OK, so I don’t watch South Park because it’s just not funny. But I have heard of the glorious Oscar nominated song “Blame Canada.”
Curiosity got the better of me (due to the Baker’s Dozen thread) and I just listened to the, what minute and a half long song. It’s about as funny as Paul McCartney’s “Her Majesty” from the Abbey Road album.
In other words, it’s a short little nondescript song about nothing.
Why is this famous, and why was it Oscar-nominated? Really? What am I missing.
I take it you did not see South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, the film in which the song appeared.
First, you need to know how Canadians are portrayed. When they talk, the whole top of their heads move; hence the ‘flapping heads’ reference.
Nest, you need to know why they’re blaming Canada. A popular show the kids watch is Terrence & Phillip. Their schtick is farting on each other and other people, and using foul language. The kids go to see T&P’s R-rated movie, and come out cursing like T&P. This upsets their mothers, who blame Canada for corrupting their kids. This leads to war between the U.S. and Canada.
Finally, you have to ‘get’ that South Park uses satire to make its point. The film is not making fun of Canada; it’s making fun of us U.S. Americans. The kids’ cursing has nothing to do with Canada, and has everything to do with the way their (American) parents raised them.
That’s why it’s funny.
The song got nominated because it’s the only song from the film that could’ve remotely been performed on the Oscars. The rest were far too vulgar.
As for why was any song from the film was up for an Oscar at all? It’s not only a really funny film, it’s both a great parody of movie musicals and a great movie musical in its own right.
I can see why it would resonate with Academy members - a number of them are Canadian and what is far more, the theme of the song is parents blaming entertainers rather than themselves for the unruliness of their children. Surely that would be amusing to them.
Similarly, Shakespeare in Love had an edge over Saving Private Ryan when it came to Academy voting because the former was about writers, producers and actors, i.e. proto-Hollywood. In any case, I think the correct call was made.
Wow…this is a little late.
Like 15 years late.
BTW,OP, did you know that there was a plane crash at the World Trade Center?
Some people blame Canada for that.
I hadn’t heard it before.
I know you’re not equating a trivial cartoon song with a detestable world-changing event, but use some discretion please.
I missed the cartoon.
I know what’s going on in the world.
What’s the cutoff for discussing media on the internet? I notice some people discussing movies even older than that.
“And when Brian Boitano built the pyramids, he beat up Kublai Khan
'Cause Brian Boitano doesn’t take shit from anybody!”
South Park is satire. They mock everyone equally. In this particular case, they’re mocking America’s kneejerk reaction to find a scapegoat for domestic problems, be it black trenchcoats causing school shootings, or inventing some phony casus belli to wage war on another nation. (Like WMD’s in Iraq, which hadn’t even happened yet – the movie came out in 1999.)
Most commonly, though, South Park mocks old fuddy-duddies who merely can’t take the joke. 
No cutoff.
Expressing outrage at a 15 year old song being nominated for an Academy Award seems to be misplaced concern.
“It’s Hard Out Here for A Pimp” won the Academy Award in 2006. Now that should have engendered some outrage. And it was more recent.
Outrage?
I was asking a question?
ETA: I’m quite familiar with satire. Perhaps if I watched the entire episode in question I could have put things in perspective; but I didn’t watch the entire episode and am asking for explanations. Johnny L.A. provided a very good contextual explanation. You, on the other hand, are not useful at all and should just stay away from this thread. And me in general, really.
It’s from a movie not a tv episode. Hence Oscars and not Emmys.
Thanks Lieutenant Hauk.
you’re just ashamed because the best your country can produce is Terrance and Phillip with fart jokes.
Apparently you are not “familiar with satire.”
Sorry, but it was a rather silly question.
Perhaps you thought it wasn’t…but it was,
And I was unaware that I needed your permission to respond to threads.
I missed that at the meeting,
I thought the best song was “Uncle Fucka,” but it would never have gotten an Oscar nomination. By the way, just to poke fun at the way people take things seriously, Trey Parker and Matt Stone showed up at the awards ceremonies in drag.
Speaking of useful: this isn’t useful. Leaffan, nevadaexile- stop it, both of you.
I was concerned I may have come off as snarky. That was not my intention, and I’m glad you didn’t read it that way.
BTW, Stephen Sondheim, winner of more Tony Awards than any other composer, loved the movie:
Well it’s not even a real country anyway.
