South Park: The Ring [season premiere]
By fred | March 12, 2009
(S13E01) The bad boys of South Park were back for their brand new and thirteenth season already, and I am not sure how good/funny an episode they just had for their return. It might all depend on your knowledge of the Jonas Brothers — as this episode decided to give them a key role of the episode. Often South Park does episodes that relates or depicts current events, or social phenomena, from the election of Obama to World of Warcraft.
After having their take on the whole High School Musical last season, they opened this new season by focusing on another “musical” hit : the Jonas Brothers. Now, I don’t really known anything about them, so I can’t tell how close to the truth their representation was, how close to the actual songs & lyrics what we got was, and maybe I’m missing lots of jokes because of it.
But as far as I’m concerned, this episode was nothing special or great. It wasn’t bad, it was a good episode and it was funny, but let’s face it : it’s not the first time (and I’m sure not the last one either) that they decide to make it clear to the world (or, the part of it watching the show at least) what the real intentions and doings of some people – politics or, like here, major corporations – actually are.
Yes, Disney is selling sex to little girls, and using some religious “purity ring” BS to make it okay, and of course everyone is blinded by such a wonderful stratagem, especially the religious folks who like the whole concept of the purity rings. Today it’s the Jonas Brothers, yesterday it was Britney Spears, and tomorrow it’ll be someone else.
It’s nothing new, and it’s nothing new for South Park to go after it. Maybe they never did the Jonas Brothers, Disney, or that attitude from the big corporations, but they did similar stories in the past, which is why, despite having some very good moments and funny jokes in there, it all felt very familiar, so much that – if you’ve been watching the show for a while – you could tell exactly where this was going and how it would eventually end. (Well, maybe not the part of Kenny’s death, but I didn’t like that so much. I want Kenny’s death to be violent, graphic, on screen and accompanied by the “OMG they killed Kenny! / You bastards!” as they should be.)
Again, doesn’t mean it wasn’t funny, I loved to see Kenny excited to find out his girlfriend was a whore, the girls refusing to give BJ to anyone on paper, but as soon as the Jonas Brothers showed up they all opened wide (just wrong), to have Mickey as the big villain was predictable but oh so funny, especially his giggle at the end of every sentence which just had it every time, no matter what he just said, and of course they pushed things exactly as you’d expect them to : “You like taking the Jonas Brothers hot foam in your faces, girls?” (So so wrong)
Add a quick appearance from Mr. Slave in the middle of an already crazy concert, and it was all excellent. If anything, I just regret they didn’t have Cartman and Mickey engage in a physical fight, just for the fun on it and how it would look like.
It was funny, and the episode was good, but it was also exactly what you’d expect from this show, it wasn’t anything surprising, new, or even all that great. It’s been 13 years now, and – despite what happened – they kept things very safe (for the show) in that episode, which, for a season premiere, I find a little disappointing.
What did everybody else think?
Posted in Reviews
Shows: South Park
Agreed.
A below-par episode, especially if you – like me – don’t know anything about Jonas Brothers.
lol I thought it was so funny when Cartman instantly figured out Mickey’s plan. It went something like:
“Hey! I know what you’re doing! You’re trying to sell sex to little girls…”
lol