On spearhead intellectuals Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

[Guaranteed]

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are way behind the times. Don't tell them, though- they think they're smart and "on the cutting edge." In their minds, the mind-blowingly brilliant libertarian philosophy evident in their show "South Park" and new movie "Team America" is their mass-innoculation against the shrill liberalism constantly bombarding the soft minds of Americans.

Unfortunately for them, they're living about five or six years in the past. Back in 1998, WHILE I was a liberal (and I still am), I was making the same criticisms against liberalism that they are now professing. And I was right in those criticisms, then, as they would have been, as many others were.

But things have changed.

The truth is that the "whiny" liberalism that was so prevalent back in the late nineties died as quickly as it came. Today's liberalism, which I equate with the leadership of Howard Dean, doesn't sweat the small stuff. We are concerned about the United State's leadership position in the world, along with threats against the United States. We care about families having the money and medical insurance that it takes to live a decent life here in the U.S. We fight against corporate corruption- a very REAL problem, as exhibited by the countless scandals uncovered in the last few years. We abhore media consolidation, which undermines the very FOUNDATION of our democracy, and are determined to find an alternative source of energy to oil not on only environmental grounds, but, more importantly, to ensure our economic and national security. And the pre-fascist hand-in-hand work we see going on between our government and corporations is an extremely troubling issue for us.

The truth is, Mr. Parker and Mr. Stone, there's no room for "whining" anymore. In case you didn't notice, the shit hit the fan back on September 11th, 2001, and we've all moved on to some rather important issues that maybe, just MAYBE, should be discussed. For example, should we be invading countries that have no connections to the terrorists that attacked us on that day and do not pose any true threat to the United States, with or without weapons of mass destruction? Or, am I just complaining when I question that idea on the grounds that it could very well, and HAS, destroy our reputation with and goodwill from the world, while in the meantime we're hoping that they cooperate with us in helping to root out the REAL terrorists?

Or, how about this one: would it be too much for us to suggest that the Bush administration shouldn't be working so closely with a regime that actually DID support Al Qaeda? What about the fact that the United States imports a massive percentage of its oil from that very same country? Does it bother you that when you fill up your car's gas tank the money you're buying it with could very well be finding its way into the hands of terrorists who are hell-bent on killing YOU and YOUR FAMILY?

Mr. Parker and Mr. Stone, our country is in a shitload of trouble, here, and us LIBERALS understand that. You, on the other hand, apparently don't. Instead of joining us, you're lashing out against a ghost of a political philosophy. But just some advice: if you're going to maintain your stature as the rebellious political innovators of Hollywood, you need to open up your ears and actually LISTEN to what people are saying here in 2004. Because for those in the "know," when you attack liberals in the way that you are you don't look intellectual at all. You look like a couple of fucking idiots stuck six years in the past.

Get with the times...man.

[MatrixEscape]

1. Excellent POV and comment. Thank you! n/t

[vi5]

2. The type of touchy feely liberalism they hate died before that...

I think it died when the repubs took back control of congress in 1994. That type of PC (I hate that term but it is appropriate in this discussion) liberals had a brief hayday between clinton getting elected in '92 until '94 when the angry male took over again. By '98 that type of liberalism had long been a dead horse that they still love to beat.

Unfortunately they are not the only ones and are indicative of the way a lot of people in this country still feel.

[Guaranteed]

3. Unfortunately, I was still subjected to it while I was in college.

We were constantly bombarded with this "diversity" stuff. It was a catch phrase, and it really was disgusting.

That's not to say that I don't recognize that diversity is important- it was just that it was being constantly pounded into our brains. It really was propaganda, and it pissed me off. No one likes being treated like that.

[vi5]

5. I think to call it disgusting is a bit harsh...

It may have been a bit overboard, but at least the intentions were well meant in most cases. I'm sorry but I listen to co-workers talk, and we still have a long way to go. There are still way more people out there who need diversity understanding and training than those who do not.

