acknowledging the unlink ability of the characters (usually Brian) and just not doing anything about it as opposed to SP where they acknowledged it and actively made it relevant to the story and character dynamics, etc.) and making jokes about whatever is do dark and shocking it ends up like a jumpscare, it only works the first two times, and then you just roll your eyes at it. If you look at seasons 12 onward (particularly 15] they just become extremely bitter and edgy with their jokes as if a group of emo 14 year olds wrote it. Spongbob also suffers from similar cynicism, such as their commentary on art just being random garbage (I.e. House Fancy, any attempt at Modern Squidward jokes), and the characters just all acting like stupid asshats towards each other with even more mean-spirited natures than South Park gets accused of. There’s not substance to Mr. Krabs torturing Plankton with his fear of whales to the point where Plankton attempts to get hit by a car (One Coarse Meal), or where Patrick just keeps relentlessly scaring Squidward for ink to use as lemonade (Ink Lemonade), and that isn’t even covering the extreme gross-out-borderline fetish-“humor”, which, again, isn’t funny just gross. It wasn’t funny in The Splinter, it wasn’t funny in Squid Baby, and it wasn’t funny in My Two Krabses. It just ends up with none of the characters being likable, and what happens not being funny. And Rick and Morty has just devolved into unfocused characters who just feel like they’re becoming more one-note. Rick is Nihilistic and All-Powerful, Morty is just nihilistic and depressed. As if that isn’t enough, within the above video itself, there are literally examples of the show being way more cynical than South Park, where Morty just straight up says “Nothing Matters”. As if it wasn’t enough, the creators seem to have so much contempt for their own fans. Pushing aside the whole ‘the fanbase is so toxic though’, the show never stops going “there, now the fans will shut up about it.” And what drives it over the edge is the slapdash, sloppy way the show pulls twists out its ass to make the fans it hates shut up without any regard for story or continuity. If anything, Rick and Peter are big examples of just unbelievable flandarized characters who are unlikable because of their most major aspect being their intelligence, that the effectively devolve into the same character. Rick is a sociopath because no one else is as smart as him, because to be fair, you have to have a high IQ to understand Rick Sanchez (I couldn’t pass up making fun of that copypasta), while Peter is a sociopath because he’s too dumb to comprehend any pain or misery he inflicts onto others. Now, in concept, this could sound like a great idea for writing a character, but R&M and Family Guy are so caught up in their own nihilistic cynicism and hateful edginess, that they just make the characters unbearable to watch. South Park on the other hand, tends to notice when things like this arise, and actually write about them. I don’t know if I’m in any place to talk about the current events, but at the very least the show isn’t so painful to sit through like Rick and Morty or Family Guy. My main point across this (since I might come off as unfocused and rambly, and if I do, I apologize for it), is that why is South Park singled out in being ‘the worst’ in these adult animated cartoons? The point you brought up is cynicism, but again, for the umpteenth time I have to bring it up Family Guy, Rick and Morty, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob Squarepants. They all just bathe themselves in an ocean of their own misery, melodrama, self-loathing, contempt for their viewers, and, as previously stated, edginess and cynicism, and makes sure the viewer feels as pained and tortured as possible, as opposed to just writing a comedy skit about a recent event like South Park. TL;DR, South Park shouldn’t be singled out as ‘the worst’, when there’s other shows that have much worse issues that people let slide thanks to some double standard. If you’re going to judge South Park so much for cynicism, judge other things for it too.

