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Nialle wins! Nialle beat shaggydan 15 to 11
The 10 best episodes of 'South Park' are every bit as good (if not better) than the 10 best episodes of 'The Simpsons'
shaggydan said
First off, I think we need to define some of the ways that South Park and Simpsons differ. For starters, South Park is intentionally, aggressively pushing the boundaries of what people will/should laugh at. They have gone too far from time to time, and sometimes their experiments at social commentary begin to sound a little more mean than you would expect.
But...
The result is that when they get it right, they absolutely get it right.
Both shows have created microcosms of American culture, anchored by Homer and Cartman, both of whom are foolish, easy to get caught up in irrational justifications and excel at establishing the conflict of each episode. The difference here, I think, is the intent of these characters. While Cartman is thirsty for power, Homer is hungry for a sandwich.
So I think the question here is, when you're looking to define what makes social commentary 'good,' are you looking for something with some edge, or something that's easier to accept in all time zones?
Nialle said
So I posted this as a comment, but wanted to post this as an argument.
I may agree with your summarization of the two shows, but I would argue that The SImpsons always has great social commentary WITHOUT having to go "too far" from time to time. It still manages to be funny, whereas sometimes I roll my eyes at South Park's attempt at comedy, which is mainly bathroom humor at times.
Again, I refer to "The Cartridge Family" episode of the The Simpsons as the best ever. Funny through the whole thing while still managing to make a strong statement about gun control.
shaggydan said
Yeah, you know, there???s no way I???m going win this throwdown if I were to try to minimize South Park???s tendency to get dirty and offensive. The show has taken on, rather harshly, a wide variety of demographics, cultural behaviors, ideologies and religions.
However, I think that for viewers who are more willing to laugh at themselves, or the various types of insanity that we all live with, South Park delivers.
Here???s the ten that I would hold up as the best of the set when it comes to social commentary:
Make Love, Not Warcraft
The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers
Good Times with Weapons
Stupid Spoiled W***e Video Playlist
Sexual Harassment Panda
Chinpokomon
Butters??? Very Own Episode
Up the Down Steroid
Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes
Mystery of the Urinal Deuce
Nialle said
Narrowing down more than 400 episodes of The Simpsons to just 10 is going to be pretty tough. I may have to give that some thought and put it in my next argument.
The idea that South Park is better because it's more offensive and therefore people who want to laugh at themselves like it better than The Simpsons has got to be incorrect. I'm a pretty liberal person when it comes to what's on TV, but at times it seems like South Park is trying to be offensive for the sake of being offensive. With Parker & Stone, their way of putting in social commentary is to be way over the top, which in my opinion, turns me off most of the time.
You can't argue with the longevity and humor of The Simpsons, which has been doing what South Park attempts to do for 20 years. It's a classic.
shaggydan said
No, there's no doubt that The Simpsons is a classic show, one of the ages. Even though I personally think the level of the show has seen a dip over the past couple years- maybe they were saving the A material for the movie (which is hilarious), I come back to the idea of the 10 best South Parks vs the 10 best Simpsons.
When I tally up all the times I laughed till it hurt with either show, South Park comes out ahead, maybe not way ahead, but ahead.
Think of the punch line in Good Times with Weapons, or when Butters filled the role as gollum in Return of the fellowship... Or how they handled the departed Issac Hayes in Return of Chef.
I'm not discounting the quality or skill of The Simpson team, I'm just saying that, when they're at their best, South Park can play ball with them.
Nialle said
If we're trying to tally up how many times you laugh during the best 10 eps of each show, then I think it's time I mentioned my Top 10 Simpsons episodes and they will show that South Park might be in the same ball park, but can't win.
The Cartridge Family
Lisa the Vegetarian
Simpson Tide
The Springfield Connection
You Only Move Twice (classic Bond parody with Hank Scorpio)
The PTA Disbands
Wild Barts Can't Be Broken ("I know all your secrets...")
