The running theme of South Park, throughout its gazillion-year run, might be summed up with a phrase that my mom is fond of: “The masses are asses.” (Not joking.) When they present it well—complete with lots of good jokes that may or may not have anything to do with the main thrust of their argument—Trey Parker and Matt Stone are sharp. When they do it wrong, South Park can feel like the not-so-fun-time lecture hour. Tonight’s episode, with its giant balls, underground-chicken ring, and dialed-down social commentary, mostly did it right. It wasn’t wall-to-wall funny, but it was funny enough. And that’s what those of us who haven't given up yet are looking for in a new South Park episode, right? We don’t need brilliant—it’d be nice, but we’ll settle for some chuckles and some giant testes ridden like hippity-hops.
So we’re happy—or at least I am—when Randy decides that the best way to get a marijuana prescription is to give himself cancer, first by tanning and shooting himself with a dental X-ray machine, then by simply microwaving his balls until they blow up to the size of giant pumpkins. (Dude, just tell the doctor that you're nervous or you’re having trouble sleeping!)
Cartman’s plot wasn’t as fun, though his meeting with the Colonel tickled me at least a bit. I wasn’t sure what drug movie in particular this was supposed to be parodying (all of them? American Gangster?), but it fell a little flat. The idea of a KFC mule is decent, the execution not so much. “This is cut with Boston Market gravy!” was pretty priceless, though.
But back to Randy and his giant balls and massive weed habit. His obsession was positively Homer Simpson-like (and equally stupid), but I loved the fact that the rest of the town’s men followed right along—and their hippity-hop parade through town was a pretty inedible moment. And South Park’s women all found disgustingly gigantic balls sexually irresistible? Awesome because it was true.
And the points? They were there, but quick and dirty: Laws about fast-food and marijuana are equally stupid, and no matter what happens, the stupid people of the world will misinterpret it. People are dumb. The world gets it wrong. We get a cartoon featuring dudes hopping around on their ball sacs. I think that’s a win.
Stray observations:
— Cartman’s head exploded.
— The methadone clinic serving KFC gravy was pretty funny.
— Randy, upon discovering he has testicular cancer: “Score!”
— “My eyes are up here.”
— I’m shocked that none of Cartman’s criminal partners uttered the immortal words, “Don’t get high on your own supply.”