South Park - "Human Cent-iPad" - Talkback [4/27]

Anyone else feel that Trey and Matt were trying too hard to be offensive in this episode that the main bits weren't even funny (as in using the things that usually lead to a bad South Park episode)?
 
At least that wasn't as gross as the actual movie was. I always click agree without reading iTunes agreements. Maybe I should rethink it, huh?

That ending was the highlight of the episode, though.
 
I only found the ending funny. It was nice to see Cartman get some karma for what he did in this episode. Also, I found the joke about reading the agreements funnier when Foamy did it.
 
Here's the biggest problem with South Park: it's not about it's morals, it's not about it's characterization, it's limited animation, it's coninuity it will twist to get a moral across, or how it can play straight one minute, then do something completley ridicolous the next. It's the fact that it likes using joke runners. Joke runners, instead of running jokes are when you repeat the same gag over and over in the same episode, and don't really try twisting it too much until the very end. The result usually winds up being that the first few times, the punchlines are great and you laugh at them, but the more they pile on and on, it starts getting tedious. Season 14 had a bad start and end with this in "Sexual Healing" and "Creme Fraiche", as well as some other obvious examples. And yeah this episode had them as well, but sometimes if the jokes work well enough, you can sort of forgive the episode for being repetitve. Since hey if the point of SP is to make you laugh and think, then that's what this episode accomplished.

The Cartman plot had a much worse case of this. Cartman was funny in the beginning rubbing it in kids face he had an Ipad, until it was revealed he lied about that. And then good lines about his mom having his way with her, but they just kept having him say it and say it. Really there are only so many twists of the whole "boy mom can you have me..." joke before it gets a bit grating. Thankfully they only kept it to a few minutes so it wasn't that bad. And I did like Cartman actually taking off his pants at Best Buy and trying to act all defeated at the end. And I really loved his reaction at the HumanCentipad, calling it the greatest thing ever. And I also really liked the ending of Cartman getting struck with lighting. Really he's screwed around with God before and threathened him (like in "Fingerbang") so it's about time God directly decided to take vengence on Cartman at the end. I was hoping for a bit more Cartman/Liane scenes of her actually trying to be more foreceful, but even Liane it seems is no match for Cartman at his full manipulation range.

I think the Kyle plot worked better. Why? Because the idea of him being abudcted, drugged, strapped and expereminted on and turned into some mix of a disgusting conjointed monster and Apple product is funny and... kind of scary as well. If only for the idea he wound up in that position because he DIDN'T read all the forms he agreed to. And I'm sure even if it's a minority in SP, we've all signed things on the internet that we looked at and just were in a hurry to sign to it, and didn't agree on the various details. And yeah usually it works out fine but there are things you really should read first before agreeing to it, espiecally in an age where some computers are suspectible to viruses that work that way. Eh, I would say they should of exploited human centiepede more besides them being attached with the dumb woman and japanese man and the crap train, but really that's all that Human Centipede was about. Well besides a crazy doctor and dumb characters and the stupidity here was in the not reading. And it was nice for once that instead of one of the boys just being annoyed and grumbling at what they had to do, it was Gerald who was annoyed when trying to save his son. From the "geniues" at technical support taking so long to having to Join Apple. And heh much like the ball bouncing in "Medicnal Fried Chicken" was a good yet disgusting metaphor, the idea of everyone joining and connecting to Apple and having all information processed being... a human centiepede is twisted yet actually makes sense. It actually felt like they had a point in making fun of this movie in particular which you don't see with some other movie parodies. So yeah overall though not a spectularly great season premiere, a huge step up from the disappointment of "Sexual Healing" and a good beginning to season 15. Since really my only complaint here would be to think of more jokes for an episode instead of repeating the same one over and over.
 
I've heard of HC before, and that I should just avoid it at all costs. Though when I saw the preview for this episode, I just started to get a bit curious. I read about the movie today, and while I wasn't so traumatized by what I read, I don't care to see the events in action, and I think the people who came up with it need a spank.

If Trey and Matt decide to do an episode covering "2 girls 1 cup" (one other thing I've done a good job in avoiding so far), I might just have to stop watching the show altogether.
 
I learned about it last year through Film Drunk. I'm shocked that there's going to be a sequel for it.

But back on-topic, that was a fun episode. Cartman's end was well worth and don't mind the gross nature of the concept (I've seen and know worse, and 2G1C ain't it). Now, if you excuse me, I have to review all those terms and conditions I agreed to blindly (mostly) for rabroad, Apple, Xbox, PlayStation, Steam, Amazon, Zune, Twitter, Facebook...
 
