I've noticed that too. The Chef character has been reduced so much over the last couple of seasons that most people probably won't even notice. Still a big loss to the show, though.
It was the creators trying to show that when you tell people they are helpless, they look to anything, no matter how stupid, to fix their problems. They look to anything but themselves and place some kind of magical power in it. They'll even wait in line to see the "bloody mary" statue.
Their "social messages" are usually trite ( but appear as if they are being heard for the first time in this profound fashion) and simplistic. There was one episode they had referring to the 2004 election, telling people not to vote for the "douche bag" and whoever the other mascot was. The message was not to vote in 2004 because Kerry was the douche bag and Bush was whatever the other name was ( I cant remember). P Diddy actually trying to kill people if they didnt vote was funny, but the "social message" was unbelievably dumb : Don't vote because, even though we arent going to discuss any issues concering the election, we think both candidates are uhhh stupid, errrrr.... Or that Katrina episode where the message was " To stop blaming people..." They also have this weird obsession with attacking Streisand, O'donnell, and Rob Reihner... and this monolithic "hollywood liberal political correctness," which is kind of funny considering that hollywood liberal George Clooney helped them get their show picked up by a network. (*note Streisand is an idiot, but they generalize people far too much. That episode of Reihner and the smoking industry didnt even make sense.) Family Guy is vastly superior to South Park because it doesnt try to have some contrived, unnecessary meaning behind it ( and because it's a hell of a lot funnier). If they make fun of the Bush adminstration or political correctness they do it with sharp jokes and leave at that. Stewie doesnt go off on some little rant at the end of the episode like Kyle does. Humor is subjective... and there are moments when I like south park ( mostly everything involving Cartman or Marlon Brando's character... NAMBLA v. NAMBLA was hilarious). But when the show tries to be too shocking or push off some half backed ideology they lose it...
It sounds like what you're saying is that you don't agree with the message so it's worse than Family Guy which has no message. If so, I can accept that as your opinion. In my opinion (and theirs), the only people they really mess with are people who take themselves too seriously.
No, I can't disagree with their message because it's not clear what that message is. It's just contrariness amounting to nothing, and it's a little pretentious as well. It's just silly for a show with talking Christmas poop to even have a real "social message." Talk about taking yourself too seriously... Again, they have had a lot of funny episodes... but all those in which they try to base off of real life events or with some incoherent ideological theme they end up looking kind of foolish. But, I guess... it's subjective and we will just have to "agree to disagree..."
Please. Family Guy has relied completely on gimmick since its return. "Look! An off the wall pop culture reference! See, you remember that - that means it's funny!" Though I do wish they'd get rid of Kyle and Stan. I've always hated the holier-than-thou **** up everybody else's **** archetype (Lisa Simpson).
I've never really seen South Park as coming down on any side. They just try to get you to actually THINK about issues instead of regurgitating your preprogrammed beliefs. They're pretty fair in presenting all sides.
I dont think we are watching the same show... For the Katrina episode there was more to do with people going crazy on rushing to judgment.. I.E. the news reporters saying that "100 of millions of people have died in the SMALL town of SouthPark" then says under this breath.. "Even though we're not totally sure if it's true".. Also the whole town is trying to escape the "global warming" that they quickly rushed to judgment on the cause of the flooding even though there was no global warming.. (remember Stan’s dad out side in his parka) For the voting episode Cartman and Kyle were trying to get Stan to vote, but he just didn’t care.. I took it as if you don’t want to vote for anyone why do people make others feel so bad for not voting if the choices in your opinion are between a “Giant Douche” or a “Turd Sandwich”.. For the Rob Reihner episode it had to do being a hypocrite not so much a generalized SMOKING episode.. Rob Reihner was so wrapped up in keeping everyone safe from cigarette smoke that he is over the top in his methods, but at the same time all he does is eat fatty food during the show and essentially killing himself slowly in the same fashion the cigarettes are doing in which he is on a crusade against.. I think many people don’t give this show the credit it deserves simply because they see it as gross fart jokes and don’t bother to find the underlying humor that makes the show so great.. I love Family Guy just as much as the next guy, but Family Guy hasn’t had an episode yet that makes you think or has a underlying message..
No way.......it's brilliant. I wish I had thought of it. A religion designed to prey on and bilk the wealthy. Simply brilliant.
Well, if Isaac Hayes thought he could duck out of the show in any dignified manner, he has totally blown it. If they do get rid of the character, they will completely and fully humiliate Chef before they do so. I'm sure they will also portray his character in the worst forms of hypocrasy they can think of. This is the sort of stuff they do best. If Isaac really was upset that they made fun of Scientology, the best way to get out of the whole deal is to just keep his mouth shut and quietly leave.
I thought the Scientology episode was one of the funniest ever - the bit about Tom Cruise being unwilling to come out of the closet was priceless. Of course, I'm not even a level 1 operating Thetan, so maybe I wasn't offended like I should have been.
Who's the green private dick thats a sex machine to all the Thetan chicks... Xenu! ya daaaaaaaaaaaaamn right. I mean that Xenu is a bad motha...Shut yo mouth! What I'm just talkin about Xenu.
