South Park

South Park is one of the funniest shows on television at the minute. I think the last few seasons it's constantly been better then The Simpsons (will stay go down in history as the Big Kahuna though) and certainly better then Family Guy (a show I like just not love). The reason the thought of the Simpsons because two recent(ish) episodes of both shows have covered roughly the same ground THE WORLD OF WARCRAFT EPISODES

This previous Sunday so the premiere episode of "Marage Gamer"- a Simpsons episode where Marge becomes addicted to a internet game not too disimilair from World of Warcraft called Earthland Realms, she finds out Bart is the most feared and destructive player. In the 10th season South Park episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft" -In the game world comes under jeopardy when one player begins going around killing people, after losing to him in a mass battle, the players decide to increase their levels to the top level. What I like about is when the characters are sat at the computer they look anything other then heroic, spot ridden, going to the bathroom where they are set, I like it cause it reminds of the ex-husband of somebody I know, who became so obsessed it buggered up his real ife.

Both feature a game player going around commiting senseless acts, but there aren't too many similarities really deep down, South Park is the better spoof and does a better representation of online gaming.

THE 24 EPISODES

"24 Minutes" is an 18th season episode of the Simpsons, Bart and Lisa joins forces to stop the school bullies letting off a stink bomb at the school bake which actually features cameos from Kiefer Sutherland and Mary Lynn Rajskub. I thought was a really week episode, you take away the flash of it trying to look the style of 24 (which it does well) it's rarely that funny. However, the 11th Season South Park episode "The Snuke" is also a parody of 24. There is a new Arab kid in class, whilst trying to persucate him Cartman accidently stumbles on a unrelated plot to assassinate Hilary Clinton. It's actually quite a good parody of how dumb bigotry can be whilst The Simpsons I think makes the mistake of setting it all in Springfield Elementary.

Compare there take on the same spoof (not a criticism here) The Simpsons almost seem quaint by comparison, South Park as somebody being killed by Hilary Clinton's foofoo and the episode ending with the Queen blowing her own brains out.

Work in Progress.

Firstly, I haven't quite finished my Guilty Pleasures for this week. Also I'm in the middle of working on a couple of reviews -proper reviews- which is probably my first in over a year. All should be up tomorrow or Thursday.

You know I mentioned earlier about one of my students making a film about 9/11 conspiracy. Well South Park went and spoilt it for me the other night by making a mockery over the all situation and doing it funny which will make it a bit harder for the poor lad's film to be quite taking as serious by me.

What else can I say? I've been off the past couple of days because of Bank Holiday weekend and of course my workshop is Wednesday night -the fifth week off the top of my head- got an 18 shift coming up in September that I'm exicted/scared of.

Team America World Police

If it comes from the creators behind South Park (Trey Parker and Matt Stone), you kind of already know what your getting yourself into- you already know it's gonna lean a tad towards the taboo, South Park is usually take no prisoners (at the time of writing this- Isaac Hayes whose voiced Chef for years quit because of the recent Scientology episode) and Team America is clearly influenced by the work of Gerry Anderson (it's amazing to think an idea like this wasn't done before).

Team America is about a global police force dedicated to maintaining global stability who recruit Broadway actor Gary Johnstone to go undercover and learning that power hungry North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il is out to destroy the world. Team America is a funny movie, the film from the first second is a piss take of the Hollywood big budget movies, most notably Michael Bay- and gleefully in the opening scene destroys Paris landmarks, the songs are pretty good (Everybody has Aids, America Fuck Yeah, etc) which is not unexpected after South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut and the appearances of the anti-war celebrities- The Film Actor's Guild (which stands for F.A.G) political opinions aside is pretty damn funny- You've got Michael Moore, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Matt Damon (very, very funny) and all host of others- at least you can call it an equal rights attack and it is as really a memorable sex scene.

Parker and Stone have made a decent film with some very funny moments, whilst I'm never going to consider this the greatest comedy ever made, it was good for a chuckle or two (like South Park I guess) and really worth a watch.

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