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South Park (TV Show)
(lemmy.world)
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this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2024
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Counterpoint: The money South Park makes by pissing people off directly impacts Comedy Centrals profits. It's in Comedy Central's best interest to have South Park be offensive, because attention and engagement is more important in the modern world than whether or not people actually like something. Capital doesn't give a damn about how they appease corporate committees and shareholders, as long as money is being made: South Park makes money hand-over-fist being offensive. There's literally been an unending stream of copycat "offensive adult animation" ever since South Park hit the air. They're emphatically not sticking it to the man. They are the man.
South Park is almost 30 years old. They are the industry. They are still around because they make money. If they actually offended the sensibilities of corporate committees and shareholders, they wouldn't still be on the fucking air. Both Matt and Trey individually have wealth valued at well over half a billion dollars. Add them both together and you have a billionaire. But sure, they're still somehow "subversive" with money coming out their fucking ears.
Which I would say is a position they have lucked themselves into honestly. We all know, the viewers, that the more risky you are as a show the more captivating it can be, which I think southpark proves. They took a lot of risks, and got themselves into this spot where it'd be ridiculous of CC to get rid of them now because they are a cash cow. New shows however, corporations never connect the dots and tell them things are too risky, to take the safer more bland route, and of course they are shocked when they don't do as well.
There's literally a stream of cartoons with intent to offend as many people as possible. They're all trash, but let me see how many I can look up real quick starting with dumb shit like Brickleberry or Paradise PD.
Like, literally being as offensive as possible is the entire fucking schtick of Adam Corrolla's Mr. Birchum, which just came out.
Honestly, the ones that are try-hard offensive fucking fail miserably. There's a lot of them. Stop pretending that taking risks is all it takes. You also actually have to have a pulse on social issues, which the South Park creators simply no longer do. People can be offensive and not funny. In fact, it's way easier to just be offensive than it is to be offensive and funny. Most only succeed at being offensive.
Companies want content that enrages people because they know that people get more involved with content they hate than content they love. They absolutely pour money into South Park copycats that try to go "anti-woke."
A travesty we aren't getting more seasons of Paradise PD and Farzar.