How South Park Became The Last Survivor Of The Shock TV Era

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http://www.denofgeek.us/tv/south-par...e-shock-tv-era

PC Bros can try, but nothing has stopped South Park from thriving as the last member of the '90s shock TV era.

After almost two decades of defying common decency, South Park finally succumbed to the powers of the politically correct when the social justice warriors invaded everyone’s favorite quiet, little redneck mountain town. The fight against the PC forces was a good one – some would even call it noble – but now it is over. Well… in the show’s plot, at least.

By the end of South Park’s 19th season, the forces of political correctness had inserted their will into the town like never before. Whereas once political correctness was seemingly the town’s public enemy No. 1 – except for mechanized Barbra Streisand, of course – a new PC authority is running the school and leaving fans to wonder just what will happen next.

As for South Park the show, it’s just as politically incorrect as ever before. South Park’s most recent storyline may have involved a season-long arc that examined the role of PC in our modern society, but this foray involved the same offensive occurrences that made creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker recognizable worldwide as the undisputed masters of raunchy cartoon comedy.

Then again, what would you expect from the last surviving member of the shock era of television?

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http://uproxx.com/tv/south-park-20-seasons/

South Park, the foul-mouthed little series that could, premiered on August 13, 1997. The number-one movie that day: the Mel Gibson-starring Conspiracy Theory. The number-one song: “I’ll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112. Caitlyn Jenner’s daughter Kylie was three days old.

South Park has, in one way or another, made fun of all of them.

The celebrity targets add up over the seasons, and South Park has been around for a lot of them. Twenty seasons, specifically, after tonight’s premiere. That puts the show in rare company. Only three scripted U.S. primetime TV series have lasted longer than South Park: The Simpsons (did it), Law & Order, and Gunsmoke, which, as far as I can remember, didn’t debut with an episode about anal probes. That’s amazing. Even more amazing: it’s still really good.

How is that possible? How can Comedy Central’s crudely animated show about vulgar children living in a mountain town be so successful, and more importantly remain so vital, for the entirety of Kylie Jenner’s life? Here’s how.