[8.5/10] One of my favorites from when I was a teenager, and it holds up! Let’s be real, this episode, and the show overall doesn't treat people with deformities or disabilities particularly well, but it also mirrors Freaks in trying to shame the people who exploit them or treat them as less than human. There’s a social critique in the way the episode calls out daytime talk shows as the modern freak show, with all that comes with it.
Beyond that highfalutin stuff though, it’s just a classic insane South Park yarn. The boys trying to pass Butters off as having a scrotum on his chin to win the equivalent of a $300 CD gift certificate is delightfully absurd. Butters, as always, is a highlight here, with his protestations over not being Kenny, his desire not to get boiled alive like “lobster boy”, and his concern about his parents finding out he’s a part of this scheme. He’s such a little innocent amid the rest of the deranged events of the series, which makes for some of the show’s best and most endearing comedy.
At the same time, I feel like this episode lives on mainly through the “Whatever, whatever, I do what I want” catchphrase. And it’s a good catchphrase! Cartman and by extension the show making fun of “Out of Control Teen” tropes on daytime TV is a good time, and the satire of the whole thing is hilarious. Cartman’s concern that he needs to be the most out of control teen to win the prize leads to outstanding comic escalation (his claim to having added Jabba to A New Hope is a particular favorite), and the ridiculousness of the setup wins out.
Again, this isn’t the most sensitive portrayal of anybody, but the setup is so off the wall, the character designs so out there, that it works in that exaggerated South Park way. Making it a Butters story in particular, along with all the film and TV homages, helps everything snap into place and show who’s side the series is on.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-03-07T06:25:24Z
[8.5/10] One of my favorites from when I was a teenager, and it holds up! Let’s be real, this episode, and the show overall doesn't treat people with deformities or disabilities particularly well, but it also mirrors Freaks in trying to shame the people who exploit them or treat them as less than human. There’s a social critique in the way the episode calls out daytime talk shows as the modern freak show, with all that comes with it.
Beyond that highfalutin stuff though, it’s just a classic insane South Park yarn. The boys trying to pass Butters off as having a scrotum on his chin to win the equivalent of a $300 CD gift certificate is delightfully absurd. Butters, as always, is a highlight here, with his protestations over not being Kenny, his desire not to get boiled alive like “lobster boy”, and his concern about his parents finding out he’s a part of this scheme. He’s such a little innocent amid the rest of the deranged events of the series, which makes for some of the show’s best and most endearing comedy.
At the same time, I feel like this episode lives on mainly through the “Whatever, whatever, I do what I want” catchphrase. And it’s a good catchphrase! Cartman and by extension the show making fun of “Out of Control Teen” tropes on daytime TV is a good time, and the satire of the whole thing is hilarious. Cartman’s concern that he needs to be the most out of control teen to win the prize leads to outstanding comic escalation (his claim to having added Jabba to A New Hope is a particular favorite), and the ridiculousness of the setup wins out.
Again, this isn’t the most sensitive portrayal of anybody, but the setup is so off the wall, the character designs so out there, that it works in that exaggerated South Park way. Making it a Butters story in particular, along with all the film and TV homages, helps everything snap into place and show who’s side the series is on.