South Park Gets P.C.
You may have expected South Park to run out of steam. After nearly two decades on the air, showrunners Trey Parker and Matt Stone have satirized every topic under the sun, from religious fundamentalism to anti-Walmart hysteria to celebrity culture, dieting fads, and environmentalism. What was left for the show's 19th season?
By abandoning their story-a-week formula for a season-long arc built around political correctness and campus outrage culture, Parker and Stone made South Park profound again. Equally impressive, they have kept the subject matter fresh by refusing to limit their barbs to one side. One episode skewers Caitlyn Jenner as a murderously clumsy Frankenstein's monster, the next depicts Canadian President Donald Trump being literally raped to death.
This season's best invention is new recurring character P.C. Principal, a foul-mouthed, furious frat bro who violently opposes violence: He beats people half to death if he thinks they aren't P.C. enough. Watch your back, Eric Cartman.
This article originally appeared in print under the headline "South Park Gets P.C.."