South Park Season 12 XII Episode 3 ‘Major Boobage’

The third episode of this season was one to remember. It offered another perfect example of the careful balance between tired jokes and new twists; with a healthy portion of social commentary. First I would like to discuss the main theme of the show: cheesing.

South Park has tackled drug issues in many hilarious ways- from Mr. Mackie’s mind-expanding sabbatical to the portrayal of towelie as the quintessential anti-weed poster-boy (or poster-towel). Matt and trey certainly have a lot to say about drugs in America and have continued their criticism by exposing the harmful consequences of cheesing. For those not aware, cheesing is a REAL thing, though it does not involve cats or urine. Cheesing is the term used to refer to a new drug cocktail popular among the post-Pokémon, pre-pubescent crowd. Middle schoolers have been concocting a dangerous combination of cheap heroin and/or other opiods mixed with over-the-counter sleeping pills. The resulting “cheese” is sold in little packets of paper and snorted.

Also, the show mentions the use of strangulation to get high. Not only has this recently claimed the lives of a number of kids, it also REALLY works. When I was a lowly tween at sleepaway camp I participated in a contest to see who could make their face turn redder. This involved holding your breath and rushing blood to your head. After doing this for an extended period of time, I felt lightheaded and eventually blacked out, vivid hallucination ensued. Like the characters in South Park, my hallucination took the form of animated characters, in my experience they were from the film “Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of Nimh.” (Also one of my favorite books.)

Enough about me, on to the show. Aside from appreciating the social commentary about drugs, the episode provided plenty of classic characterizations, with some new, funny twists. This episode took the whole Cartman/Jewjoke bit to another level while further developing Eric’s character. When Gerald Brovfloski successfully lobbied for the expatriation of all cats in South Park, Cartman shows rarely-revealed compassion in taking in the delinquent kitties. While his efforts to hide the kitties stems from his own selfish desire to save his kitty, eventually he expands his efforts and establishes a kitty shelter, a kitty annex in his attic. Unfortunately, because of the younger members of the South Park audience, the creators drew this holocaust parallel with the subtlety of an oncoming locomotive. However I was pleased with one aspect of subtlety: the quiet, fiddler-on-the-roof-ish music that played whenever Cartman was shown saving kitties. The subtleness was smashed at the end, when Kyle plainly stated what had been carefully building all episode long.

Boobs are another important part of the episode which warrants comment. The South Park creators have teased Kenny’ mammary obsession since season one, when his muffled verse in the show’s theme song could only be understood as something like “I like titties, big big titties.” This idea was further elaborated in the movie, when Kenny enters a heaven full of topless, busty angels. This episode took Kenny’s infatuation to a new level. Not only did the writers equate boobsession to drug addiction, they also thought of about a million new way to draw, show, or say boob. “My daughter’s awesome bewbage.” “Nippleopolis.” And who can forget the tit-jousting on weird ostrich-like birds with racks that would put Lindsay Lohan to shame.

This episode truly had everything: sex, drugs and rock n roll. The allusion to the Heavy Metal film was a bit lost to me since the movie came out before I was born, and since I’m not a D&D-loving freak nerd. The level of the animation was excellent, and accurate; bringing back memories of the critically acclaimed “Fun with Weapons” episode. Also, did you notice the film of the real kitten in the scene when Gerald Brovfloski breaks out his cheesing “kit.” I love it when the show uses live-action (remember wild wacky action bike- the bike that’s hard to ride.) Another hilarious smidge of social comment was the teary confession by Gerald Brovfloski. As he comes clean about his cheesing, his wife at his side conjures up the image of Silda Spitzer stone-faced stoic at her husband’s resignation. The social commentary, character development, and overall funniness made episode 1203 a memorable one. Now you can watch it over and over again at SouthParkStudios.com-DO IT NOW.