I think the problem isn't things like diversity and sensitivity training. It's from certain factions on the left not knowing when to pick and choose their battles. I think things like politically correct school mascots are a fine example of this. I'm not diminishing anyone's right to be offended by certain things like The Tomahawks or the Redskins, but the fact is that there are plenty of things that offend us that fall pretty low in the pantheon of things to put our efforts towards to change. The only thing the left is sometimes guilty of is not being able to prioritize.

PETA is another fine example of this. Being pro-animal rights and against animal cruelty is a great thing. But they choose such ridiculous battles to fight that they have become a joke.

But at no point would I categorize any of this as "disgusting". Counter-productive, yes. Giving the other side too much ammunition to make a big deal out of these things, yes. But never disgusting.

[Guaranteed]

6. For me, it's the method.

Any form of propoganda, and, in general, for someone to think that they have to indoctrinate others with any kind of ideology, to the point where they're shoving it down their throats, is disgusting. It's paternal, and, ultimately, narrow-minded in itself.

And it just violates a person.

[vi5]

10. I'm not sure how diversity is an ideology...

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what it is that you take issue with, so I apologize if I'm just barking up the wrong tree here.

I don't see what the downside is to getting people to better understand different opinions and cultures and backgrounds better.

[drumwolf]

12. I think what BGL is saying is....

Diversity = good
Being told "diversity is good" over and over ad nauseam to the point where you're being bludgeoned over the head with that message = bad

As an American of Korean descent, I agree with him. I think that the way some of us keep chanting "diversity, diversity, diversity" ad nauseam can be counterproductive to our own cause. If you shove a message down people's throats, no matter how right that message is, inevitably some people will puke it back out.

[vi5]

15. Ah...that makes sense then.....

I can see that.

[jdj]

23. I don't really think you get it.

P.C./diversity/tolerance is not the devil.

Apathy is.

Trey and Matt exhibited APATHY by telling people not to vote.

My guess is they are libertarians, which is just another word for a republican that hasn't switched from dope and acid to alcohol and prescription painkillers.

So of course they don't want people to vote.

If voter attendance goes up, it will go up on the liberal side.

[Guaranteed]

25. Read my posts again.

And read my first post, too. "My guess is they are libertarians"<------ addressed in original post.

[sendero]

4. Communists and Libertarians...

... the two most deluded groups of people on the face of the earth, and just two sides of the same coin.

[pretzel4gore]

7. the courage to attack the real enemy

just will not be found in popular entertainment or media.....which the south park guys are.... song and dance men, fred astair and gene kelly type wowers; meanwhile of course fascism runs amok

[Guaranteed]

8. LOL that's the real irony

of their position.

[aden_nak]

9. Perhaps it's a geographical thing?

I am still bombarded with the "wussy liberalism" influence on a daily basis. . . well, that is, on the rare occasion I can find someone who's left of center. Of course, I live in Norther New Jersey Suburb-a-topia, so that might have something to do with it. ;)

[vi5]

11. Where do you live?

Fellow Northern NJ Suburb-a-topian here.

[aden_nak]

13. Parsippany, at the moment.

But it costs roughly nine trillion dollars per month to live here, so I'm likely moving down to New Brunswick soon.

[vi5]

14. Rockaway, here...

Although I lived in Parsippany for a few years. The cost of living is high in these parts but with all my family in the area and being so close yet far enough away from NYC, I couldn't see myself leaving.

[jdots]

17. The southpark boys are whining for dollars

They are employed to whine about whining,it's sarcasm turned inside out and it belittles the real issues.They are smart but are they smart ? You put it much better than i can. I haven't seen them at any marches,and when i watch Southpark i get the overwhelming sence of What's the USE .

[GOPNotForMe]

16. HELLO, "BASEKETBALL"

'Nuff said.

[mitchum]

18. Kicking this excellent post, BullGooseLoony!

well done :)

[Guaranteed]

19. Thanks! nt

[Forkboy]

20. I can't believe people spend so much time thinking about these guys

This is a great post and all,but these guys do cartoons for crying out loud.This kind of reaction is EXACTLY what they count on.

