'South Park' vs. Lucas and Spielberg: Too far?

Never mind "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report," the most welcome Comedy Central program this election season just might be "South Park."

The series has been on a roll for the past four/five seasons, and whether turning an alien invasion into an examination of immigration, or leprechauns into targets of terrorism, "South Park" has been presenting relatively reasoned examinations of cultural issues.

Until, perhaps, last night. "South Park" has missed out on skewering this summer's pop-culture events, and last night, the episode was on the attack. As dark and twisted as "The Dark Knight" was, "South Park" was just as aggressively over the top.

Returning with new episodes as part of its 12th season, "South Park" didn't level its aim at presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain (fingers are crossed for such an episode to be forthcoming). Instead, the series had Hollywood heavyweights George Lucas and Steven Spielberg directly in sights.

Oh, there was also a paranoid Cartman convinced that China's Olympic opening ceremony telegraphed an attack on the United States, but Cartman's mockery of Chinese stereotypes was almost an afterthought after Matt Stone and Trey Parker completely dismantled the worldwide hit "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

"We all saw it happen," says the handicapped Jimmy, discussing "The Crystal Skull" as if it's a personal tragedy. "Do you remember that scene with Indiana in the refrigerator? It didn't make any sense, Stan."

From there, an excited Stan sits down to watch the latest film in a dream sequence/nightmare, but soon has to warn Indiana Jones that Spielberg and Lucas are nearby. And then in a series of film parodies, Indy's pants come off.

The boys of "South Park" spend much of the episode struggling to come to grips with the raping of Indiana Jones. In its rave review of the episode, IGN wrote that "South Park" went "beyond offensive and into some sort of hyper-offensive stratosphere," all of it hilarious.

Indeed, each scene builds upon the other, with Spielberg and Lucas eventually becoming two rednecks in the woods who demand Indy "squeal like a pig" as the pair humiliates and degrades a cinematic icon. A Stormtrooper gets it even worse, prompting the "South Park" police to lock up the directors to prevent such travesties from happening again.

Not that anyone didn't see this coming. Parker and Stone tried to warn Spielberg and Lucas from even making a fourth "Indiana Jones" flick. Back in 2002, the series took the two to task for re-editing their films for the worse, hoping to prevent a ruining of "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

But was continually -- and graphically -- having Spielberg and Lucas violently rape Indiana Jones too far? "He's gonna do it right there!" shouts a cartoon Spielberg in one scene, holding back Indy's hands over a pinball machine. Or was seeing a Stormtrooper completely defiled still easier to swallow than having to watch Shia LaBeouf swing like a monkey, or worse, inserting aliens into the film?

Show Tracker put a call in to Lucasfilm to try to get their thoughts (ha!), but in the meantime, do you side with "South Park," or those behind the "Crystal Skull" on this one? Coming a few days after The Times' Hero Complex wrote that "Indy 5" is still a possibility, it might be time to make your voice known. 

-- Todd Martens

Photos: http://www.southparkstudios.com/

Comments

[swiftinator]

"They'll say, 'you can't joke about rape. Rape's not funny.'
I say, '**** you, I think it's hilarious. How do you like that?"'
I can prove to you that rape is funny. Picture Porky Pig raping Elmer Fudd. "
-- George Carlin

[Clod Martens]

Clod Martens - Are you 6 years old? They were parodying famous movies - How can some do uche like you get paid to write illiterate garbage such as this? You just don't get it...Go back to clown school "Todd"

[Alex]

South Park lost of lot of points when it couldn't/wouldn't make fun of Mohammed. Not that anyone needs to make fun of Jesus or Mohammed, but how far can you take this stuff? How far is 'we have to push the envelope again'. Is there anything else and does it matter if you push the envelope every episode.

Another thing is why is that most jokes on TV are about old movies or tv shows now. They were right about Family Guy but doing 20 jokes about how bad Crystal Skull was supposed to be isn't that much better.

[Bryan]

This cartoon just points out that Spielberg and Lucas aren't half as talented as they were 30 years ago. Would todays Lucas have made THX? No way. Would Spielberg have included some of the dark scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark? No. South Park is pointing out the fact that Lucas and Spielberg have screwed over their fans and the original stories in order to make a quick buck. They are no longer artists; they are businessmen.

These two have clearly lost their touch as both have increasingly begun to rely on cheesy technology, rather than storytelling and great stunts.

Bravo, South Park. Bravo.

