I haven’t watched the show for a while before watching last night. I’m going to watch this season from now on. The P Diddy song was worth the price of admission
One more vote for gobear. This isn’t an election between a giant douche and a turd sandwich. That’s juvenile cynicism. The only thing funny was the satire on “Vote or Die” and the related rapping!
Yeah, that’s good. Gotta love ol’ George. However that fails to address the point that Trey and Matt are encouraging potential voters to disengage from the system. Our representative democracy only works if the people hold their leaders accountable for their actions. Voter apathy encourages the venal and the vicious to succeed in government because nobody is watching them. As Jon Stewart notoriously commented, the media aren’t doing their jobs, which only encourages more people to tune out of politics becaue they aren’t being informed on the issues
The difference between our government and many governments in the world is that sovereignty is vested in the people, not in a monarch, or a party, or a dictator (Even some Western democracies have titular monarchs). The government is supposed to serve us, not the reverse. It’s our tool to make the decisions that affect all of us, from taxation to funding schools and libraries to building roads to defending our nation from terrorists. If you don’t vote, you are ceding your power over your life to others, effectively changing yourself from a citizen to a subject.
Perhaps this is a tad passionate for a Cafe Society post, but sometimes discussing art is not always about frivolity.
And yeas, the PETA bits were spot on.
I disagree. Trey and Matt aren’t, in my opinion, trying to gloss over the differences between Kerry and Bush. They’re trying to illustrate the point of view of someone who sees no differences *actually worth caring about * between the candidates. For example, using Stan as a prospective voter in the Presidential election - say he’s a one-issue voter, and his issue is reduced government spending. Doesn’t really matter which candidate he picks, does it? He doesn’t really care about abortion, gun rights, same-sex marriage, the Iraq War… neither candidate satisfies his wants.
So what should Stan do? Vote anyway? Just because? Trey and Matt are suggesting that some folks out there aren’t going to vote because they don’t like either candidate particularly, and by forcing them to pick between those two candidates, they’re just as likely to vote against the candidate of whoever’s trying to motivate them as they are to vote for that candidate. Because to that sort of person, there really isn’t an important difference between the candidates. So by forcing those sorts of voters to vote, you’re essentially introducing a big pile of randomness to the process.
Isn’t that kind of what South Park is all about? I don’t think Trey and Matt intended for SP to be “start a dialogue” satire.
Really, people.
If you’re complaining that people watching South Park will suddenly become disillusioned with voting based on fictional characters doing the same, and aren’t happy that the creators of said show aren’t politically motivating our youth…
Well, to paraphrase Jon Stewart, we’re in sad shape, gentlemen.
It’s an animated comedy show. Immediately following it is a cartoon reality program.
You’re only indignant because you think you should be. Get over it, do the thing you think is right, and get the hell out of people’s faces because they choose to do something different…even if that something is nothing at all.
To the best of my recollection, that’s basically true. They’re pretty good at leading you through some weird plot where you’re alternately laughing and wondering wtf is up with them, and then at the end they do their little “moral of the story”/“I think we learned something today” that ties the whole thing together.
They even parody their “moral of the story” method in an episode where Cartman thinks his friends are too immature and makes friends with an adult male over the Internet:
The man and his friends, who want to meet Cartman’s other little boy friends, turn out to be members of NAMBLA, an organization campaigning to try to legalize/legitimize sexual relationships between adult men and young boys. (Yes, it’s real.) One of the men does a “moral of the story”-style speech about how they’re born that way and feel it’s natural and loving, and they’re being persecuted and hated unreasonably. One of the gang just responds with, “Dude! You want to have sex with children!”
I rather appreciated this episode, as I’ve felt pretty much this way about my choices for the last month or so. I have a choice between a douche and a turd sandwhich, and frankly, I don’t like either of them, so I know exactly what Stan was feeling there. Particulary the part where he was getting yelled at by kyle for voting, but not voting for the candidate kyle wanted.(AKA “If you don’t vote, you’re a moron. If you vote for Bush, you’re still a moron”. Not exactly the way to make me want to vote for your guy).