[Guaranteed]

22. I just wanted to point out that they're idiots.

That's all. :)

[Forkboy]

30. I hear ya

:)

[Simeon Salus]

21. I went to the sneak preview with friends on Saturday.

We laughed our asses off. I haven't laughed so hard in years. The NYC audience f*cking loved it.

The theme song is the ultra patriotic "America, F*ck Yeah!" The heroes compose an uber patriotic strike team that casually destroys entire cities while pre-emptively tracking down alleged WMDs.

Yes, the Michael Moore puppet becomes a suicider, on camera. It was hysterical.

Yes, the liberal icon puppets are members of the "Film Actors Guild," usually mentioned by acronym.

Yes, the filmmakers take their standard shots at folks that are entirely too serious for their own good. (They took the same shots at America's Rambo attitudes in their Clinton-era South Park movie.)

I don't always agree with Matt and Trey, but I always laugh at them.

They are classic American muckraking humorists. They pick on EVERYONE. Especially the sanctimonious. The more steadfastly serious you are, the more likely they'll come after you. They slaughtered John Edward, the fake medium, by exposing his technique. Matt and Trey killed Saddam, pronounced him a homosexual sadist f*ckbuddy of Satan, and made him look silly years ago. They had their half-hearted shot at Bush (in one scene having the Karl character delight in sucking the dying breath of an executed prisoner).

Matt and Trey think they are funny guys. They just want people to laugh at them.

The audience I sat with last Saturday agreed. We just wanted to laugh at them.

Let me laugh. Okay?

On edit: Let me correct my poor spelling. Okay?

[jdj]

24. I guess they are now at home fucking each other.

Since what else could be the root of their veiled (not) bigotry and fascination with homosexuality.

The thing that slays me about your "American muckracking humorists" is that they have the naive adolescent illusion that everyone is ridiculous but them. So pardon me, if when they get drafted and CNN, Fox, and MSNBC replay over and over the video of these sorry useless punks getting their asses blown sky high, pardonme if I just laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh...

Laughter, that's what it's all about, isn't it?

[Guaranteed]

26. Now THAT was a good post. nt

[mitchum]

27. LOL!!!!

That was much funnier and more trenchantly observed than anything from those two "comedic geniuses" :)

[SemiCharmedQuark]

29. Excellent Post!

[Dr Fate]

28. I never thought they were funny.

Fat kids yelling- yeah- ha ha.

[fujiyama]

31. I'm not a constant watcher

of South Park. I watch it when there isn't anything else on and when it's a slow night on DU. Some episodes I did find amusing. I laughed about the Mel Gibson and the Passion episode.

But from everything I've seen and and heard regarding TA:WP, there isn't much that's funny. It sounds simplistic. If it was TRUE satire it would take shots at both the left AND the right. Apparently there aren't many shots at the right. MM is a traitor. The liberals are a bunch of pansies trying to negotiatiate with the terrorists. Am I the only one that finds this idiotic? And I DON'T mind laughing at jokes making fun of liberals or liberal politicians.

Your post is great and gets right to the point. Opposing the war in Iraq wasn't necessarily a liberal thing. Pat Buchanan opposed this war for crying out loud!

Trey Parker and Matt Stone want to create the impression that those that opposed the war are apologists for terror or that Bush is trying to fight the terrorists and the liberals are fighting him.

Sorry but that's complete and absolute nonsense. Anyone tha has paid close attention to news for the last few years have come to that conclusion. It didn't take F 9/11 for me to realize that this administration had failed in its responsibility to protect the American people. I'm sorry, but Richard Clarke was NOT a far left pinko commie bent on destroying Bush. He simply laid out the facts - and those facts said that Bush was never interested in bringing the responsible parties to justice - instead he wanted it to fit his own bizarre world view and oaranoid fantasies regarding someone that had nothing to do with 9/11.

[Guaranteed]

32. You said it even better than I did. nt