Adam Sobel Week 5 - South Park

     As one of my all time favorite shows, South Park is an absolute masterpiece at combining societal and political commentary with humor. A lot of people watch the show because they love the ridiculous situations that the characters get into and they find it funny to see 4th graders curse and interact with wacky characters like a talking towel, but there is a layer behind the show that is often missed because of the ridiculousness occurring at face value.

    A perfect example of this mix between comedy and reality is in an episode where two handicapped kids, Timmy and Jimmy, try to create a club for other handicapped students and name it "The Crips". For those that don't know, this is also the name of a very deadly gang. When the boys find out there's already a club, they go to join it without realizing it's a gang and get into a whole bunch of issues with their new gang and the rival gang, "The Bloods". In the end, the boys help the two gangs come together and stop the fighting between the two groups. The whole episode is hilarious to watch, but it also has a deeper meaning that you can recognize in between your constant laughter. It has messages like the dangers of kids getting involved in gangs early on which is a reality for many kids growing up in poor areas and how deadly gang violence can be when there isn't a real reason for them to be fighting.

    I love these types of stories where there is a situation or event occurring at face value that interests you but, between the lines, there is some kind of statement that is being made. This occurs in all types of media: books like Fahrenheit 451 and Animal Farm, movies like American Psycho and The Truman Show, and TV shows like The Good Place and South Park. In my opinion, anything that you can learn from while still enjoying a good story means that the author did his job at captivating the audience while leaving them with something memorable to ponder.

    South Park may not be for you because it does have some ridiculous humor that doesn't speak to everyone, and not all of their episodes have these hidden messages. But I strongly suggest that everybody gives it a try. Trying to learn something new from whatever media you are absorbing is a great way to develop your way of thinking and understanding the world, and South Park is able to manage this through humor, one of my favorite storytelling devices, which makes it one of the top shows to watch.