There was a time when cable TV was something I just didn’t want to pay for. I knew it was a vast wasteland with little to offer, and far too expensive. Pretty much anything new I wanted to watch I could see on regular broadcast channels. Occasionally I would hear about how I should be watching some show or another, and generally I’d just shrug and walk away. “South Park” was one such show. For the first year and a half of it’s existence my friends were constantly telling me about it, and when I would see all the t-shirts and hats for sale, I’d find myself wondering why it was so popular. Could some little animated show really be that funny? And just who were Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Kenny? Then one day, one of my friends handed me a video and told me I had to take the time to sit and watch it. On that video was one of the earlier versions of “South Park” that put the kids smack dab in the middle of a fight between Santa Claus and Jesus. I didn’t know whether to laugh or sit in quiet shock.

I opted for a lot of both. I’ll admit to having had a really twisted sense of humor pretty much all my life, and I think I laughed harder at those few short minutes of animation than I had at anything in years. I had to have more.

I started scouring the Internet to see what I could find out about the series and it’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. At this point in time, the series was finishing up its second season and it’s popularity warranted hundreds of websites. I got hold of the friend who turned me on to that first video and asked if he had taped any more. He had, I watched, and I was hooked.

“South Park” was, and still is, offensive, puerile, disgusting, repulsive, immature, depraved, revolting, gross and shocking. Oh, and I forgot hysterically funny. It’s for people like me who can’t stand ‘political correctness.’ There seems to be nothing sacred, nothing that is above being mocked. Whether it pokes fun at Barbra Streisand’s ego by turning her into a giant Mecha-Streisand, burying Robert Redford in a pile of poo, or having ‘cripple fights’, I really don’t think these guys care who they tick off. I’m still reeling from a recent episode that poked fun at Christopher Reeve and stem cell research. I really have a lot of respect for Reeve, but it didn’t keep me from laughing all the way through my shock.

As I learned more about Parker and Stone, who give the impression of being a couple of hacks who got lucky, I found that they were actually enormously talented. This first became evident with the release of “South Park: The Movie.” I still remember going to see the movie opening day, and not only did I laugh all the way through, I was amazed when found out it was a musical. And even more so amazed that the songs, though irreverent, were actually extremely well written and produced. They were so good in fact, that much to the chagrin of the Academy audience, one of the songs was nominated for an Oscar. Take that, Hollywood!

As great as the first season of “South Park” was, the second season firmly set the standard for what is now going into it’s seventh season. With episodes like, “Chickenlover”, “Conjoined Fetus Lady”, and “Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods,” Parker and Stone continued to prove to audiences that there was absolutely no rock bottom to the level of bad taste. And boy, are there people out there that absolutely hate “South Park” for that. Moral Majority leaders across the country who just don’t get it. What they don’t see is the other side of the coin.

Most of the episodes teach as much as they shock. Take “Chickenlover” for example. Sure it’s about a guy who… uhhh… ‘loves’ chickens. But while the episode has the gang investigating the identity of the perpetrator, we are also taught a lesson about the virtues and fun of reading. This particular episode even addresses the illiteracy in our country and how those who can’t read can be helped. I think that’s a very positive message.

Moving back into the subject of the Season 2 DVD release, I was glad to see the inclusion of the episode “Terrence & Phillip in Not Without My Anus.” (Terrence & Phillip being part of a show-within-the-show that all the kids love) The back-story on this one alone makes it worth a watch. Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger with audiences waiting months to find out who Cartman’s father was. The season 2 opener was advertised endlessly, and on the night it was supposed to air (April 1st, 1998), it was announced that the episode was pre-empted and Comedy Central was airing the afore-mentioned Terrence & Phillip” episode. “South Park” fans were up in arms! It was a hysterical practical joke that I wish I had seen when it first aired.

The new DVD set also offers a couple of extras. One is a music video for the song “Chef’s Chocolate Salty Balls”, which is in essence a recipe for a tasty treat. It’s pretty short, but funny.

The other is a documentary on the creation of “South Park.” When I started watching it, I expected some short 10-minute fluff piece, but it turned out to run just under an hour and offered quite a bit of background information. Initially the interview with Parker and Stone was pretty much handled the way all their interviews are, laced with self-deprecating and sarcastic humor. But in between the bits of interview we get a tour of the South Park offices and production area. We actually get to see how the show evolved from a cheaply produced badly animated series, to an expensively produced badly animated series. There are even some bits of an interview with a Moral Majority leader who gets to throw his two cents in about the quality of the series. This documentary alone is worth the price of the set.

A few of these episodes were released a while back on a series of videos, which had little video intros before each episode with Parker and Stone. Thankfully, these are included on the discs, though I wish they had made a few more for the newer episodes.

I’ll grant you that “South Park” isn’t for everyone. You don’t just have to have a strong stomach for offensive humor; you have to have a cast-iron, armor-plated stomach. And do keep in mind that one group the show definitely isn’t intended for is kids. Sure it’s got cute little kids as the leads and it is animated, BUT this is completely for the adults in the household. I’ve got a 10-year old who knows about the show, but doesn’t get to watch it until he hits his teens.

Episodes:
Terrance & Phillip In "Not Without My Anus"
Cartman's Mom Is Still A Dirty Slut
Ike's Wee Wee
Chickenlover
Conjoined Fetus Lady
The Mexican Staring Frog Of Southern Sri Lanka
City On The Edge Of Forever
Summer Sucks
Chef's Salty Chocolate Balls
Chicken Pox
Roger Ebert Should Lay Off The Fatty Foods
Clubhouses
Cow Days
Chef Aid
Spooky Fish
Merry Christmas Charlie Manson!
Gnomes
Prehistoric Ice Man

Extras: “Goin’ Down to South Park” Documentary, Chef “Chocolate Salty Balls” Music Video
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Warner
Release Date: 6/3/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give South Park - Season 2 an A.