Any thoughts? I loved it and thought it was funny as hell. It was nice to see someone go after the anti-tobacco lobby for a change (though I’m sure some people are going to have a problem with this).
Kyle was also great in talking about how formulaic their story is.
I for one loved it… South Parks still going strong with the funny.
Kind of sucked. It was the same joke beaten over your head. Whenever the creators get preachy, the episode enjoyment drops sharply. Think of it as the “Lisa Episode” syndrome.
Oh well. The song the tobacco workers sung was amusing, but that was about it. The rest of the new season has been very good- so I guess this lackluster episode is not much to complain about.
The show had me chuckling non-stop. The dorky anti-smoking troupe that made them want to smoke…Rob Reiner constantly eating while complaining about how unhealthy smoking is…one of their best episodes.
To disagree with elf6c here, I think that their best episodes are the one where they DO get preachy. Because they do it with wit and cleverness and a non-whininess that Lisa Episodes tend to lack.
I have my erm what do they call it? PVR? Well basically TiVo set to record it. For some reason it cut out the last min so now I have to forever wonder what Kyle learned that episode. sigh
Rob Reiner endlessly eating got old…quick. I found the beginning very funny but it went downhill from there. Average show WAYY better then the crap they were putting out for awhile.
A little obvious, but really pretty good. The Butt Out Dancers; the song of the Tobacco Company Workers; the constant eating (though I think the real Rob has recently lost a gazillion pounds); the Dr. Strangelove HQ of the anti-smokers as opposed to the cheerful factory; the cynicism of sacrificing Cartman (and didn’t the little bastard nail that PSA); and the formulaic ending (Kyle aside to Stan ‘Told ya!’ Stan: ‘Yep’) made it pretty good. The target was easy, though, and the melting of Rob at the end was unnecessary.
And I can’t have been the only one waiting to see Rob accidentally scarf down the poisoned cupcake.
Pretty average as South Park goes. Not one of the best efforts and easily forgettable. Started out with such promise, too. “FIRE!! Mkay!”
She told me she loved me like a brother. She was from Arkansas, hence the Joy!
Started out great with the Butt Out dancers. The Rob Reiner stuff was funny at first, but got old. Taking the piss out of the extreme anti-smoking crowd was amusing. But why did the tobacco company get off so easy? I thought there were no sacred cows.
Yoo, what would you have liked to see happen to them? The whole show was about the kids smoking, influenced by the anti-tobacco. What did the Tobacco co do?
I thought Rob Reiner being a mutant was another jab to south parks “formula”. Maybe not.
Kyle’s self-referential comments were funny - particularly when he steps forward and pauses, mid-rant, to remind Stan that he told-him-so.
Surely, there are at least several more episodes where Matt & Trey will delight and entertain us. So, lookout Osama, Saddam, Devil and you too Jesus and Santa! Prepare to laugh!
Any reason why they picked Reiner to poke fun of? I found it surprising, seeing as Norman Lear works on the show. But then again, anyone’s fair game in South Park.
I’m not a writer on the show. I just didn’t expect them to be soft-pedaled the way they were. However crazy some of the anti-smoking types can be, the tobacco companies aren’t saints.
Reiner was a major mover behind California’s “fifty cents a pack tax” initiative.
I thought it was pretty funny; I’m definitely a nonsmoker, but I’m not one who wants to take it away from everyone else, so the antics of the militants roll my eyes. Kind of a big target, but the boys hit it squarely.
My criticism, though, is similar to Yookeroo’s: Their satire is sharpest when they manage to point out the ridiculousness on both sides. The recent LDS episode, for example, gets to have it both ways: Yes, the tenets of the religion (or any religion, really) may seem kind of silly when examined dispassionately, but you’re a jerk if you try to hold it against somebody.
I kept waiting for the reverse slam at the end, where after the point is made that yes, you can take responsibility for your own body, the additional point is made that you’re kind of a dumb shit if you smoke because you fill your lungs with tar and stand a good chance of dying a horrible death.
“South Park” style, this would be a rapid-fire ten-second coda. Something like this:
Kenny: Mmmmmph mf mfff?
Kenny’s Mom: Yes, Kenny, you can smoke if you want to, even though I’d rather you didn’t. It’s your choice.
Kenny: Kmffl! <grabs cigarette>
<Jump cut to grown-up Kenny in hospital bed.>
Kenny: <cough cough> Ffffck.
<Credits.>
The actual ending, with Rob Reiner full of green goo, was supremely weak. But yeah, a good episode up until that point. The formula stuff was great: “We could take responsibility, or we’ll just end up with a crowd waving torches and pitchforks. Hmmm…” <cut to crowd with torches> “Dammit!”
If Kenny died after one drag, it would be pretty lame. They didn’t imply that you’re a dumb shit for smoking… if it had, I wouldn’t have liked the episode as much as I did. It didn’t deny that smoking is bad for your health, though. That’s very important. The kids ended up getting punished at the end for smoking too, which is also important. The show was, for the most part, about the kids smoking and having to take responsibility for it themselves, in which case Big Tobacco wasn’t even a factor but was still blamed.
Though the tobacco companies aren’t saints, I’m not sure how much anti-tobacco campaigns help. Most of them are just so lame. I’m sure that there are a lot of younger people out there who are more intrigued with smoking because of the of all of the antismoking ads out there, mainly because they try and relate to kids, but fail miserably. Frankly, I think we would be better off if cigarettes didn’t get any air time. I’m sure the ads have reached a few young people. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s done more good than harm, but I also think that it’s done more to encourage certain types of kids to smoke than tobacco company has lately.
Cervaise, I’m sorry. It occurred to me that you never implied Kenny would die after one cigarette.
I misunderstood your post, my bad.
I like that they did not show smoking as glamorous; it looked unpleasant. The food jokes were quite overdone. I rather liked the plot to kill Cartman and that they made no attempt to hide it. I like that they acknowledged the formula too. I loved the lame dancers. The smooth acknowlegement as tobacco as partly responsible for slavery was nice and the acting like that was a good thing is classic SP.
See, right after the Butt Out dancers did their last line “You’ll be cool. . . LIKE US!” I was predicting that at some point during the episode they would turn out to be in the employ of Big Tobacco Co.
Their over the top lameness and annoying behavior is better advertising than all the Joe Camels in the world, after all.
The Butt Out dancers were funny, but I’m a little weary of SP’s shallow libertarian proslytizing and their cruel caricatures of celebrities have gotten boring.
I liked the episode, despite my personal opinions. South Park has always been a show that’s not afraid to ruffle feathers. People only complain when they don’t agree with the shows lessons. At least Matt and Trey have the balls to say what they feel, even if they risk alienating their viewers. I’ve seen a lot of antismoking ads when the show goes to commercial too, so they not only refuse to kiss the viewers ass, but the advertisers too. mobo85 has also pointed out that Norman Lear was a consultant for two of the episodes, but they still rip on Reiner. It’s nice to see there’s a TV program out there like South Park.
You see, I’ve learned something today. South Park provokes conversation, and what’s wrong with that? You don’t have to agree or disagree with the opinions of the show to enjoy it. Maybe South Park will pave the way for other programs to be bold enough to express the personal oppinions of those who write for them. It’s good for people to be exposed to different arguments on a paticular issue, because even if you don’t agree with it, it helps us all grow.
Oh my gosh! What’s that green goo oozing from JDeMobray!?
You weren’t. I seriously Rob was going to eat that cupcake. It would have made a better way to get rid of him than him melting.
Rob: See…smoking is bad…for your health…{grabs cupcake}…it…{eats cupcake} does nothing…{chew} but kill…you…{ Rob drops dead.}