The end of South Park?
South Park Season 15 Episode 7 You’re Getting Old
Written & Directed by Trey Parker
Starring Trey Parker & Matt Stone
Plot: Everything literally goes to shit as Stan grows up and South Park seems to die before our very eyes.
It’s hard to believe South Park has actually reached it’s 15th season. We’ve come a long way since Cartman’s anal probe, Chocolate Salty Balls and the chicken fucker. I’ve been a South Park fan since it started and even now it’s a show I am hugely fond of. South Park has always been my favourite of the adult animated series that have hit the screen since The Simpsons changed the game. I’ve seen every episode of South Park, most of them several times, and I was excited to finally catch the new season. I sat and watched all seven episodes back to back and despite hearing the latest round of “South Park’s jumped the shark” I wasn’t too disappointed. After fifteen seasons it’s no surprise that some episodes aren’t as strong as the earlier seasons. I’ll admit that the last couple of seasons have probably been a bit more miss than hit and the show’s best days are probably behind it but as long as they make South Park I’ll watch it. The first 6 episodes of season 15 were a mixed bag some good stuff and some less than brilliant material. But this review is for the mid season finale perhaps the most distressing moment in South Park history well for a long time fan like myself.
You’re getting old kicks off with Stan celebrating his tenth birthday and features another classic Cartman moment where the most spoilt child in the universe gets a present of his own every time the birthday boy gets one much to the annoyance of Kyle. This episode spends a lot of time parodying something called “tween wave” a musical fad that I’m afraid to say has passed me by. The idea of young people’s music sounding like crap to adults is something that rings true to me and Randy Marsh’s desperation to remain young and cool reminds me of a fair few people I’ve met. The friction between Randy and Sharon over just how crap this music is fore shadows the ending of this episode that is perhaps one of the most shocking in the show’s history. Cue lots of shit jokes by which I mean jokes about feces and some nice character designs on the tweens. But this episode is about Stan becoming a bitter old cynic.
Every thing’s shit to Stan now and his parents are fighting constantly. Despite the excessive amount of shit flying about on screen this is some of the darkest material in South Park. It’s a bit sad seeing Stan, basically Trey Parker himself, become so negative. There’s quite a moving scene where Stan tells a waitress the only thing that doesn’t seem shit to him is his friends only to discover they’ve ditched him because of his increasingly negative attitude. It’s rather heart breaking watching Kyle turn in to shit which is a statement I never imagined I’d write. Sharon and Randy’s argument at the end of the episode feels like a message from Trey Parker and Matt Stone to the South Park fans.
“People get older Randy. People grow apart.”
The final montage feels very final. The separation of the Marsh family is rather sad to see and the sight of Kyle and Cartman playing together and sharing a smile makes you feel like everything has changed in South Park. In conclusion this is one of the most heart felt episodes of South Park. Trey Parker and Matt Stone aren’t having fun anymore and it really does come across here. The final scene of Stan in bed and then the silent credits just add to the feeling of finality. It’s hard to believe that they’ll actually make more after this. But if this is the end of South Park then it’s really shitty.
Jeremy Kyle 6/6/2011
I’ve decided to start this blog with a review of something high brow. So here’s a review of today’s episode of the Jeremy Kyle Show.
The Jeremy Kyle Show, ITV2, 1.30 PM, 6th June 2011
Starring: Jeremy Kyle, Graham “The Genius” Stainer, Will the man with the envelopes and whatever genetic mutants have crawled out of the sewers to air their problems in public forum.
It’s the 21st century and it’s no longer socially acceptable to run freak shows where we can all go and gawp and the bizarre and the strange. But luckily for us ITV have found a way around this problem and given us a carnival of monsters for the new millennium. I am of course talking about The Jeremy Kyle Show. For those unfamiliar with Mr. Kyle and his show let me give you a brief introduction. Kyle, the self appointed king of the scumbags, invites various freaks and weirdoes into his kingdom at ITV to discuss various problems that usually involve a DNA test or a lie detector. I believe the term is confrontational chat show. Jeremy is joined by his right hand man Graham, perhaps better known as “the Genius”. The Genius offers such amazing advice as telling alcoholics they need to stop drinking. It’s all rather earth shattering stuff you just won’t see coming. The final member of the Kyle frontline is Will. A poor, embarrassed looking lackey who basically hands envelopes containing lie detector or DNA results to Jeremy. Why Jeremy does not have these with him at the start I don’t know but poor Will never looks like he’s enjoying his work. On to today’s episode…
Act 1: Ex-Husband You Destroyed My Life but don’t destroy our children’s
Sarah and Gareth had a pretty shit marriage which ended with Gareth being legally prevented from coming near Sarah by an injunction. They’d lost touch but thanks to the brilliance of this daytime messiah Sarah found Gareth after he appeared on a previous episode of Jeremy Kyle. Sarah is up first and paints a picture of a terrible marriage. Then the episodes first “Boo to you sir” moment as Gareth comes on stage to a chorus of boos from the audience. It’s surprising to note that Jeremy does not wheel out one of his catchphrases here and for the first time ever possibly he neglects to mention how quick the British public are to judge without hearing both sides of the story. The whole thing ends up as an argument between two quite stupid people. Gareth remarks that Sarah doesn’t know how old her own kids are. Sarah hits back by asking when their birthdays are. Gareth doesn’t know. This is perhaps the highlight of this very dull act. Sarah’s mother is next on stage and offers nothing of value. Jezza then reads a statement from Gareth’s new bird which suggests Sarah basically came on the show for her 15 minutes of fame and it’s hard to disagree as they part by resolving the issues rather quickly. Overall one of the duller Kyle exchanges really harmed by the lack of a lie detector or DNA test.
Act 2: I’ll prove my grandson stole from me – then I’ll disown him
A Jeremy Kyle standard. The classic lie detector to prove someone stole something from a family member. This time it’s 68 year old Joan accusing her slightly retarded looking grandson Ashley. Following on from the weak first act this continues the pattern of dullness. Jeremy is not on his best form today. Even when Ashley with his slightly monkey like face explains that he used jobseeker’s allowance to pay for the very gay earring he’s wearing Jeremy does not get too excited. In classic Kyle the mere mention of using benefits to do anything at all would have sent him into a meltdown of nuclear rage. But not today. Even after the results are revealed to show that Ashley did steal his sweet ol’ grandma’s jewellery whilst she was having heart surgery Jeremy is surprisingly restrained. And without Jeremy going bat shit insane over the little things we’re left with another largely dull act. Lie detector results are only fun for the viewers when the person accused of lying is so adamant they didn’t do it that it’s hilarious to see their face when the test comes back saying they’re lying. Also when it comes to theft it’s a lot more fun if you have a line up for a game of whodunit. Who can forget the classic episode where a whole family were tested and it was revealed to be the one person no one suspected? Ashley didn’t seem that bothered about being caught out and there for the viewer just doesn’t get that perverse feeling of victory. Jeremy gives him a rather disappointing telling off ending with the curious line “You are the lowest of the low, good night,” which is a bit odd for a show that goes out in the morning. Overall another disappointing encounter on the Jeremy Kyle stage.
Act 3: My Friend Got into our bed and stole my fiancé!
Classic Kyle. A story featuring people that really should be sterilized for the good of the human race. Even Jeremy’s apparent lack of motivation today cannot drag down this classic. We meet Becky a woman so determined to please her man that she arranges a threesome with her best friend. And so begins one of the oddest exchanges on Jeremy Kyle as all three people that took part in this little shagfest say they really didn’t want to do it. But do it they did. On two separate occasions. We’re introduced to the lucky fella that got to bang two ladies and boy is he a looker. It’s Ricky and he looks a bit like a slack jawed chimpanzee. He kicks off by denying that his ultimate fantasy was a threesome. In fact his ultimate fantasy is the same as every other man’s (according to him not me) Cheryl Cole. Which Becky was unable to arrange so they ended up with Janine. Who’s a bit more a lump of coal than Cheryl Cole. Becky didn’t want a threesome she did it because she loves Ricky and wanted to give him his ultimate fantasy and this is what she keeps repeating for the rest of her appearance. Ricky didn’t want a threesome either it just happened. Twice. Poor bastard. The issue is now that Ricky has run off with Janine who had joined him and Becky for their threeway. Now I’m no international playboy. Threesomes are not something I know a great deal about but I do know that I’d sure as hell not be telling my mum about it. But apparently I’m the only one that thinks this because Janine’s mum is in the audience and things are about to get even creepier. Apparently this glorious meeting of beautiful people took place whilst Janine’s mum was in the living room. Janine’s mum doesn’t seem to have a problem with this but she does accuse Becky of being bisexual and trying to seduce her daughter on a regular basis. Jeremy of course then brings on the final member of this love sandwich and guess what? That’s right! Janine didn’t want a threesome either. So they had a threesome twice but none of them wanted to do it. Janine was bullied into it by Becky and she hated it so much that she now shags Ricky on a regular basis. Becky also accuses Janine’s mum of sleeping with Ricky. Ricky is apparently the sexiest man in all the sewers because every lady mutant wants a nibble on his banana. Despite all this filthy sex talk we’re actually here for a DNA results on Becky’s kids. Fingers crossed Ricky isn’t the dad because that will make this one of the all time funniest Jeremy Kyles. Disappointment! He is the dad. No hilarity to be had here. But this act has dragged this episode out of mediocrity. It’s not quite as funny as last week’s threesome tale where the lesbian girl kept bleating about having her heart “broken into millions of pieces” by her best mate who she had fallen in love with but overall this act has been the highlight of the episode.
Act 4: I told my fiancé a week ago he might not be the dad
The final act has a lot to live up to and in all honesty it doesn’t really compete. We’ve got another DNA test. This time it’s Ruth who doesn’t know if her long time partner Anthony, a man who can’t grow a proper moustache, or a one night stand. No funny story no tales of ridiculous affairs here and Jeremy’s being nice so you know it’s not going to be a fun segment. Anthony has promised to stick with her even if he isn’t the dad. Which is good. Because he isn’t. There’s crying and a run back stage where we are teased with a glimpse of the Genius but he’s got nothing to say today so we’re left with a pretty disappointing conclusion to a very weak episode.
Overall rating: 5/10
This was hardly classic Kyle. The classic catchphrases weren’t used. There was no funny lie detector results and most of the guests just weren’t freakish enough. Act 3 was the only saving grace of this episode. This tale of stupid people having group sex probably just sneaks into the top 100 funny Jeremy Kyle segments. But the rest of the episode drags it down and not even a brief appearance of the Genius leaves this reviewer dissatisfied.