[Austin]

There is no way that they went to far. they were just pointing out how sinical it is that lucas and Speilberg got away with making such a piece of crap. Have any of you ever seen the 3 original Indian Jones movies? Sure the writing is terrible and the special affects are just as bad, but that is what made it so great. It is such a cult classic because of what it did for young boys at the time all the way through today. The new indian jones ruined that wimsy for many fans of the original movie. As far as I am concerned indian jones was raped. Bravo Trey Parker and Matt Stone for bring the true light to this situation...the filthy rich just trying to get richer...by any means.

[Dani]

How people are turning this "argument" into political propaganda is probably even better than the episode. What does being a Republican or Democrat have ANYTHING to do with rape?

Also, I suggest the author of this article to actually research the subject he is writing about. But that's just me.

[Doug C]

How can some of you say that South Park is brilliant or genius when it relies so heavily on the news and pop culture for its story lines. I really have no respect for television programs like that. I wonder how Parker and Stone are going to play out the economic crisis. Maybe they'll somehow blame it on Jesus or Heath Ledger. BRILLIANT!

As far as the show going to far? Maybe. But like somebody said before me, how can that story line be anymore offensive then the constant jokes made at the expense of Jesus.

And as far as Indy4 goes... I liked it. Yes there were some scenes like the monkeys on the vines, or the triple waterfall, but it really wasn't that bad. I guess this country is only obsessed with mindless comedies like Disaster Movie or Epic Movie. Now those are brilliant movies!!!

[trademark lawyers]

This is simply....hilarious!!!

[jgriffin]

I thought it was great! It was a long overdue attack on speilberg and lucas. And I am far more offended by the mindless trash put out by the entertainment industry today, then i am by a show like south park that expresses opinions that the majority of my generation agrees with. And does so in a funny,clever and well put together manner. If you want to be offended by entertainment, be offended by the retarded and mindless programing that MTV or the disney channel has millions of stupid impresionable children watching. Not some infamous adult cartoon that speaks the truth and happens to use a rape metaphore that is obviously little more than a tribute to a number of classic films of our time.

All of you that were offended by the episode need to shut your stupid mouths and go watch fox news or something. - josh griffin

[b alddaddy]

personally I am against any show that glamorizes cartoon rape. What if it were your animated son or daughter?!

[Brave Word]

I found the segments on Lucas/Spielberg in this episode to be very typical and moderately funny. The hilarity was Butters "accidental aim" when he wielded Cartman's firearm.
I never knew there was a moral code for shooting people.
I learn new things about life from every episode!

[Charles A. Miller]

If anything, Southpark got it BACKWARDS. It wasn't Indiana Jones who was defiled by Spielberg & Lucas, but the AUDIENCE MEMBERS who paid to see "Crystal Skull"... More than a mere insult to our intelligence, Crystal Skull was a betrayal of our loyalty to the Indiana Jones series. The film had no soul and was an embarrassment on the order of "Howard the Duck." Which is pretty damned embarrassing. Lucas & Spielberg deserved every bit of the Southpark thrashing -- too bad they CAN'T actually be prosecuted, or they'd be serving life terms.

[Count Screwloose]

I'm shocked that anyone can actually sit through any episode of this crap. I haven't managed to accomplish this myself, and yet don't feel as if I am missing a cornerstone of contemporary thought.

RG

[Jez]

Did people not realise that it wasn't just making fun of Spielburg and Lucas, but also the legion of fanboys from sites such as "Ain't It Cool News". It's from there the phrase "Lucas raped my childhood" originated, and I think by showing a literal depiction of such a thing it showed what a horrible overreaction it is. It's just a movie, it didn't rape anything. That's the point. Mat and Trey may have disliked Crystal Skull but they were also very clearly making fun of those who REALLY didn't like.

[Mensa Woman]

I question the intelligence of anyone watching this show. The scary part is this audience actually votes in elections. This nation is doomed.

[j.h in t.o.]

South Park is one of the only truly free speech promoting programs on TV any more, more power to em'!

[No Wonder]

Mental food for the disillusioned. Pacification for the mentally difficient. The kind of people who think excrement is interesting.
Get lives!
Get treatment!
Get JOBS

[DoogieMD]

South Park is great...they call out people for who they really are. It is perhaps the only popular show that libertarians actually have a hand in, and I love it for that.

[Pliny]

The last thing we need is more censorship. I think the episode went too far, but I don't want the creators' speech stifled.

[Rome]

If SP showed GW Bush raping little children all would be well in Liberal Hollywood. That is what I would call hypocritical.