Find your safe space…South Park is going PC!!!
South Park has a problem with being PC, and PC Principal is going to solve it! Now, South Park is changing. Garrison is running for President with Caitlyn Jenner, it has two new hip downtown urban areas in SoDoSoPa and CtPa Town, Yelpers, yaoi stars Craig and Butter, and best of all: Whole Foods. Something is brewing is South Park that is starting to happen all over the world, and the kids wonder if it something bigger at work.
South Park—Season 19 aired on Comedy Central from September 16, 2015 to December 9, 2015. The series continued the serialized storytelling introduced in South Park—Season 18. It was nominated for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Trey Parker—“Stunning and Brave”), Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Matt Stone—“Tweek x Craig”), and Outstanding Animated Program (“You’re Not Yelping”).
Has Cartman finally met his match in PC Principal?
South Park (despite its years) continues to be innovative. Changing the format in season 18 worked to some extent but it works here even better. The series is still able to tackle sensitive subjects with easy, but it manages to find a happy balance between the groups like the PC movement while even being very prophetic about the election which hadn’t even really turned in 2015.
South Park’s stories always manage to touch a nerve somewhere and this season is no different. My town is a town (Indianapolis) is a town undergoing a culture shift like South Park in the season. The downtown is booming, areas are being “gentrified”, and the poor and even middle class homeowners are no longer able to afford homes where they have lived for years. It has helped the cities in ways but also hurt it. Add to that other smart storytelling like the rise of the Yelpers, body-shaming, annoying pop-up ads, and the debate over Caitlyn Jenner, South Park continues to be topical but manages to still explore smaller subject with ease like yaoi storytelling.
I feel for you, man…
Visually, South Park is South Park and that is part of the joy of it. Now like The Simpsons, South Park has some expectations when you watch it. Despite being daring there is something safe and refreshing that it is there. While The Simpsons is comfort food, South Park is always challenging the system and you never know if it will make you uncomfortable…but that is a good thing.
South Park—Season 19 strikes a lot of nerves with me. I live in something referred to as “SoBro” by real estate agents and it is even one of the terms listed in the show (though it probably refers to Nashville). I also struggle with the “give a dollar” requests at every store you head to and the implied shame of not giving a dollar. The season’s overall living advertisements theme gets a bit dense in its Ex Machina storyline, but it still works. It does make you ask how we got here as a society, and despite improvements, is it better? It will be interesting to see where South Park goes in the next year with the election that they prophesized this season and how far down the PC rabbit hole Trey Parker and Matt Stone will dare to venture.
South Park—Season 19 Complete Episode Guide:
“Stunning and Brave”
19.1 Stunning and Brave Airdate: 09/16/15
South Park has a new principal in PC Principal, and he’s out to turn South Park around! When Kyle doesn’t think Caitlyn Jenner is a hero, he becomes the target of PC’s wrath…and PC might even be too strong for Cartman to stop!
“Where My Country Gone?”
19.2 Where My Country Gone? Airdate: 09/23/15
Mr. Garrison has had it with illegal immigrants from Canada and he has decided on a unique solution to curb the influx of Canadians…but when the Canadians build a wall to keep Americans out, Garrison sets out to cross the border. Plus, Cartman has his own way of dealing with the Canadians and chooses Butters to enact his plans.
“The City Part of Town”
19.3 The City Part of Town Airdate: 09/30/15
With Garrison running for office, South Park has become a joke to the nation. The people of South Park decide they need to turn the town around, and the key to that is a Whole Foods. Wooing Whole Foods meets turning the bad part of town (aka Kenny’s house) into the new urban development SoDoSoPa. When City Wok finds its business destroyed, Mr. Kim sets out to create CtPa Town to compete.
“You’re Not Yelping”
19.4 You’re Not Yelping Airdate: 10/14/15
Cartman has found his calling as a Yelper which means free food and being treated like a king at restaurants around South Park. Unfortunately about everyone in South Park has had the same idea, and the restaurants can’t handle all the specialized requests…leading to all out Yelp revolts.
“Safe Place”
19.5 Safe Space Airdate: 10/21/15
Cartman is fat shamed on the internet, and PC Principal will not have it. Assigning Butters to filter Cartman’s nasty comments, PC Principal starts a new trend that could kill Butters. Randy deals with shaming at the new Whole Foods when he refuses to give to feed children.
“Tweek x Craig”
19.6 Tweek x Craig Airdate: 10/28/15
Tweek and Craig have become the Asian girls’ favorite yaoi subjects, but Tweek and Craig aren’t gay…or are they? With the town in love with their romance Tweek and Craig must decide their future. Randy looks into yaoi and the secret of Japanese turning people gay.
“Naughty Ninjas”
19.7 Naughty Ninjas Airdate: 11/11/15
Officer Barbrady raids an assembly when Principal PC calls the police on Leslie’s interruptions. When Barbrady accidentally shoots a child, the police become the target of South Park’s wrath…but the children’s new ninja club could put the new Whole Foods in danger.
“Sponsored Content”
19.8 Sponsored Content Airdate: 11/18/15
Jimmy’s school newspaper has put him at odds with PC Principal due to op-ed pieces. As Jimmy fights pack, the school paper thrives due to its lack of ads. Jimmy’s become a target, and he’s about to find out that something deeper and darker is going on in South Park.
“Truth in Advertising”
19.9 Truth and Advertising Airdate: 12/02/15
PC Principal has disappeared, and Nathan is running the school newspaper with Jimmy also missing. Jimmy has uncovered that Leslie is a living embodiment of advertisement but attempts to silence his growing feelings for Leslie by newsmen could lead to a revolt. Randy finds South Park is becoming too expensive to live in and the return of Mr. Garrison, Caitlyn Jenner, and ex-Principal Victoria could uncover the truth!
“PC Principal—Final Justice”
19.10 PC Principal—Final Justice Airdate: 12/09/15
PC Principal is roaming the world looking for the ads that used him and abused PC. Ex-Principal Victoria seeks whoever got her fired for a Bill Cosby joke while Stan learns Kyle could be Leslie’s tool. Jimmy seeks to expose the truth before tragedy can strike. One thing can solve all problems: guns.
Preceded By:
South Park—Season 18 Review and Complete Episode Guide
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