[@Rodrigo_Vega]

​@@heihogreenzx4704 Hmmm I'm not sure I agree. I don't think any of those shows are really very _cynical_ per se. Most of the time in their modern incarnations, they either have bad takes or absolutely nothing to say. There's a difference between don't having anything much to say about any subject (most of the shows you list) and actually adressing a subjects and openly stating that apathy is the best thing you can do or feel. I do believe Family Guy really is much more mean spirited than South Park and it does so just to be adgy and brings no point across, except bad ones. But I don't think it props up cynicism as a real solution. Rick & Morty (which I actually quite like) understands cynicism, recognizes that the universe is cold and uncaring but sort of encourages viewers to find meaning where there is none. Like personal fulfilment or family bonds. That's why Rick's cynicism even though "technically" correct is framed as ultimatedly insufficient, and emotional rather than practical intelligence is often framed as the true solution to plots. That's why some episodes have (or attempt) heartwarming or bittersweet endings where South Park doesn't. And I think that's somewhat constructive... I haven't been watching new Spongebob, but I don't think it really attempts to say anything and it's just Nickelodeon milking it's cashcow right now. Same thing Modern Simpsons. I think this one might be closer to SP's cynicism, though. Often by re-writing Lisa as a trend-chasing annoyance for caring about things. Only way less topical and funny.

[@heihogreenzx4704]

@@Rodrigo_Vega Yeah. I guess I agree. Although when it comes to stuff, I think we can agree South Park is definitely not ‘the worst’ in what it does, considering a lot of people hold double standards involving it. I’m glad that this didn’t become a huge argument. Wish you well in the future.

[@bobettethedestroyerthebuil1034]

Yea that was a part of the show that annoyed me, it always carried that smug “lol why do you care so much” feeling, as if the right thing to always do was not care.

[@Johnny2Cellos]

Really enjoyed this video, Mark

[@latinaparfait]

Ngl this video felt like he said nothing and is just repeating the same 2 things over and over.

[@JIreland1992]

South Park is never mean spirited until it attacks something you believe in

[@brendan5260]

Matt and trey are basically the fathers of this style of humor. Yes it predated them, but they perfected it and that’s how they’ve survived for 20 seasons.

[@ivanperilla2258]

i think its ironic in a good way that everytime mark talks about South park, the message and the ride through the video is very heartlighted, interesting, and kinda inspirational. showing us whats behind the public stigma of the show and reminding us why is actually making stand out in the real world

[@imagery5425]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

[@aphotographerfromcaliforni2661]

I really like these more “Take a show and break it down based on public perception” type videos. As someone who didn’t care for South Park as a kid, you’ve opened my mind to actually checking out the show in the near future

[@Ivan-td7kb]

“The show takes a horrible stance on certain issues” “The show teaches that nothing matters and you shouldn’t treat anything seriously.” Those two things are not as contradictory as you might think. If nothing matters, then it is not important to have the right stance.

[@sfm199]

The Britany Spears episode ages hauntingly well

[@tylerzimmerman757]

I think my favorite part of South Park are the kids getting into misadventures or becoming part of some conspiracy.

[@Waltman13]

I think the people calling south park "mean-spirited" is bullshit. Like yeah it can be cruel and mean at times, but at the same time it's got a lot of sweet moments. And not just that, but also moments in general that really make you think. This moment in particular is one that comes to my mind where Satan explains about addictions to Stan (kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXKol5iEgbCqmpI) Why this moment in particular? Idk, it's just one clip I saw not too long ago while in a brief south park mood. Plus it brings up a lot of good points about addictions and how things are easily accessible nowadays. Probably has nothing to do with the main topic but it's still something to bring up in terms of south park being more than what most people see it as.

[@sn0bbylol]

The Britney spears episode was actually the least mean spirited contemporary take on the situation, it was all about how the media and the american public had gone way too far in harassing her

[@rods9371]

Brian Griffin would totally comment that since they made fun of their show in cartoon wars

[@rods9371]

Tweeted I mean

[@justpotato8119]

I really like how you were able to defend South Park while still calling out its short comings and problems with the way Trey and Matt treat the series, Really enjoyable video!

[@raziyatheseeker]

If you ask me, a true fan can point out something's flaws but still love it. Mark and SP are no exception, it appears.

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

@@raziyatheseeker In my opinion that's exactly the difference between a real fan and a fanboy.

