![]() ![]() The show had already done one cliffhanger with the saga of Cartman’s father, but this was an ambitious bit of storytelling that would pave the way for later works like the “Imaginationland” series as well as the serial storyline of recent seasons. The best example in the third season would be the trilogy of “Cat Orgy,” “Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub, and “Jewbilee,” which told the story of a meteor shower in South Park from three different perspectives. ![]() Matt and Trey must have realized the limitations of their show’s first two seasons, because starting with season 3 (and the movie), they would gradually begin experimenting with some more ambitious concepts. South Park ’s stream of third-grade F-bombs won it an audience out of the gate, but it would ultimately prove to have much more to say. It’s just that South Park became something far deeper and more interesting than what it was in its first few seasons, and as a result, going back to them feels a tad underwhelming, especially considering what a big deal they were at the time. None of this is to say the early episodes can’t be enjoyable it’s still fun to watch Barbra Streisand lust after the Triangle of Zinthar only to be foiled by Robert Smith, and despite being massively overused in 1998, “respect my authoritah!” can still be pretty funny if you’re in the right mood. Cartman’s rivalry with Kyle wasn’t there yet, and really, Stan and Kyle were largely the same character, reacting to the stimuli around them rather than having clear views of their own. Randy Marsh was a generic dad-type character rather than the beloved legend he evolved into later on, the main characters’ personalities were still being fleshed out, and Cartman – the villain from day one – was mostly just a loudmouth rather than the sociopath he eventually became. Yes, there’s some glorious absurdity to be found in the early years, but it’s also fairly simplistic compared to what the show would one day become. That being said, it also feels a little bare-bones in retrospect. ![]() It doesn’t seem shocking now (not when considering all the far-more-offensive shows that have appeared since South Park debuted), but it was unlike anything that had been on television before. The show had an immediately identifiable hook: adorable 8-year-olds who spoke like the most vulgar adults. Because the show captivated audiences so quickly, nobody seemed to notice how underdeveloped it was (the same also holds true for the first season of The Simpsons ). South Park is the second most influential adult cartoon of all time, trailing only The Simpsons, and much like that show, it got popular pretty much out of the gate, quickly evolving into a phenomenon. With that in mind, let’s consider how South Park changed over the years by looking at the five distinct eras of the show’s two decades on the air. ![]() In the time since then, the animated comedy about four foul-mouthed boys from Colorado has been a consistent presence in the public conscience, evolving from a show that drew audiences due to its shock humor to one of the most important satirical voices in America. This Sunday marks the 20th anniversary of the first episode of South Park. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |