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(S10E08)

Cartman: You can just hang around outside all day tossing a ball around, or you can sit at your computer and do something that matters.

I think I can say with almost absolute certainty that South Park is the first television show in history where a character actually uses the word "pwnage." Since I'm online doing this here blogging thing all the time I caught that particular phrase, though there was a lot in this show I didn't understand, since I've neither seen nor played Warcraft before. The episode gently mocked those who do nothing but play Warcraft, but at the same time, it made it clear what an awesome game it is. It was funny to watch everyone become so immersed in the game they begin to think of it as real life, but it did make me think back to my younger days when a particularly difficult Nintendo game would cause me to throw my controller across the room in anger. I guess we're all susceptible to the allure of these games. Well, not all of us, but those of us with nerdly tendencies. Truth be told, I think that, like Butters, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is more up my alley.

South Park has been doing a fine job of getting the season sets out in a timely manner, and on August 29 the eighth season will be available. Some of the episodes, such as "Awesom-O" and "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" are already available on the recent "best of" DVD, but this season also had some other great episodes, such as "The Passion of the Jew," "Good Times with Weapons" (in which Butters is accidentally hit in the eye with a ninja star so the boy's dress him up as a dog and take him to a vet), "Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes," and, possibly the best South Park Christmas episode ever, "Woodland Critter Christmas." The set will contain all fourteen episodes from the season, and the usual mini-commentaries from Matt and Trey.

When celebrity news happens, South Park is ready! We all saw them make fun of Tom Cruise last year but now Comedy Central is digging up an older episode to go along with this whole Mel Gibson thing. On Wednesday, the network will air 2004's The Passion of the Jew, which poked fun at Mel Gibson back when The Passion of the Christ was all the rage. In it, Mel acts crazy and Cartman's actions suggest that Mel may be an anti-semite.

Coincidentally, the network also published full-page ads that show the Park kids in front of a celebrity Scientology center and says, "C'mon, Jews... show them who really runs Hollywood." It has nothing to do with Gibson, and everything to do with that infamous Tom Cruise/Trapped in the Closet episode that has been nominated for an Emmy.

Does FOX see something in this show that a lot of other people (including me) don't see? I've seen 5 or 6 episodes, and I don't find it that funny. As I've said before, I'd watch a show based around Roger the Alien with the Paul Lynde voice, but I just don't find the show that entertaining. Certainly not on the level of The Simpsons or Family Guy.

But FOX has given the green light for 22 more episodes for the 2007-08 season. In fact, the show will probably get better ratings this fall, as it moves into the time slot right after The Simpsons.

[via TV Tattle]

You may have noticed that Wednesday night's episode of South Park was not the one where Tom Cruise refuses to come out of the closet numerous times, as was previously scheduled. The abrupt change actually had nothing to do with the fact that the episode was the final straw for Chef Isaac Hayes. Comedy Central yanked that episode at the last minute because Tom Cruise threatened Viacom with pulling Mission: Impossible-3 advertising if it aired again (is anyone else nervous about the amount of power that man has?).

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone released this hilarious and potentially inflammatory statement through their lawyer today:

So let's see if they can keep the quality of the show up from last week. Yea... nope. It was still a funny episode, but as well as Family Guy embraces it's raunchy humor, and walking that fine line in much the same way that South Park does, American Dad always seems to go just a step too far with it's stupidness, outlandishness and political views. Now before you all start writing to tell me it's supposed to be a satire about right-wingers and their views, I know, I know. It's just that it seems so forced and it's punchlines are done better and funnier in about a dozen different venues, most notably, Jon Stewart's brilliant The Daily Show. Anyways, on with the recap.