[@A6by]

I'm a straight-up lesbian socialist and I generally enjoy South Park. They miss the mark sometimes but you can tell they don't hate anyone. Except people who rev their motorcycles too loud, which is reasonable.

[@Lexilove2016]

Why are you a socialist? Just wondering.

[@A6by]

@@Lexilove2016 Mainly because I find it deeply immoral to support the concept of a society where people are allowed to die if they aren't productive enough. Like, it's 2022. We have the technology and resources to never turn anyone away from a hospital or food bank. But we split the resources up in a way where instead of equality and life, we get billionaires and literal constant murder of the poor through inaction. Which is basically a moral stance of "a billionaire's right to owning 42 yachts is more important than a poor man's right to life", which is... well, evil. There's no other way to describe it. It's evil. Also, to a lesser extent, I just find it idiotic to follow a system of capitalism because it directly functions *against* the desires and needs of the people. Within a system where there's induced competition for a currency that exponentially grows as it's invested into larger ventures, it becomes "common sense" to do something like buy a house then rent it for more money over time, or make an intentionally bad cheap product and put all the money into brainwashing-level marketing instead, so that you earn more money at the expense of every single one of your customers. Basically, it promotes being a scam artist. Without the incentive to scam people, products would be designed to actually be good and useful, greatly increasing ingenuity and quality of life. Finally, it's just really fucked up to make life competition-based. It doesn't have to be. Everyone can just get a more or less equal amount, that's not a bad thing. Competition should be for board games and sports, not real life, because real life shouldn't be some sick game where losing kills people. We don't tolerate it when the Jigsaw Killer does it, we shouldn't tolerate it when a government does it.

[@FuchsiaNeko]

I just get annoyed when people take something Cartman says/does and say it's horribly offensive, as if they're saying it's ok but like... did you even watch the show? Cartman is portrayed as a little shithead who does terrible things. Most characters don't like him, hell his FRIENDS don't even like him! And, as far as I remember, he almost always gets his comeuppance, like getting the shit beat out of him or losing everything he gained in an instant. And when he doesn't, the show makes it clear that this is fucked up, yknow in a dark humor kind of way. Honestly you're better off criticizing the people who admire him as a character than how the show portrays him.

[@jak3y3]

I think the best way I can describe South Park is it’s the GTA of TV Shows. It’s just a satire of American culture and of course people are offended by it.

[@blackbird7781]

South park shits on literally everyone equally. Even themselves. Its hard to really be insulted or hurt by them. The episodes that mocked the US state I come from were hilarious

[@ekhowo1475]

I think this point of "shits on everyone equally" falls flat when maybe some people deserve more criticism then others. Taking an easy shot at conservatives and then denying climate change doesn't make you smart or brave

[@blackbird7781]

@@ekhowo1475 you want the show to be completely political 24/7? Is that what you want? To the point it isnt even comedy anymore? You miss the point completely

[@ekhowo1475]

@@blackbird7781 what does that have you even do with my comment? I like south park but I find it cringe to do this "everyone is mocked equally" bs superfans use to excuse a lot of bad episodes

[@blackbird7781]

@@ekhowo1475 your statement is illogical. I am no superfan of it. Im just stating one of the main reasons not many get insulted

[@bobettethedestroyerthebuil1034]

@@ekhowo1475 I hate how super fans go “man… this so is so genius it’s so subversive and doesn’t take a side it just makes fun of everyone lol!” Then denies climate change and has to make a public apology when they end up being wrong lol

[@Joey-no7ss]

For me I think the issue isn’t that the show is “mean spirited.” It’s that South Park, while often very funny and rife with scathing satire, is ultimately one of the most spineless shows put out on the air with their whole “caring about stuff is cringe” and “both sides are bad” approach to topics. This is how you have episodes where you have them making apologetics for our involvement in the Iraq war for example, arguing that both the pro war and anti war movements had a point.

