South Park: Just Combine the Memes!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Talk about a pointless episode. While it did make me laugh, I thought that, for a storyline about memes, Parker and Stone could have done so much more. I also would have supported a larger portion of the plot being dedicated to cats rising to power through memes, as there have certainly been several in the past few years, not just "cat breading." Plus, why wasn't there a joke about Tebow going to the Jets and is therefore "out of style" or something? I've always loved how topical South Park manages to be through their quick-paced work environment, so I was hoping for some sort of joke there. On the whole, it would be worth watching again, but I don't see it achieving "classic" status. Here's hoping that this season will pick up soon!

South Park "Faith Hilling" (S16E03): The boys have concocted a scheme much more elaborate than it needs to be to make a joke at the Colorado debate. [seriously, I was set-up to believe that something of brilliant caliber was about to happen... disappointment!] Security is concerned about someone "Faith Hilling," and Cartman is the guilty party, pulling at the chest of his shirt to make it look like breasts. [yep, this is the "new thing."] The kids make the newspaper headlines the next day, but the stunt is called "so 2000 and late" which upsets our favorite fourth-graders.

At school, a "Memes Specialist" is brought in to show a "dated" filmstrip and talk about the dangers behind memes. Planking, Tebowing, and other poses are discouraged because kids tend to pause for iPhone photos and wind up getting hurt - mostly by rogue trains, it seems. [gruesome AND ridiculous!] They're told that the only acceptable memes for photos are the peace sign, bunny ears, and fake wiener." [I've seen "fake wiener" before, but I guess I never knew that was what it was called.] Butters is affected by the filmstrip but everyone else wants to keep Faith Hilling. Well, at least until the new thing, "Taylor Swifting," debuts. It's a bit more complicated - you pull down your pants, sit on your butt, then drag yourself around on the ground. [gross and old-dog-like is right!] All this does is force the Memes Specialist to give another lecture, this time with the point that "Swifting and Hilling is like playing with a loaded gun." To make the issue "real" to the kids, he forces Butters to put a loaded gun in his mouth, teaching that that doing memes is playing with your life. [too bad nobody really cares about Butters. Though, it would have been worse if Kenny was the assistant!]

The Memes Specialist is brought in to talk to some other folks, and he says that cats must be almost as smart as humans if they've figured out how to take pictures of themselves "breading" and posting them online. Cartman asks his cat why he

photo courtesy: Comedy Central

participated in the meme. [hahaha, I love how angry Cartman was at the cat. oh, and Kenny saying that memes are pointless didn't really work because he was off doing another one pretty shortly afterward.] Kenny joins Stan in a new meme (also created by a cat) while Kyle and Cartman continue Faith Hilling. [why is Butters still in the classroom?] The latter group is constantly teased for being out of style. The "ambassador of people" goes to talk to the new-meme cat, and claims that the cat said that their species will rise to power. [cue the ridiculousness climax!] The 're now a second debate, this time with the meme-cat and Gingrich, Santorum, and Romney. Well, Cartman oes to pull the newest meme but stops at the last second, saying that he's better than this - it's time that somebody stood up and did the right thing - he "Faith Hills" and sings. The audience and the candidates join in. [boooooo! boring ending!]