south park

For those that donÕt ÒgetÓ animation (i.e., close-minded, over-educated snobs with no sense of humor) shows like ÒSouth Park,Ó ÒThe SimpsonsÓ and the late-great ÒFuturamaÓ must seem like annoying Saturday morning escapees that accidentally wound up in prime time. DonÕt bother to convince them otherwise. TheyÕll never grasp the comic timing of a well-placed ÒDÕoh!Ó or appreciate the familiar refrain of ÒScrew you guys, IÕm going home!Ó In fact, that last sentence has them so confused, angry and disoriented theyÕre rushing to the TV for a live-action fix of Courtney Cox-Arquette. ÒSouth Park: The Complete Third Season,Ó in the words of creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, is where the cardboard cutout show truly came together. The character quirks, interwoven plots, and no-limits sense of humor found a groove that became familiar rather than formulaic Ð playing off the now well-established cast of oddball personalities and scathing celebrity cameos. The seventeen episodes collected in ParamountÕs new release were produced while Parker and Stone worked on the ÒSouth Park: The Movie.Ó But instead of getting the short end of the stick, Season Three includes some priceless moments from Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman. ThereÕs even some crossover on the Mr. Hankey Christmas Classics episode as arranger Mark Shaman contributes several catchy tunes almost on par with ÒBlame CanadaÓ and ÒUncle ÒF***a.Ó Other highlights: Chinpoko Mon and an attempted Japanese invasion via a toy-induced marketing blitz, The Red Badge of Gayness where Cartman leads a Civil War re-enactment crusade to win a bet that the South will rise again, and Are You There God, ItÕs Me, Jesus with the boys mistaking a stomach flu for the first sign of puberty and the on-set of their periods. ÒSouth ParkÓ has always been ÒThe SimpsonsÓ crude, rude brother-in-law, sneaking in more raunchy one-liners than Comedy CentralÕs censors can handle (obviously, when exchanges like this slip by: Mr. Garrison: ÒWho knows what sexual harassment is?Ó Cartman: ÒWhen youÕre having sex with a lady friend, and your buddy comes up behind and tickles your balls.Ó) But like the long-running yellow-skinned Fox family, Parker and StoneÕs moral compass is always on target amidst the flatulence and bleeped profanity. THE FEATURES: The previous two seasons of ÒSouth ParkÓ had a creative commentary dropped at the last minute. Paramount didnÕt make the same mistake with Season Three. Although each episode only includes about 4-minutes of comments, it was Parker and StoneÕs idea to record Òmini-commentariesÓ and cut that fat of out what they believed would be a bloated and rambling experience. And listening in, they were probably right. The guys talk enthusiastically about the inspiration and insights behind each episode then move on to the next. The tracks never feel rushed and pack in a good amount of candid asides and in-jokes. FINAL SCORE: Season Three, even with a few duds like the Jakovasaurus episode, is where the show found its comfort zone. For all the anarchic, offensive behavior on display, the ÒSouth ParkÓ kids are the moral center of a universe with no common sense. And itÕs those genuine good intentions that allow the showÕs outrageousness so play out with a giggle rather than an apology.