# South Park 3/31 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 1, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662 "2004-04-01T03:42:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/21 "2004-04-01T15:45:20Z")
Much better then the last two episodes, although the Mel = Daffy Duck thing went on a little too long. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/22 "2004-04-01T16:03:09Z")
The Mel=Daffy thing was a little over the top, but I did have to laugh out loud when they made the image complete by having Mel grab a gun and fire randomly while bouncing from his feet to his head and going “woo-woo-woo woo.” I noticed in this episode that the animation seems to be gradually improving. Cartmen at a side angle kneeling in prayer, tiptoeing away from the phone, that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/23 "2004-04-01T16:18:04Z")
If we’re talking best lines, how about “I … have a friend who is a member of a certain … chosen people of Israel…”? I hadn’t watched South Park in years, having drifted away around S4 and not had an incentive to go back after I heard they permanently killed Kenny. Just recently I’ve been on a mad DLing spree to catch up on what I missed. I missed a _lot_. Not many shows manage years of continual improvement, but this is one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/24 "2004-04-01T17:58:58Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > I noticed in this episode that the animation seems to be gradually improving. Cartmen at a side angle kneeling in prayer, tiptoeing away from the phone, that sort of thing. I noticed that, too - like when he bowed to the audience during his speech. Those’re some nice touches, but the style’s still pretty crude. Not that I’d have it any other way. Anyway, not to repeat myself, but what was that photograph they flashed at the end of Kyle’s dream? It _looked_ like Alan Alda, but that doesn’t make any sense. Does it? ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/25 "2004-04-01T18:14:07Z")
Yep, that was Alan Alda and nope, didn’t make much sense. Still funny, though! ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/26 "2004-04-01T18:33:23Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > I’m pretty sure [Mel Gibson] was crapping on Cartman. Just like the dog that crapped all over Butters in “Good Times with Weapons” two weeks ago. I wonder why the whole world is suddenly developing explosive diarrhea… ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/27 "2004-04-01T18:37:11Z")
Well, in Mel’s case, he was just trying to get someone to torture him. I ask you, is that so wrong? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/28 "2004-04-01T19:26:25Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > It just burns me up…people complain about violence on TV desensitizing kids, so they just show the same amount of violence, but stop showing anyone getting hurt! What’s _that_ supposed to teach people? In America, all cartoons are for little tykes, and therefore must be whitewashed to the point of incomprehensibility. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/29 "2004-04-01T19:57:35Z")
> [@Catalyst](#): > > I’ve got to wonder whose idea it was to erase the swastikas from Cartman’s flags; thumbs down to Comedy Central on that one. I don’t see it that way. I don’t think they “erased” them at all. If you watch Cartman, he _gradually_ gets more “Hitlery” as the episode unfolds. For example, at an early rally, the poduim has a red/black/white banner, and later it clearly has the Eagle with outstreached wings. I think the message was that he was moving towards something, and it was allowed to build to the logical conclusion. I was anticipating swastikas to appear on the armband and the banners eventually. I think it would have been much less funny to have Cartman go directly from 8 year old to Neo-Nazi in one fell swoop. Him turning evil slowly, and duping the masses into following him was pretty funny, in my book. Thats the way I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/30 "2004-04-01T23:14:01Z")
> [@gatopescado](#): > > I think it would have been much less funny to have Cartman go directly from 8 year old to Neo-Nazi in one fell swoop. Him turning evil slowly, and duping the masses into following him was pretty funny, in my book. I agree. I had to laugh out loud whenever they showed Cartman getting ready for his MG Fan Club meeting, and he was dressed in the Hitler garb. And again when it progressed further with the marching and chanting in the “parade.” > [@pravnik](#): > > I noticed in this episode that the animation seems to be gradually improving. Cartmen at a side angle kneeling in prayer, tiptoeing away from the phone, that sort of thing. Yeah, I noticed this too. Like in the “Good Times with Weapons” episode, when the kids were crying because their parents were “dead”- this was where I first noticed it (on Cartman). On the same note, they also seem to be getting a bigger variety of photos from Corbis to use for some of the characters. I noticed Mel had a plethora of expressions. 