Have Matt and Trey Lost Their Edge?

South Park episodes have always pushed the boundaries of what’s acceptable in society, breaking the status quo mold and then some. Often inspired by politics, current events and pop culture, we know we can usually expect new South Park episodes to make fun of anything we’ve recently witnessed. (How about another Kanye West episode, guys?)

But the other night my husband and I were watching “The Coon,” an obvious spoof of The Spirit, Watchmen and The Dark Knight (and perhaps others). And as much as I did not enjoy the first two of those three films, I sadly didn’t enjoy their satirized versions, either. It wasn’t because they went too far, or because they were offensive; it was because they were barely even done.

Cartman was “The Coon,” of course, which was sort of funny—a masked vigilante that was based on an animal that already has a mask. But that’s where the comedy ended. It was a long, drawn-out, boring episode, much like the episode 513, “Kenny Dies.” Family Guy often does something similar—with, say, a stupid lengthy dance number that’s only funny for four seconds—but not generally for an entire episode.

There was no real plot—of course, plot’s never been that much of an issue when it comes to South Park, and that’s why we love it. But without plot, we expect good, dirty, groundbreaking, WTF! comedy. Instead, it was a very lame attempt at a parody that felt as if it were written by fourth graders themselves.

Honestly, are Matt and Trey losing their edge? This isn’t the first time they’ve disappointed me. There are plenty of episodes that were so boring all the way through I just couldn’t stand it. What about last season’s guinea pigs? Or the Jackovasaur? Many of these things were funny at first sight, but after being dragged through them for half an hour, they lost their comedic appeal very early on.

That said, the guys are still normally very funny. I think spoofing these superhero movies was an awesome idea and only wish that they would have taken it further. When I see a South Park episode, I’m tuning in for some taking-it-past-the-limits humor that I can’t often get anywhere else, and I, like many viewers, expect to be laughing hard enough to puke throughout the episode. That’s why we tune in, right?

What do you think? Did you catch this episode? (It originally aired in March.) What about other episodes that seem to drag on? Are Matt and Trey still entertaining us with their social commentary and toilet humor, strong as ever, or have they softened a bit?