Here's how I see it:
The third episode of South Park includes another touchy subject in the world today-- transgender and gender identity. Cartman, in an effort to be able to crap in the girls bathroom, announces that he is transgender. He puts on a little pink bow, which he believes is enough to allow him to unload his powdered donut pancake surprise in front of the poor girls of South Park elementary. Very soon Cartman gets his own bathroom- the transgender bathroom-- thanks to a warning by Mr. Garrison to heed to the transgenders and cisgenders. (BTW a lot of Principal Victoria, Mackey, and Garrison, and a lot less of the boys so far this season.)
On the other side of town Randy continues his double-life as the teen pop sensation Lorde. In the world of South Park Lorde is a middle-aged man, working part time as a Geologist, who discovered his talent when he decided to transcribe the songs he sang on the toilet. Randy's hidden life exemplifies the transgender subject of the episode. Who is he really? Soon he has to explain to Stan his identity, which launches Stan into his own self-identity crisis. Back at the school some of the confused kids, who identify themselves as transgenders and cisgenders start using Cartman's bathroom, which obviously makes him very upset.
Although the message in this week's South Park episode is a good and influential one (Be who you want to be) the story lines feel awfully forced. Once again we have some more continuation from last week's episode, where Randy played Lorde at the boy's party. It's funny to think our beloved Randy as a 17 year old pop singer; and the part in this episode on autotune is amusing. But when it comes down to it there is no real connection between the two story lines; one could survive without the other. Not to say the story lines aren't good fun, it's just a head scratcher and a bit of an inconvenience when we are watching Cartman raging about his private toilet, Randy/Lorde facing discrimination in the geology office, then have it all wrapped together by a montage with a Lorde song I have never heard before in my life. The question that gets asked is "Did I sit through this episode to see a dramatic conflict get resolved, or a bunch of loosely connected satires, ironies, and fart jokes?" It should be both.
One thing I've started to notice about South Park is that the use of controversial topics make up the plot of their episodes. For example a plot line for today's episode would be: Cartman tackles transgender. Randy lives as Lorde. Not long ago episodes had their own creative plots such as last seasons, Taming Strange, where Ike hits puberty. The story was creative and it wasn't short of contemporary satire and humor with its bashing of Miley Cyrus. I have said this since episode one, of this season, I'm hoping the creators would try harder to come up with original plots and color them in with contemporary humor. Also, a Lorde montage doesn't feel right to me in South Park. I still smile over the montage in "Asspen" and the Cinderella soundtrack in "Raisins". I honestly miss those days when the humor was older rather than brand spankin' new.
ON a final note: What the hell is up with Butters and him burning down the school?? You can't just leave that untouched, Matt and Trey!
Till next week!
-jc
The third episode of South Park includes another touchy subject in the world today-- transgender and gender identity. Cartman, in an effort to be able to crap in the girls bathroom, announces that he is transgender. He puts on a little pink bow, which he believes is enough to allow him to unload his powdered donut pancake surprise in front of the poor girls of South Park elementary. Very soon Cartman gets his own bathroom- the transgender bathroom-- thanks to a warning by Mr. Garrison to heed to the transgenders and cisgenders. (BTW a lot of Principal Victoria, Mackey, and Garrison, and a lot less of the boys so far this season.)
On the other side of town Randy continues his double-life as the teen pop sensation Lorde. In the world of South Park Lorde is a middle-aged man, working part time as a Geologist, who discovered his talent when he decided to transcribe the songs he sang on the toilet. Randy's hidden life exemplifies the transgender subject of the episode. Who is he really? Soon he has to explain to Stan his identity, which launches Stan into his own self-identity crisis. Back at the school some of the confused kids, who identify themselves as transgenders and cisgenders start using Cartman's bathroom, which obviously makes him very upset.
Although the message in this week's South Park episode is a good and influential one (Be who you want to be) the story lines feel awfully forced. Once again we have some more continuation from last week's episode, where Randy played Lorde at the boy's party. It's funny to think our beloved Randy as a 17 year old pop singer; and the part in this episode on autotune is amusing. But when it comes down to it there is no real connection between the two story lines; one could survive without the other. Not to say the story lines aren't good fun, it's just a head scratcher and a bit of an inconvenience when we are watching Cartman raging about his private toilet, Randy/Lorde facing discrimination in the geology office, then have it all wrapped together by a montage with a Lorde song I have never heard before in my life. The question that gets asked is "Did I sit through this episode to see a dramatic conflict get resolved, or a bunch of loosely connected satires, ironies, and fart jokes?" It should be both.
One thing I've started to notice about South Park is that the use of controversial topics make up the plot of their episodes. For example a plot line for today's episode would be: Cartman tackles transgender. Randy lives as Lorde. Not long ago episodes had their own creative plots such as last seasons, Taming Strange, where Ike hits puberty. The story was creative and it wasn't short of contemporary satire and humor with its bashing of Miley Cyrus. I have said this since episode one, of this season, I'm hoping the creators would try harder to come up with original plots and color them in with contemporary humor. Also, a Lorde montage doesn't feel right to me in South Park. I still smile over the montage in "Asspen" and the Cinderella soundtrack in "Raisins". I honestly miss those days when the humor was older rather than brand spankin' new.
ON a final note: What the hell is up with Butters and him burning down the school?? You can't just leave that untouched, Matt and Trey!
Till next week!
-jc