🙂 LilShieste ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/31 "2004-04-02T00:19:51Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > I noticed in this episode that the animation seems to be gradually improving. Cartmen at a side angle kneeling in prayer, tiptoeing away from the phone, that sort of thing. [They’re using Maya](http://www.spscriptorium.com/SPinfo/MakingOfSouthPark.htm) on a flock of SGI Octane2 workstations to render the show, for crying out loud! Quite a leap from the early paper and scissors days. It is simultaneously amazing and funny how they’ve had to create such crude textures and not have Maya do the photo-realistic work it’s capable of. So, will Mr. Gibson be amused or pissed at how they portrayed him? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@The\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tim)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/32 "2004-04-02T00:56:44Z")
It was a fairly entertaining episode but I’m annoyed that they have been using the word “shit” in episodes, what with the horrible dragon and all. Is there any word on what next week’s is about? Comedy Central’s ads say that it is new but I haven’t seen any previews for the episode. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/33 "2004-04-02T01:01:22Z")
One other point; this was probably intentional on the part of the creators, but as I was watching I suddenly got the parallel between _Passion of the Christ_ and _Braveheart_. Remember when _Braveheart_ came out, and everyone said pretty much the same thing? “Good movie, but that torture scene at the end went on waaaayyyyy too long…” And now _Passion_ comes out and is essentially one great honkin’ big “torture scene at the end.” It seems like Mr. Gibson has a bit of a thing for torture scenes; anyone else notice this? Or am I way behind the curve and _everyone_ has already noticed this? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/34 "2004-04-02T01:08:31Z")
I _hated_ Mel Gibson’s movie, and I love this SP episode. 🙂 > [@The Tim](#): > > Is there any word on what next week’s is about? Eh, they’ll decide over the weekend. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/35 "2004-04-02T01:10:10Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > It seems like Mr. Gibson has a bit of a thing for torture scenes; anyone else notice this? When I heard Mel was making this movie, that’s the first thing that occurred to me: his penchant for scenes of suffering, a straight line from getting zapped by jumper cables in _Lethal Weapon_ to the end of _Braveheart._ Personally, I really do think there’s something wrong with the man. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/36 "2004-04-02T03:13:10Z")
It was okay. My son and I watch sometimes, we knew it was about The Passion so we watched. It seemd realistic. The chanting freaked me out though. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/37 "2004-04-02T03:28:55Z")
> [@vanilla](#): > > The chanting freaked me out though. German 1300 was a while back. “We must the Jews [something]” And what was Cartman chanting in the parade? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/38 "2004-04-02T03:37:31Z")
As far as I’m concerned, it’s impossible to overplay Gibson as a nut case in this situation. The man is disturbed and needs help. I thought that most of the _themes_ were very nice, but the execution (oops!) was poorly done. But complaining about that aspect of SP is pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/39 "2004-04-02T03:53:16Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > One other point; this was probably intentional on the part of the creators, but as I was watching I suddenly got the parallel between _Passion of the Christ_ and _Braveheart_. Remember when _Braveheart_ came out, and everyone said pretty much the same thing? > > “Good movie, but that torture scene at the end went on waaaayyyyy too long…” > > And now _Passion_ comes out and is essentially one great honkin’ big “torture scene at the end.” It seems like Mr. Gibson has a bit of a thing for torture scenes; anyone else notice this? > > Or am I way behind the curve and _everyone_ has already noticed this? _Years_ ago, _Harper’s_ pointed out a disturbing number of Mel’s movies featured him getting tortured. IIRC, they even had a medical expert come in and point out the flaws in some of the tortures (like he’d **die** if they did the bit with the car battery IRL). He has said that it was thinking of Christ’s suffering which helped free him from depression. Methinks the Gibson children are going to be writing _Daddy Dearest_ tell-all books when they grow up. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662/40 "2004-04-02T04:13:29Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > like he’d **die** if they did the bit with the car battery Car battery? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-31/237662.md?page=3)