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This, volume 3 of three, contains two episodes from the first season of
South Park, Comedy Central's wildly successful animated sitcom. In addition, viewers get two very tongue-in-cheek fireside chats with co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The controversial cartoon gained a devoted cult following for its wonderfully unabashed assaults on dull sitcom formula and politically correctness. While the show's animation is beyond primitive, with goofy construction-paper cutouts acting as characters, its writing is hilariously shocking and pushes the envelope of good taste off the table. Episodes explore the small mountain town of South Park through the point of view of four foul-mouthed yet lovable eight-year-olds. They include level-headed co-leaders Stan and Kyle; the fat, terminally pissed-off, and hysterical Eric Cartman; and the hooded, incoherent Kenny (who dies in every episode). As such, it's stuffed with toilet humor, graphic violence, and profanity; but
South Park also cleverly subverts TV clichés and acts as a scorching satire of America's hypocritical attitude towards social problems like racism, homophobia, jingoism, neglectful parenting, etc. Of the three volumes currently available, this is the finest. "An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig," is a crazy, raunchy look at genetic cloning--not to mention a parody of Marlon Brando's embarrassing performance in
The Island of Dr. Moreau--as the boys try to win a science fair by mating Kyle's pet elephant with Cartman's pot-bellied pig. "Death" addresses both euthanasia and, self-consciously, offensive television. As Stan's 102-year-old grandfather tries to get anyone to off him, South Park parents try and get their kids' favorite TV show--starring the farting, swearing duo, "Terrence and Phillip"--tossed off the air.
--Dave McCoy
