Each week, I normally expect my daily dose of crude but clever humor from South Park on Wednesday nights. The show somehow still finds ways to keep itself fresh, but there are plenty of staple elements that can almost always be guaranteed. Last night’s episode, “Tweek x Craig,” delivered what felt like an almost completely different town of South Park because they finally stumbled onto something that they….actually care about?
PC Principal has Wendy give a presentation on the Asian girls Yaoi drawings, which depict Tweek and Craig in a romantic relationship with one another. Despite neither boy actually being homosexual, the whole town of South Park is blinded by the truth because the idea of Tweek and Craig’s strong and public connection gives them hope and inspiration in their own relationships. I thought the plot was pretty funny, but the tone of the episode definitely threw me off from what I’m so used to watching. Things even went so far that Cartman spent the episode relatively silent and supportive of everything while possible dealing with some repressed homosexual feelings of his own.
Despite the lack of in-your-face darkness, South Park displayed that it is not just a one trick pony and that the creators are just smart writers. So far, this season of South Park has attacked the overly political correctness of modern culture. All of their arguments have been fair, but the show will never escape some type of backlash for its themes and messages. “Tweek x Craig” is, in a way, South Park‘s response to the entire situation.
While neither Tweek nor Craig has come out as being homosexual, the town genuinely accepts it. This forces them to commit to the lie in order to have it be over with. The best part of the episode is getting to see everyone’s reactions, because everyone not only accepts the couple but embraces Tweek and Craig’s romance completely, even going as far as decorating their homes with the Yaoi art. Kyle event explains what Yaoi actually is and how Tweek and Craig are straight, but everyone just dismisses it. Rather than Kyle forcing his point across to everyone, he just lets it go because South Park accepting this relationship is actually making the residents better people.
It was interesting to see the B- plot circle around more evidence that Cartman is a closeted homosexual. In past episodes like, “Le Petit Tourette,” Cartman has said things that imply he has dealt with gay tendencies in the past. This continued tonight through his interactions with the imaginary cupid that has feelings for him. It’s interesting that Stone and Parker continue to slip this plot line along pretty quietly; it is completely irrelevant whether or not Cartman is gay, but it would certainly make things interesting if it were revealed in an episode.
South Park really tackles the idea that it’s not a bad thing to be passionate about equality for everyone. This season has also showed us why certain PC movements shouldn’t go too far, but “Tweek x Craig,” does the opposite and illustrates why it’s better that people do care. In the end, the people in the country are finding ways to have their voices heard and raise awareness for different causes. Yes, it can be annoying, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t working, at least in some cases.
Other Thoughts:
- “Don’t worry guys. I got this. I’m PC.” – Randy
- Skeeter’s Wine Bar. What a classy joint.
- Rather emotional episode from South Park, still extremely well done though.
[Photo via Comedy Central]
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I’m interested to hear someone else’s opinion on this but I think maybe the episode was about tweek and Craig coming to terms with the fact that they actually have feelings for each other. Maybe the art was a metaphor for discovering your sexual self. Keep in mind, the boys are only in 4th grade. What drove it home for me was when Craig was laying in his bed and his dad told him, “the Asians just pick who they pick.” Almost as if he was asking his dad why he has feelings for another boy and his dad telling him it’s just who he is (and also his dad coming to terms with the same idea).
Even given the fact that Craig is often portrayed as a ladykiller. That’s just the cultural norm, he didn’t necessarily have feelings for those girls. Which is why he was so scared when he developed real feelings and they happened to be directed at a boy.
Just an idea.
“illustrates why it’s better that people do care” – how exactly does this episode illustrate this?
* Absolutely awful review *
Horrifying review, frankly.
This episode actually demonstrates that the town is so eager to accept the politically correct vibe that they completely blocked out all information to the contrary when it didn’t conform to their PC narrative. In the midst of all this purported acceptance, the boys’ own voices were ultimately silenced because the town didn’t want to hear they had it wrong. The boys’ turmoil at the deeply uncomfortable state of events is obvious but no one wants to acknowledge it for what it is. Ultimately the town “taking strength” from the example is another case of a self-serving, feel-good political correctness gone overboard, silencing speech and rejecting an individual’s ability to go against the herd.