Awesome/hilarious/disturbing episode, yaaaaay for South Park showing new episodes!!!!!

The highlights:
Trey and Matt bashing on Apple's overrated products is gonna be awesome!!!!!!
Eric showing off his iPad to the other kids.
The evil Apple company kidnapping Kyle since he didn't read the agreement, hahahahaha.
Gerald getting tazed, hahahahaha, it cracks me up when I see characters get tazed.
Liane finally standing up to Eric being spoiled/bratty was beautiful.
Eric having his pants off humiliating poor Liane in public was hilarious, hahahahaha.
Liane punishing Eric was sweet, good for Liane to finally get revenge on her horrible/spoiled son for being pushed around throughout the whole series:D:anime:.
The dumb woman and the funny Japanese guy that are the victims like Kyle was priceless.
Steve the owner of Apple was a great new villain.
So Kyle getting kidnapped/drugged/experimented being turned into a weird conjointed centipede monster/freak-of-nature as their Apple product was creepy/funny.
Both Kyle/the dumb woman/funny Japanese guy being the Human Cent-iPad was disturbing/hilarious, hahahahaha:eek::ack::D, poor Kyle is so violated in that scene.
Trey and Matt bashing the Human Centipede was brilliant!!!!!
Dr. Phil, hahahahaha.
Eric bashing on poor Liane in Dr. Phil's show was funny.
The Geniuses are super awesome/interesting minor characters.
Poor Kyle so got mouth-farted, gross!!!!!
The Geniuses' mouth beams was cool/creepy.
Eric's reaction to the Human Cent-iPad, poor Kyle's day just got worse for him.
Poor Gerald getting annoyed was funny.
Gerald being a member of the Geniuses was epic.
Steve and the evil Apple guys turning good, it's kind of nice to see some villains redeem themselves at times which is a nice touch.
Eric getting strucked by lightning was awesome, he totally deserved it in this episode for what he did to poor Liane, BEST ENDING EVER:D:D:D!!!!!!!

Man, seeing jerks like Eric Cartman/Peter Griffin/Bloo/Master Shake/Stan Smith and Roger getting their butts kicked is always funny/awesome.
It was great with Gerald getting more focus in this episode instead of Randy.
 
I thought this was a strong season premiere. I'm not gonna try to make any intellectual or intelligent comments about the episode because that is the last thing South Park is about.. and taking any kind of side with South Park on a subject or basing your mindset on it is a terrible idea.

Really funny in my opinion, but don't expect too much from it as another episode that relies on a running gag or a real life instance to get it's plot going.

It's a continuing trend.. I know.
 
Count me among those applauding Eric finally getting karmic payback. SP has been verging on unwatchable for me because I'm burned out of him pulling things and getting away with it, again and again. I'd like to think it's going to balance out a little more, but...

As for the running bash on Apple's monolithic T&C statement and just clicking "Agree", I confess I have thought about just what I agree to everytime, what horrors are buried within. While obviously nothing like this is on Apple's horizon, it certainly does give some pause... and only pause.

What I really related to was the Genius scene. I visit the Apple Store on 5th and 58th (just south of Central Park), and I frequently find myself waiting for a while just to get a new headset or check a loose screw. Ack.
 
I thought it was pretty funny....

I felt sorry for Kyle having to be part of the "Human Cent-iPad",since he didn't bother reading his Apple user's agreement (it's true,though, when you think about it...How many people actually bother to read those?...I know I'm going to keep a closer eye on user agreements from now on)...and he kept getting tricked by the scientists throughout the episode,because he STILL didn't read anything he signed (hopefully,he learned his lesson)...

Cartman's plot....Well,although it kept using the same "joke" (that Cartman kept yelling about how his mom was messing up his life by not buying him the IPad he wanted,making it sound like she was a child molester with his choice of words... in other words,typical Cartman behavior),I really did love the resolution (Kyle is able to get out of his user agreement thanks to his dad and friends,and robbing Cartman of his "Human Cent-iPad",and when Cartman complains to God about the events,again making it seem like God's a child molester,he gets struck by lightning)...It's always awesome to see Cartman get karmic payback for the awful things he does/says...

I wouldn't have known the "Human Cent-iPad" idea came from a movie,except my brother mentioned it (funnily enough,he just saw the movie the day before this episode)...
 
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