Homer to the Max (Homer as Max Power: "I got it off a hairdryer")
Homer Simpson, This is Your Wife (Ricky Gervais--best guest star EVER)
The gay marriage episode (don't know the name, but it is where Patty comes out. Both hilarious and topical)
You will notice those last two have come from the past three years. I disagree that The Simpsons is not as funny as it used to be. The Ralph Wiggum for President ep just this year was great too.
I have several others that just missed the cut, too. I just think The Simpsons gets a bad rap because it's not considered "current" anymore and people forget how awesome it was and still is.
Like this throwdown?
Episode Recaps
Poll: Cop shows (Part 2)
What was the best cop show on TV from 1998 to 2008?
From EW.com
Comments
Nialle 03/03/08
Oh hells no. Please watch "The Cartridge Family"--possibly the greatest episode of The Simpsons ever, where Homer buys a handgun. It is not only hilariously funny, but full of social commentary better than anything South Park has done.
Gob316 03/04/08
Nialle, he's got you here... he said the 10 best episodes... not the BEST episode (as your argument suggests)...
nor did he say "Greatest Serieis" as I'm sure South Park would bow down to... I mean, 20 years? Forget about it...
But if you took 10 episodes... that's the way in which I think South Park wins...
Just curious, though, could each of you give examples of your top 10? That might be interesting to see...
RobGrizzly 03/07/08
Shaggydan, what you're basically asking is, at its funniest, COMPLETE funniest, which is the better show? Or are you asking which is the better social satire, when at it's most satirical?
llkane 03/07/08
Shaggydan lists some excellent episodes of South Park ("Sexual Harassment Panda" is one of my personal favorites), but for turning the world on its head and flipping it off, I have to go with "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson," "Woodland Critter Christmas," and "Bloody Mary." I agree that South Park sometimes works too hard at being offensive, but when the show is on, it's dead-on, and God help those in its path.
double_agent 03/07/08
The simpsons at least teaches some values...south park is funny, but can be plain sick sometimes. Besides, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie are all more instantly recognizable and more well liked by the general public than Kenny or Chef ever will be. Period.
t3hdow 03/08/08
It's hard to compare them, since both shows have two different styles of comedy. When it comes to its better seasons (i.e. any before the new millenium), The Simpsons edges out everything else out there. It contained halfway realistic plots with a lot of heart packed into its hilarious installments. Not all of it was social satire, but it was on point whenever they tried. South Park used to be all about shock humor (albeit good shock humor, unlike Drawn Together), though no cartoon can trump them with the social satire that influenced its later episodes. Yeah, Stone and Parker can get pretty racy, but its in-your-face method they employ, like Chapelle's Show, is supposed to offend, while laughing in the process.
I have to say The Simpsons, even though I don't care for its over the top recent seasons, trying to compete against Family Guy (which doesn't hold off as well after multiple viewings). The new Treehouse of Horror episodes are forgettable compared to the excellent older ones. That gay marriage episode was pretty appalling too, not only in its presentation but revelation. Patti? Please. Even the movie was tepid, because it relied too much on its current style rather than the one used for the first decade of episodes. The Simpsons had its better days, though its earlier years were killer.
HoneyBunny 03/09/08
The Simpsons is funny and intelligent without leaving a bad taste in your mouth. I watch South Park off & on because many times their jokes and characters are so mean-spirited, rude, nasty, and gross. The Simpsons is classy while slipping in adult content. South Park is a dirty joke in a urinal.
Simpsons win!!!
huzzah 03/14/08
I don't know if anyone will check back in on this, but I'd have voted for South Park had I found this in time.
To clarify: shaggydan was asking about the TOP TEN episodes from each series...Not the series as a whole or the single best ep. Also not which characters are more recognizable to the general public. And while I'm on the subject...
Really??? More recognizable? How the hell did you get THAT in response to the original question?
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