What do four Colorado boys, the TSA, and the current price of gold have in common? Nothing, but this season of South Park seeks to prove otherwise.
March 14 saw South Park make its triumphant 16th season premier. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone charged into the season with their satire guns blazing, churning out two gut-busting, society-blasting episodes to get viewers back into the dark minds of the fourth grade denizens of the infamous Colorado town.
South Park has maintained its status on air these last 15 years due to the way its creators craft each episode. Viewers can easily relate to many of the issues theshow mocks, and it is clear that South Park knows how to keep it funny and safe.
Although the title of season 16's first episode, "Reverse Cowgirl," hints at promiscuity, the episode deals with an issue that a majority of its audience has dealt with - airline security.
Parker and Stone have pinpointed the hot button contention between security and personal privacy. Through a comedic lens, the duo mock the grueling torture of airport security - from the horror stories of pre-flight screening and X-ray machines to the confiscation of seemingly innocuous possessions.
Obviously they take the issue above and beyond believable standards by creating a similar type of security for a not-so-dangerous location - the toilet. Characters must file through the checkpoint to access the porcelain throne, even within their own homes.
While sidestepping the FCC's scrutiny for over the top raunchiness, comedy geniuses Parker and Stone put their pint-sized characters through the pratfalls of a relatable and harmless issue.
Wednesday night's "Cash for Gold" episode revolves around theconcept of a QVC-esque jewelry network whose "deals" often con watchers out of house and lower-income home.
They point out that the largest buyers of overpriced jewelry from TV jewelry networks are the elderly, who do not realize they are being scammed. The elderly pay the ridiculous prices with retirement cash, then proceed to give it to younger loved ones, with most of the jewelry finding its way to the local pawn shop.
The show takes matters a step further by creating an industrial, moneymaking loop. The loop breaks down the entire scam to incorporate every level of the industry - the cycle that makes the jewelry sells it, gets it back, and makes it all over again.
South Park's relevancy lies in its portrayal of the ever-changing flaws of today's society while its appeal is in the comedy that makes the messages digestible. Because of these significant aspects, South Park is not going anywhere. As long as features of society continue to become more and more ridiculous, this show will have a reason to stay on air.
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