[@mirmoyashi12]

I think also the fact that people gave South Park this status of being an important "Political satire" due to most of the social topics they talk about really changed the way production was handled, that also made people not look at Family Guy or The Simpsons when they are being mean or giving a negative message, like you said.

[@arkidie]

The problem that comes with south park is people taking it too seriously, this being people that hate south park AND people who love it. Because I KNOW people who take south park jokes too seriously/literally and the majority (that I’ve met) are not actually people that hate them, but people who LIKE it and are actual xenophobic, racist, sexist, transphobic, etc etc people that just do NOT get the joke or point of south park, the people who don’t get that cartman ISN’T meant to be a good guy. I personally love southpark so I’m not trying to say that IT’S bad, it really, really isn’t, but point is it’s those bad fans that prove to the people that hate it that it’s bad (If that makes sense?).

[@mfbobyle6771]

As someone named Kyle, I am living proof that South Park has negatively effected culture. Cartman was always supposed to be a huge annoying racist piece of shit, but kids don’t really understand that and he became a popular role model. I don’t necessarily blame South Park for fucking up, I love South Park, but they should maybe take some responsibility too. South Park is always explained by people to be a centrist show making fun of everyone. That nobody is safe, and that would make sense if everyone was on the same playing field or were as powerful as the next person.

[@sanderooh1834]

I think its controversial takes on current topics is precisely its selling point

[@New3DSLuigi364]

tbh; I Think South Park & Family Guy Established an AWFUL Trend for Adult Animation; Being Nothing but Mean-spirited Shock Humor; full of Toxic Relationships & Unlikable Characters!!! Seriously; WHY ARE THERE MORE CLONES OF SP & FG; than there are for Adult Animations that go in the exact OPPOSITE direction such as with Bob's Burgers & Close Enough?!

[@revolutionarymagic3459]

No, its actually a good show imo. Not mean to its core and actually has a lot to say. I think its genius.

[@xvelvet3247]

I genuinely don't understand how calling a show mean-spirited has to mean the show's quality is poor on its own.

[@bidoof367]

what are you saying no to

[@andykishore]

Defending the haters?

[@tre-engines]

I got mixed opinions on it

[@Jamangel]

Lollll

[@munromister777]

I've never understood why South Park gets the mean-spirited label. They've always tried to have a purpose to what they were saying, while Family Guy was edgy just for edgy sakes. There's a lot of adult cartoons I would call mean-spirited, but South Park isn't one of them.

[@BaulFoodmanedits]

The kid in the hospital isn’t mean spirited it’s real life…..

[@thepinappleparadox4932]

Now we need "ranking every South Park episode" to complete the trilogy

[@seanmcloughlin5983]

South Park has a special place in my heart, but I think my problem and why I got turned off from it was that South Park didn’t really change as much as we did. I think it’s in the middle of “Trey and Matt take no stance” and “Trey and Matt take bad stances” that, since they have like 2 days to think about the story to get it out, they don’t have time to let ideas simmer and so it can come across like their taking serious topics and just farting around for 20 minutes. Also in the current year, being so “everyone’s an idiot” doesn’t really hold the same weight it did in the 90s and 2000s, I think Bojack is a great example because not only did a lot of former writers for South Park work on Bojack, it’s also very topical and makes fun of everyone, but not only did the crew have the time to think about what they were actually saying, they were willing to take themselves seriously enough to make actual statements on things like abortion or powerful people abusing women. People change, things change, and society changes, and South Park is and will probably always just be South Park.

[@waywardlaser]

Anyone who thinks South Park is "mean-spirited" probably never watched the show and thinks Cartman's behaviour is consistently rewarded.

