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The latest episode of South Park is titled “Dancing With Smurfs” and in part parodies James Cameron’s upcoming 3-D sci-fi epic Avatar. I thought this would be more biting, but it does reflect what people have been saying about those Avatar trailers. During the episode, Cartman becomes a Glenn Beck /Bill O’Reilly-like character who villifies the student body president Wendy as a socialist/commie, leaves school in disgust to live with the Smurfs, becomes “one of them,” falls in love with a Smurfette, and leads a revolt against the humans who have come to exploit Smurfland for its energy Smurfberries. Here's the excerpt:
'South Park' Spoof Of Cameron's 'Avatar'
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I thought this was a relatively weak episode overall.
thats just foul
I DO NOT get the hate for this project. That was a pretty mild joke though. It’s amazing that based on some extremely limited information (i.e. trailers), people are eager to get the claws out and invent the news story that Cameron’s new mega-budget film is going to be a disaster. The amount of cynicism is quite ugly. There is an extremely vocal minority who insist that the CGI is rubbish (which is clearly untrue) and that the story is a copy of a million other stories. What really gets to me about the story criticism is that in reality, from what I have read in the script, the plot is actually far more original than the vast majority of blockbusters that are ever released. This is meant to be a good thing. People are being creative, working hard and taking massive risks. Why do people feel the need to try and stomp on a project like this based on some extremely flimsy assumptions? It’s moments like these that I realize how much distortion there is in the media. It is amazing how much one man – Devin Faraci from Chud.com can be the source of so many of the attacks on this film (that his readers repeat again and again on other sites). You’d swear he has a bad relationship with Fox…oh wait, he does! I’m sure this film can be subjected to plenty of fair criticism, but in certain parts of the blogosphere all I can see is negativity. I don’t seem to see any mention of the fact that Peter Travers called this film “the one to beat” for Best Picture, or that one of the sources of “The Envelope” recently saw 90% of the film in 2D and said it’s definitely going to be up for Best Picture. I think people get a kick out of trashing a film that isn’t an underdog. As far as I’m concerned this is just history repeating itself though. I suspect there will many irritated naysayers when this film is released.
If Cameron and Fox had not repeatedly said Avatar was a ‘game changer’ I don’t think you’d see this reaction, they only have themselves to blame. That said I can’t see it bombing at all. Even those who are lamenting the blue aliens are saying they will see it.
I do not know who this Faraci person is, nor have I ever been to Chud.com. I don’t trash films for fun or profit. I am simply an avid movie-phile.
Your criticism rings hollow. You ascribe the majority of criticism from having started with one person. That’s a false assumption and a specious argument.
Why so much negativity? Well, I can’t answer for anyone but myself. So here’s why:
1. The trailers are too “bluey” for me to tell if there is any new technological breakthrough at all. With all the blue coloration, all I can see is a close-ups on the eyes, knowing glances, and the “Battle for Terra”
2. The plot sounds too familiar and, from the trailers, I’m looking for a new twist on the old story of saving the natives.
3. CGI is a tool. I don’t mind if you use it or if you are pushing the envelope. But if the story doesn’t carry the picture, then neither will the CGI, no matter how much money you put into it.
Those are my observations, and, if you like, my criticisms based purely on YOUR trailers you have released, and the continued drumbeat of featurettes and all manner of trying to win over the masses. It’s word of mouth that sells a picture (aka New Moon, Star Trek, Juno); but the word of mouth on Avatar is nonexistent, despite YOUR best efforts.
Something is missing. I don’t know what it is, but something is missing in YOUR film. Deal with it.
way to drive a concept into the ground in three minutes…but possibly more entertaining than Cameron’s $500 million movie will be
Hahaha, that was funnnnny (:
I freaking love Matt and Trey.
Made the Glenn Beck parody kind of tedious rather than amusing. I agree, a weak epsisode overall. Wendy’s “turn-around” was the most amusing bit.
It’s an adult cartoon, makes fun of everyone and everything. Of course it’s cheesy sometimes.
Smurfland represents:
1. the formulaic plot of AVATAR
2. the fictional 1950s version of America that Fox News claims to defend.
Matt Stone and Trey Parker – the Jonathan Swifts of our age. God bless ‘em.
Funny episode, but what it really needed was a running joke about a nine year old girl’s pussy like in Curb Your Enthusiasm last night. Because really, what’s more funny than pedophilia — just ask Roman Polanski.
Any 18 year old that is the market for this movie, has already seen the Avatar story/concept in a myriad of video games over the years, so that aspect isn’t so clever.
But Cameron, 3D, and the big screen should make this good.
This is pretty lame, but I guess Avatar is in the culture already…and for all those who call it a $500 million movie,get a clue and re-read the stories, the movie didn’t cost that much…
That wasn’t merely bad, it was boring.
I’m just surprised Butters was in class instead of camping out in line for New Moon with the other Butterettes.
I thought it was a great episode, but I agree the whole avatar connection was totally lost on me (maybe I missed the part with cartman looking at the avatar sign at the cinema?). The fox news one, obviously wasn’t.
I thought it was f–king hilarious, Cartman _IS_ the larval Glenn Beck.. And the whole setup from the blackboard to the punchline outside the theater was almost Simpsonian in its coherence and hilarity if you ask me.. _Dances with Smurfs_ is probably how future generations will refer to _Avatar_..
And if you don’t agree, you can suck my fat tits!
I wonder why MSNBC isn’t joked about by Southpark ? Oh that’s right, they probably agree with MSNBC’s political slant.
Actually the creators are Libertarian, I think. The show always makes fun of whatever is topical at the moment. They make jokes on members on both sides of the aisle.
The reason South Park doesn’t make fun of MSNBC is that nobody watches MSNBC. The audience is more likely to get jokes about a movie that won’t be released for a month than they would jokes on a low-rated network like MSNBC.
I think Avatar is going to be quite good and make a profit. (What size profit I don’t know, but it will make a profit.) But this–this is brilliant. The fact that it’s Cartman himself who actually bulldozes Smurfland may make this the definitive commentary on Glen Beck.
I hope Avatar fails!
I think most people missed the whole point of the Avatar tie-in. It wasn’t just a pointless reference to the movie. The fairy tale land of the Smurfs is about as real as the incredible stories Glenn Beck pulls out of his ass every few weeks–the nefarious czars, our new President who isn’t really one of us but rather a closet Socialist–oh did I say that? no, I’m just asking questions here…
They’re mocking Beck’s crazy theatrical, rhetorical style and the fantasy land he creates for his viewers.
Matt and Trey are masters of satire–it’s not all about the surface jokes.
I am still loving South Park after all these years. The show is shocking every week, but not shocking in a bad way. Shocking with non-stop laughs. There is nothing that Cartman won’t fake to be evil. I thought the show where Cartman faked the special olympics was one of the funniest shows, and now here is a show where Cartman fakes having Tourettes Syndrome. I don’t want to spoil the show if you haven’t seen it yet. I just want to assure you that your money won’t be wasted on this episode.