"South Park" Ratings: Spielberg Rape Episode Draws Record Audience

Hollywood Reporter:

Eleven years on the air and "South Park" is still setting Comedy Central ratings records -- and offending viewers.

Wednesday night's premiere was seen by an average of 3.7 million viewers, up 21% from last fall's debut and topping all of cable during its time period. It stands as the show's most-watched fall premiere since 1999.

In the episode, the kids are traumatized by memories of watching "Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," remembering how the movie essentially "raped" the action-hero icon. The episode featured a trio of parodies from famous movie rape scenes ("The Accused," "Clockwork Orange" and "Deliverance") to make the point that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg violated their beloved character in the long-awaited, yet ultimately disappointing sequel.

Read the whole story: Hollywood Reporter

Comments

[joyi]

I love this show. This is the funniest adult cartoon there is, and thank GOODNESS Comedy Central took this series and allowed the creators to do "almost" anything. If there was an alternate universe for "Peanuts", you've hit it in "South Park". Catch all eps http://download-south-park-episodes.edogo.com here...

[BlackJAC]

I'm reminded of that scene in AUSTIN POWERS 3 where Spielberg pulls out his Oscar and says "My friend here says it's fine the way it is" in response to criticism of his work. How many Oscars do Trey & Matt have, again? How many of their movies have racked up over $100 million in original domestic theatrical release? How many of their movies have been slated for eternal preservation in the National Film Archive due to overwhelming cultural and/or artistic relevance?

[crickets]

It's okay to dislike something for whatever reason. It's not okay to throw a fanboy hissyfit over the aformentioned disliking because it makes you look immature. Either make a better product to show you know what you're talking about, or clear the deck.

[KCFreedom]

I couldn't even watch all of this episode. I had to turn it off.

It's not even that it offended me; it was just so tasteless and stupid, it was the most wretched thing they've done yet, and that's saying a lot. They must be running out of ideas.

What's worse, they kept repeating it the rest of the week.

[Syco]

glad to know that trey and matt haven't lost it

[larry278]

This episode of "South Park" will make for a gr8 sermon on the Landover Baptist Church site or Mrs Bettey Bowers, America's Best Christian site. It has everything sodomy, porn. pedionphalia(sp?), anti-Semitism, everything.

[bentenrai]

I saw it on TV, I changed channels. I was wondering if some people have just run out of creativity or they were just plain nasty. I guess it's both.

[DrJohnnySkeptic]

I'm glad that I don't watch TV.

That was absolutely tasteless and it is insulting to trivialize rape into a parody.

You'd think that this wouldn't get by the censors - and too bad it didn't.

The makers of South Park should be ashamed of themselves.

[foxfan]

When did sick crap become a substitute for humor?

[Rosanneofpgh]

I know SP is supposed to be over the top but rape is NEVER funny!!

I guess its too much to expect good taste from a program that revels in bad taste. Which is why I never watch it.

[bugsbonzai]

George Carlin answered this. He said rape can be funny. Imagine Porky Pig raping Elmer Fudd. It's funny.

[foxfan]

Unless you are Elmer Fudd.

[BosieO]

I Like South Park...they mock everyone ...Left, right and everythign else in the middle...that's why I like them.....I'm a loyal South Park and I always try to watch it with humor and open mind....Trust me it forces you to laugh and to think. SOUTH PARK RULES!~

[robotfog]

I understand the point they were making, but it wasn't funny. Just being outrageous doesn't equal humor otherwise I might have laughed at the stupid pilot for 'testees' last week.

[Bruce Tenenbaum - Huffpost Blogger]

Watching SP doesn't mean you have psychological problems as one person commented.

The show definitely does not lean right as someone else suggested.

If you watch the show regularly you'll know that the show is quite often brilliant and, most importantly, very funny. It's one of the most subversive shows ever on television. And I mean that as a compliment. They hold no punches in ridiculing the everyday nonsense of the world. Nothing is sacred and that's how comedy should be. It doesn't matter if they offend, it only matters if they make you laugh. They'll brazenly and hilariously take on anything from other TV shows to religion (come on, the Scientology and Mormon episodes? Jesus doing magic tricks? amazing) to current events (they're post 9/11 show was one of the most brilliant shows in the history of TV comedy).

That being said, I didn't think the season opener was very funny. It was not one of their better shows. Not because they raped Indiana Jones but simply because it was not very funny. On the other hand, I have confidence that the show is not going downhill as last season had many excellent episodes. Not every episode will be as funny as the next. I look forward to next week. And, I look forward to people realizing that the phrase "jump the shark" has jumped the shark.

[LiberalBuzz]

Excellently put.

I found it off putting by trying to make rape funny. That just didn't work for me and the fact, as you stated, it just was not funny.

[bugsbonzai]

South Park episodes are wildly varying in quality for the very reason that makes the show so popular. Pushing boundaries, trying new things and talking about things that others avoid in ways that make people uncomfortable will inevitably lead to extremely varied results in the end.

By the way, Matt and Trey are avowed Libertarians, which is why conservatives claim they lean left and liberals claim they lean right. They also hate all politics and politicians. I see where they're coming from, but I personally can't abide by the "they all do it" mentality because it ignores the degrees of culpability. If one parent punishes a child for misbehaving by locking them in a sleep deprivation chamber for a week without food and another send theirs to their room for a couple hours, they are not equivalent just because both parents "punished" the child.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREEEEEN!

[3fingerbrown]

I'm always fascinated by how the same story is covered differently in different parts of the country. Here in New York, the angle was that they did this to a Jewish guy on Yom Kippur! http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/10/10/2008-10-10_foes_rip_south_park_for_sick_steven_spie.html

[GallopingCat]

It's not just that they're overreacting to their opinion that the franchise is selling out. Star Wars and Indiana Jones have always sold out, even when the stories were good. It's always been about Burger King toys. And the fact that Crystal Skull wasn't good is hardly a secret, and not worth creating a controversy about.

South Park is raping itself.