South Park: Vulgar, Too Long and Should Have Been Cut

Rating: 3/10 (18 July 1999)

I do not understand the praise that "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut" is receiving. Yeah, it has its funny moments. Yes, it pushes the envelope. True, it is daring. But after the first half hour I was screaming, "Enough is Enough!"
The film is clever in its set-up. Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Kenny see a rated-R film starring the Canadian gross-out team of Terrence and Phillip. The boys pick up some foul language that shocks their classmates, teachers and parents. The adults blame Canada and a war ensues.
There is, quite surprisingly, a message beneath the film's prurient exterior: If more parents paid attention to their kids instead of blaming the media for society's problems, we would all be better off. I say, of course parents should pay attention to their kids. But when are the media going to start taking some responsibility for the content that they provide? I support freedom of speech. I know that the First Amendment wasn't created to protect nice speech. But I also believe that we need to be responsible for the things we say and the messages we express. The media should be accepting some responsibility for society's problems along with the parents.
"South Park" says a lot of mean things. It is mean-spirited. Politically-incorrect humor can be funny (see "There's Something About Mary"), but the movie's constant jabbing at gays and African Americans grew tiresome. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone keep the vulgarities coming...and coming and coming. They knew they could get away with more on the big screen than the television screen, and the constant foul-language and obscene visuals eventually became boring.
Note to parents: No children -- please! This film should have been rated NC-17. It is too vulgar. It is too long. It should be cut. I wonder what Kyle's mom would say if she saw it?