In "Cartoon Wars" the creators of South Park have attempted to satirize three current issues, and have only marginally succeeded in various ways. The objects of their attack in this episode were:
- Muslim unrest over the depiction of Muhammad
- A cartoon attacking a religion
- The popularity of "Family Guy"
The issue of Muslim unrest is dealt with in an unusual manner: the voice of sanity and reason is Cartman's voice. The viewer, like Kyle, is suspicious of this, as Cartman is a notoriously intolerant character. And, indeed, all his claims to identify and sympathize with the Muslims and their anger at the depiction of Muhammad turn out to be mere lip-service; his true goal is to get "Family Guy" canceled. The voice behind Cartman's are those of Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park, who have publicly ridiculed "Family Guy" as an inferior cartoon, using much the same words as Cartman uses when he denounces the program. In an instant all the sympathy towards Muslims is swept away, leaving no more trace in the viewers mind than a ghost of an idea.
Another sub-plot of "Cartoon Wars" is anger over the issue of a cartoon attacking a religion. In the show a Muslin spokesman makes various ineffectual threats, but the really heavy-handed response comes from the South Park inhabitants themselves, who perform increasingly bizarre and unrealistic actions regarding this issue. Rioting, looting, smashing their television sets, and ultimately, literally, burying their heads in sand. Only part of this is related to the Muslim sub-plot; the majority of the satire takes on a wink-and-a-nod air regarding the fact that Comedy Central allegedly caved in to pressure from Scientologists and canceled the re-airing of a South Park episode titled "Trapped in the Closet", an episode in which South Park (the cartoon) attacked a religion (Scientology). When the characters are talking about a cartoon attacking a religion, they are making a meta-reference to the very cartoon in which they appear. "Family Guy" is used as a straw man, and fodder for the third sub-plot.
As mentioned earlier, Stone and Parker have made no bones about their dislike of "Family Guy", ragging on it as a inferior product which uses non-sequiturs and simplistic plots to garner it's laughs. They have said how angry they get with the show is compared to South Park, and in "Cartoon Wars" they let this anger show through the character of Cartman, who explicitly details his reasons for wanting "Family Guy" shut down.
None of these sub-plots truly succeed in making a fulfilling and humorous episode. The Muslim anger issue is too easily washed away. The surreal reactions of the people living in South Park are just a tad too extreme to be believable. They belabor the point and quickly grow tiresome. And Cartman's hatred of "Family Guy" is not expressed in any way which can be called "funny". It does not help that the last ten minutes or so of the episode is taken up by an extended chase scene which, although technically well done as animation goes, is nothing that the viewer hasn't seen a hundred times. The program ends with a voice-over "tune in next week" cliffhanger which fails to excite interest in seeing if any of the weak, dangling plotlines are tied up.
In summary, Stone and Parker tried to stuff 10 pounds of unfunny hatred into a 5 pound bag, ultimately failing and winding up with an unfunny episode of a show which started its tenth season showing great promise. I doubt that many viewers are looking forward to the resolution to "Cartoon Wars" and that most expect, and possibly even desire, a change-up episode next week that deals with a completely different subject and never returns to the Muhammad/"Family Guy" theme.
** Captain Infinity