This season’s fifth episode was excellent. So far season 12 is shaping up to be very satisfying, if not outstanding. One of my favorite things about SP is the realism in the show’s depiction of childhood. For instance, in “Fun With Weapons” the errant boy’s reminded me of myself and my friends as kids, constantly figuring out creative ways to injure each other and set our action figures on fire.
I was very entertained by Cartman’s hand-raising tantrum last Wednesday. He acted as if his arm was going to pop out of its skin. The best part is, everyone either knows THAT kid or knows what it feels like to want to be called on so bad you almost mess your pants. I must confess I was, on occasion, THAT kid. Talking is about the only thing I like more than writing so I can relate to Cartman’s anxiety. However once selected to lead the class, Cartman’s anxiety turns to downright vindictiveness: yelling all the time and smackin’ kids with the pointer.
Cartman’s character arc takes an unexpected, alopecic turn when he is asked to teach troubled keedz in an underachieving high school a la Dangerous Minds and the Substitute and Lean On Me and Sister Act II. Little did I expect that the SP writers would spoof Stand and Deliver, 1988’s original ‘teacher uplifts troubled keedz’ flick. Starring Edward James Olmos as academic maverick Jaime Escalante, Stand and Deliver is about a Bolivian math teacher who manages to turn an east LA school’s decrepit math department into a paragon of Advanced Placement success. Adding another dimension to the spoof was the fact that Escalante was actually accused of cheating-or rather his students’ scores as “suspect.” His students retook the test and verified their original scores.
Cartman’s transformation into Eric Cartmenez was as unforeseen and blatantly racist as it was hilarious. Some may ask: “Since when is racism hilarious?” Racism was probably one of the most ancient and human forms of humor AND bigotry. I personally am not offended by the Jew jokes liberally slathered on by Cartman, so I don’t feel bad laughing when the show makes fun of other races. That being said, I thought Season Ten’s portrayal of Caesar Milan, the Dog Wheesperer, was rivaled in racism and hilarity by Eric Cartmenez’s accent, demeanor, and sense of fashion. “How do I reach these keedz?” Check out the pictures below. The first is a mural of Olmos(left) and the real Jaime Escalante(right), notice how Olmos is wearing the same shirt as Mr. Cartmenez.
Also noteworthy was the reemergence of Mr. Garrison. Not only is South Park on the forefront of social commentary, it is also on the forefront of biotechnology. I dream of a world where one day replacement penises can be grown on the back of a mouse. Incidentally I was in fourth grade when they grew that ear on the back of a mouse. That was over 10 years ago. Very soon we will be able to grow organs on their own. Recently a mouse heart was “printed” using an inkjet-like device that sprayed stem cells instead of ink. Similar to rapid prototyping, this kind of procedure would allow somebody to “print” themselves a living working penis, ear or anything else they could imagine. If this existed, SP could alternate between Mr. and Mrs. Garrison on a weekly basis.
Posted by schublog 