[@mortis.y2]

17:57 the moment Butters laid his hands on her I immediately knew what the joke was gonna be and I felt completely prepared for it but when it cut to the punchline I still found myself tearing up in laughter oh my God that was so dumb but amazing lol

[@jofromthething]

Idk, I feel like it’s definitely harder to take such a generous view of the show when you’re one of the groups heavily affected by their jokes and the jokes are (intentionally or not) negatively impacting your peers’ views on those issues. I used to enjoy South Park as a kid, but as a teen it was unpleasant because it so often centered jokes around being gay or trans, which added to a culture that used that to discriminate against gay or trans people. Well intentioned or not, it can cause meaningfully shittier situations for people when this show and every other show on the air is so haphazard with their presentation.

[@theexaltedlt8222]

Exactly. People who are part of a joke that isn't being made fun of can just say it isn't that deep

[@hazyworld8626]

Understandable but South Park makes fun of everybody eventually. Race, Sexuality, Ethnicity, etc. I don't think there's a single group that hasn't been joked on. There could be a few but all it's need to just enough publicity for the creators to see it and they have a plot of one episode. Sorta like the Boondocks.

[@bobettethedestroyerthebuil1034]

@@hazyworld8626 boondocks not only doesn’t make fun of everyone, but actually is made by a black leftist who looks up to malcom x. The characters in that show are more meaningful satires, Riley is a satire on young black boys in America, which is why he’s so homophobic and a wannabe gangster. The one episode with gangstalicious is literally a commentary on how homophobia is treated in the black community. Boondocks is meant to be a meaningful commentary on black people, South Park is just ehhhh

[@hazyworld8626]

@@bobettethedestroyerthebuil1034 South Park just bounces back and forth.

[@lukescrew1981]

@@bobettethedestroyerthebuil1034 South Park is better

[@PaleoSteno]

Like you said in the video, South Park has always been a show I could see the good in with different things the characters might say, while with something like Family Guy, it feels like it's deliberately trying to be mean-spirited. South Park characters just seem to do things that seem mean-spirited sometimes because well, that's what the character would do.

[@SuperJamz64]

Personally, I feel like above all, South Park is just meant to be what Trey and Matt find funny. Sometimes they make points about relevant topics, and sometimes they can be a bit mean in making this point, but overall, the show is just meant to make you laugh. I watch South Park for the characters, the storylines, and the overall sense of humor of the show. I consider Trey and Matt to be pretty good non-bigoted guys, and I love South Park.

[@hi-i-am-atan]

thinking back to a conversation i had earlier today, i can't really agree with the "non-bigoted" part. not necessarily because i think they do all that much with the _intent_ to be bigoted, but because modern cultures are _rampant_ with bigotry and that was just as true when they were growing up. so much shit is normalized that what's meant to be just light elbow jab can end up being absolutely brutal, because said elbow has a chainsaw blade and it just sawed someone's liver in half avoiding bigotry is the sorta thing where you're only really gonna have true success not by not having the intent to be bigoted, but by having the intent to not be bigoted. it's something that requires a lot of self-reflection and questioning the status quo, and ultimately admitting that you definitely do _not_ know enough about some sore spots to actually execute on whatever joke or statement you're trying to make on it. which ... yeah, doesn't really work well when they're writing by the seat of their pants in a timespan that's less than a week, but that doesn't really change anything other than make it a bit more understandable when they fuck up. but that also means they're being so careless when they know they don't have the time to really ask themselves what they're doing, so, uh ultimately, whether or not it's maliciously bigoted doesn't change whether or not it's bigoted, period. they may be great guys but it still definitely feels like it'd suck to be around them, because it seems entirely realistic that they'd end up trying to make me laugh by shanking my own raw nerve. sure, they did it _wanting_ to lighten the mood and build camaraderie ... but it still hurts, and it might even hurt more _because_ they thought that was a good way to share a laugh

[@harleymitchelly5542]