Though he never thought of the option I’m seriously considering…voting for someone else. Write in if there is no third party. You voted but you didn’t have to sell out your principles to do so.
*Prepares for the inevitable ‘You’re a moron for not voting againest Bush’ "
Which makes it all the more effective as propaganda. Because you can’t seek to rebut it without looking foolish. Ah well, I’ve taken that risk I suppose.
The idea that there’s no real difference between the candidates is dangerous misinformation. Presenting that idea in a comedic format doesn’t (or shouldn’t) get you a free pass to avoid criticism.
Thanks for missing the point. Try to follow. Are a turd sandwich and a big douche the same thing? Is there no difference between them? No of course not. The are completely different but still are a bad idea for a school mascot. They are not saying there is no real difference between the candidates. They are saying there is a big difference but they both still really suck. I don’t necessarily agree but I understand the point. BTW I have already voted for my lesser evil by absentee ballot.
Same difference. Saying “both candidates suck” is just more of the same lazy (or perhaps malicious) bullshit. The point is to discourage people from voting. And presented through the comic medium, it’s very effective.
Well, I guess their conservatism would explain why they seem to think Bush is no better, and the fact that I think the whole voting system is corrupt means that I subconsciously want to systematically disenfranchise Democrats all across the country in support of such Our Beloved Leader.
I agree that there are differences between the candidates, but what about the group of people out there who can’t stand either one? You want me to vote? Then fine…give me the choice to vote None of the Above!!! Don’t force me into supporting a candidate who I feel absolutely nothing for whatsoever, because I won’t do it.
Ohh, and to keep this Cafe Society, excellent episode, and a nice strong (and topical) start to the 9th season…I can’t wait to see what’s up next!!
Its not lazy or bullshit if its true. You happen to think one of them doesn’t suck. You have a hard time understanding why someone would disagree with you. You think that the creators of South Park, Orgazmo, and *Team America * are part of some right wing conspiracy. Lighten up dude.
Define “suck” in the sense you’re using it, please.
See, that’s why it’s lazy, and that’s why it’s bullshit. It’s just a meaningless ad hominem attack. And the effect is to discourage voters from participating in the process by making them think both candidates are worthless (without really thinking too much about it). Why bother to examine the issues? Both candidates “suck,” whatever that means.
Incidentally, it’s also bullshit to say there are no other options but the two “sucky” candidates. Hell, vote for the Libertarian candidate if that’s the position you endorse.
(And no, I don’t think Matt and Trey are part of a conspiracy, and I didn’t say so. But it seems obvious to me that they want to do what they can to preserve their tax cuts. One way to do that is to depress voter turnout.)
And preceding it was an hour of redneck jokes. So, on Comedy Central, there was whatever was on at 8, then an hour of redneck jokes, then an animated comedy show, then a cartoon reality program, then half an hour of fake news. While I’m sure all of them have merit and say something about America, to say that they themselves have any effect is probably wrong (or possibly scary.)
Sounds like the definition of a conspiracy to me…
You know, spoke you’re right…maybe I’ll go out and vote for Bush!! Or is the “hallowed duty of every American” only so hallowed when it’s your candidate
(“Stan, you can’t vote turd sandwich!”)?
First of all, let me state that I am voting. However, I fully support people who choose not to vote, and I don’t think it damages the democratic system at all. Not voting sends a very strong message, and that message is that neither candidate is satisfactory. If the percentage of people who didn’t vote rose high enough, eventually it would force the candidates to start looking at those people and trying to gain their vote. Am I wrong? If 50% of the nation didn’t vote, don’t you think the next presidential candidates would be very cautious about being different from the previous two candidates?
I don’t know about Spoke, but I’d much rather that you vote for Bush than not vote. Of course, I still hope you lose! 
It’s still halfway through season 8. For some reason they broadcast half the season, wait 6 months and do the other half.
Though I think systems with compulsory voting, like Australia’s, are better than the American system I can really get behind the message that the people saying “if you don’t vote you’re dumb, if you vote for Bush you’re also dumb” are part of the problem.
Half of me does too, trust me (I’m a bit proponent of the Kerry = gridlock theory). 