South Park

In class, it was mentioned that the part of the episode of South Park we watched was similar to a plot in a Greek tragedy. While this may be true, when I watched South Park, I can't help but think back to Joyce Carol Oates. She wrote the story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" after reading about the Pied Piper of Tuscon and all the horrific murders he Chalrles Schmid committed. Anyone who keeps up with the television show South Park knows that their episodes are very topical and up-to-date with what is happening in mass media (i.e. the Tiger Woods sex scandal, the Terri Schiavo case, Al Gore's advocacy for global warming, etc.). I've seen interviews with Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the creators) where they have been asked if after 14 seasons they ever feel like they're going to run out of ideas; and the answer is no. Every story is just a retelling of a previous story and when these news stories are broadcast to the public, it creates the perfect timing to portray that story in a different way.

I think Oates and the creators of South Park do exactly what Emily Dickinson once advised: Tell the truth, but tell it slant.