South Park is doing a Steve Irwin thing already, which is of course upsetting people, which is of course the point. No word on whether it will be shown in Australia, no word on whether I care…oh wait, this just in…no, I don’t.
You see that? That was that bitchy sort of sarcasm that passes for clever on sit-coms these days. It started with Will and Grace but now everybody’s doing it, even the vacuous pre-teen fare on Nickelodeon and Disney. P4 is going around talking ghetto after watching That’s So Raven, except it’s smart-ass ghetto that’s really Hollywood-writer ghetto and it makes her sound like a 35 year-old Jewish boy trying to sound like a 15 year old black girl with an Australian accent. The other day she called the cat girlfriend. Then the cat called the dog a skanky ho which is true, but the language is clichéd and not relevant here. The cat should have called the dog a dirty slag or a greasy slapper, that would have made more sense for Australia. American TV ghetto slang sounds stupid coming from a cat. Cat’s do better playing androgynous evil puppet-masters or sea captains. You know a cat sea captain is going to have an all-mouse crew too, which can only lead to grief. No, it’s a bad thing all round, trying to be something we’re not.
You see how I tied that up with a little morality at the end? That’s another one of those greasy writer tricks. Just like South Park using Irwin 8 weeks after his death. The shock-factor is no longer using the celebrity, but doing it while the barb still hangs from his chest. There, I did it again. Bad writing is easy.
3 comments:
I like "dirty slag" and will adopt it hence forth. "Greasy slapper," on the other hand, just reminds me of men in trenchcoats at those naughty theaters. Ick.
As an American under 30, I find it troubling that I can no longer detect sarcasm. I don't even know when I'm being a smart ass anymore.
Woody, here's a hint: anytime you open your mouth to say something, you're being a smart ass. ;)
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