@@hi-i-am-atan And then we solve nothing because all we're doing is just leaving those old grievances wide open as sensitive points to be hit whenever and wherever, and then you have cry-bullies who force people to hit those sore points so they can whine about it. If you have the intent to not be bigoted, you will forever hold that wound open long after most people stopped caring. After all, you need to be aware of it! You need to constantly pay attention to it! You need to point out the thing when people stop listening! You need to constantly be *woke* to catch it all! I was in a group that thought like that and they were all terminally online assholes with zero humor and who only ever garnered joy from trying to ruin people. Always having the intent not to be racist makes you sad, depressed, angry, and unfulfilled, because everything everywhere can and will be bigoted to someone, and they will speak up if they are cynical enough and realize people will listen to them. Modern cultures are rife with bigotry. So is every other culture. Africans butcher Africans regularly, China and the Uyghurs and Tibetans, human beings have been finding reasons to hate, enslave, or kill each other since the dawn of time. People being fuckheads is neither new nor unique to modern society. Modern society is about the only culture around that pays it enough mind to shed tears over it, crocodilian or otherwise I'll leave up to the viewers. If you want bigotry to truly die, you need to fucking laugh at it. The KKK was pretty much beaten by a black guy being a spy in the organization and Superman lampooning how stupid they were. Charlie Chaplain tore a certain German man several new ones in a film satirizing a man orchestrating a genocide. South Park basically went balls out entirely and not only called a bombing bluff but threw Bin Laden under a Looney Tunes bus full of antics to completely defang his aura of fear, and given the original title was supposed to be, "Osama Bin Laden has a Small Penis," they were dead set on doing what a comedian should and taking the edge off real life. Should all of them have shut up because it's pretty damn offensive to make fun of those things when they were at their peak of offensiveness? You've stated your side. You think South Park is bigoted. You want them to bend the knee and cater to your sensibilities. South Park has bent the knee to no one, least of all people with a good deal of power who are in charge of the culture currently. If they did, it would cease to be South Park. Do they get it right all the time? No. But they do have standards, and you're asking them to break them..

[@hi-i-am-atan]

@@harleymitchelly5542 not saying slurs makes you sad, duly noted

[@harleymitchelly5542]

@@hi-i-am-atan I'm waiting for an actual rebuttal instead of a strawman no one was making. That being said, if all you can muster against me is a snappy little non-argument, yeah. I'd say you are pretty sad.

[@hi-i-am-atan]

@@harleymitchelly5542 why's that

[@AccursedHawk]

South Park is my favorite show of all time. Endless laughs from this show. I love how most people understand this show. No matter wtf happens in the world, they key of it all is sense of humor and to just laugh at shit in a world where everyone will cry if you criticize their fav celeb

[@alexandreturcotte6411]

0:10 "Hey V-sauce! Mark here!"

[@purplegirlsrandomnesschann2284]

Hello meep *Funfact: I saw southpark when I was 3 and was traumatized until I was about 16 since whenever I tried to watch it afterward I felt so sick and just scared of it I hated trying to watch it and being scared of what they'll do, now I don't care but I still get a bit disgusted from how they act at times*

[@lopezjdamian]

While Heather Swanson was pulled off horribly, I see what they were going for. I feel they were more so mocking the reactionary take on the situation by pointing at the absurdity of it since it's not like that. That and the absurdity of gender division in sports in general. The episode demonstrates that even though Swanson is physically dominating, she loses against Nicole (who is a girl) in board games. I bring this up because sports that aren't as physically dependent on raw strength are still divided by gender. Chess, golf and games that require more skill than raw strength like basketball, baseball, etc. While strength plays a factor in so much competition; skill, teqnique and intelligence are just as important in many others where girls could dominate. Was Heather Swanson in poor taste? Absolutely! But I don't think it was intentional malice to trans people. I mean sure the other trans subject is Garrison (oof not a great track record) but they have plenty of times been pretty queer friendly in the past and have even made allegories for trans folks in positive light in the past (Princess Kenny is a good example)

[@austinh7110]

Well said. South Park as the veneer of being malicious because they make fun of the extremes while the often missed underlying message gives credence to (sometimes) both sides of an issue.

[@mvrchsvdnxss]

if theres one person who i trust to analyze south park, its the guy who constantly says he knows nothing about politics or current events

[@jedd.0322]

Ok but the kid dying of cancer over the hockey game really made me laugh my ass off hard tho. Just the fact that everything in that episode was so unfair and ridiculous I couldn't I just couldn't

[@therealglosetik]

11:21 That silence was LOUD.

[@perpetualsalt]

Honestly this is probably one of my favorite videos of yours, Mark. I’ve never heard someone layout EXACTLY how I feel about South Park before and it was done so succinctly. Great job.

[@UltimatePerfection]

Yes. Yes it is. And that's why I love it. It's one of the last havens of edgy humor in the modern world.

[@gimmefeedback]

The way I see it is that South Park is mean-spirited but never heartless

[@cedricfowler3465]

Unlike Family Guy, South Park still has substance or at least wants to tell semi-coherent stories.

[@sweetpea644]

I love whenever South Park touches on depression and growing up, it doesn't always need to be a set up for a joke.

[@alliesangalli1757]

I really appreciate the clip of them acknowledging that they might be at fault for the way people don't take some issues seriously, because, at the end of the day, they're right. Even if the creators aren't being mean-spirited with their jokes, there's unfortunately going to be a portion of the audience that won't understand it that way and *will* take it to a point of being mean-spirited. At a certain point, comedy for the sake of comedy needs to be mediated with: 'hey maybe don't be an asshole'.

[@BreakGore]

If you ignore the jokes, you realize how well they handle the more serious topics like in the episode where everyone kicked big gay al out of boy scouts because they think that gays are pedophiles and then a actual pedophile took his place and they basically proved the point that not every gay person is a pedo

[@BreakGore]

@@anactualirllemon8790 not really it was basically saying not all gays are pedos but also the fact that u cant force people to love gay people and theres always gonna be someone who doesnt support them

[@Mono-hj5fb]

I actually started watching South Park just yesterday, and I’m already in love. I really enjoy its sense of humor, and I’m hoping it never changes

[@CassidyDylyn]

Your interpretation of media is, honestly, kind of horrible. The "point" of The Simpsons wasn't to create a show about the American nuclear family, it was to satirize the American family sitcoms of the 1980s, juxtaposing the genre's shallow functionality with an honest portrayal of a middle-class family, dysfunctional and imperfect. To say that it just a show about a middle-class family and nothing more is entirely missing the point, it's such a facile generalization.

[@iamjohnporter67]

Some people who watch South Park the first time really doesn't understand what it was like way back in the day. Probably just some sensitive people trying to find a reason to get mad at something cause you know everything in the world is already messed up as it is.

[@VicenteTorresAliasVits]

Can the show be mean-spirited at times without it being mean-spirited as a whole? Sure. The examples that come to mind are scientists peeing on monkeys only to kill them, Cartman leading the cops to beat up the ice cream shop owner and his wife, and the fates assigned to Miss Stevenson and the SWAT member that makes Obama upset. Those moments bother me more that if they happened on any other show because I know what this show is capable of. It can portray negative situations in a way that's funny. It can make a smart point through a joke.

[@colekiesler6218]

I mean South Park is an adult cartoon so basically it’s suppose to represent this stigma.

[@madlord124]

You mean adult cartoons that are like south park, or adult cartoons in general because Ive seen some that don't

[@LORDOFDORKNESS42]

I'm really glad you brought up the insane production schedule. Given how long South Park has stayed relevant, and how many hits they've had among the misses... It's frankly dang near super human how they push out one episode a week.

[@Trenton-om9qs]

In my opinion the people that get pissed off and offended at this show are the ones that take it way to seriously. People for some reason can't just laugh at something anymore. It's like if you don't like the jokes in the show then don't watch it.

[@steamboatwill3.367]

If that happened to you, you wouldn't find it as funny.

[@crocodileman94]

My problem is that the recent events-focused South Park produces episodes that have next to no rewatch value only two years later.