TV Review: South Park: Joining the Panderverse
“I'm sorry I was so reckless with the things that you love.”
Beneath the vulgarity (or, perhaps, because of it), South Park is brilliant social commentary and satire. It is smart, funny and surprisingly even-handed. Such is the case for their new streaming special, “Joining the Panderverse,” which can be watched on Paramount+.
Eric Cartman (voiced by Trey Parker) has recurring nightmares wherein everyone he loves has been replaced by a “diverse woman” who complains about the patriarchy. The nightmares become reality when he is sent to a parallel universe where everyone is, indeed, a woman of color. It’s later revealed that the tear in space-time was caused by Disney executive Kathleen Kennedy (Kimberly Brooks) overusing the panderstone: a magical McGuffin that is “...used to make the same movies over and over again while appealing to absolutely everyone.” The bulk of the story revolves around sealing the tear before the universes collide and unleash “pander-monium.”
There is also a B story wherein Randy Marsh (also Parker) feels scammed by college and leads an anti-capitalism protest. So, a lot is skewered in this 50-minute episode.
It is remarkable how the director (yet again, Parker) is able to weave so many narratives together and in such a way that nothing feels superfluous. Also, everything is brought together in a neat bow during the finale. Transitions between subplots are perfectly timed so as to build on new developments and to keep relevant plot points fresh in the viewer’s mind. In short, it’s some of the finest story telling.
The satire cuts to the bone. An example is the conversation between the main characters and PC Principal (you guessed it, voiced by Parker). When Cartman goes to the Panderverse his (not so) doppelganger comes to ours. This Cartman (Janeshia Adams-Ginyard) is an adult black woman not readily accepted by the other kids. So, PC Principal sets them straight: “There’s a diverse female where Cartman was at, and you don’t like that.” He goes on to say that the boys feel their white culture is being threatened so they’ve lashed out with racism. The boys make their case, too: the problem isn’t with diversity, per se, but with the senselessness of race swapping an established character. It is evident how this conversation is representative of many of online arguments and YouTube videos.
Chief among South Park’s targets is Disney’s remakes of old movies but with a decidedly woke flavor. Indeed, this is the crux of the plot because it was Disney’s pandering to audiences that caused the space-time tear. However, Parker is fair - perhaps too fair - to Kathleen Kennedy, an avatar or stand-in for the Disney corporation. She is portrayed as a sympathetic character, someone who genuinely wanted to do good even if those good intentions paved the road to pander-monium.
Cartman is Kennedy’s nemesis and the embodiment of outraged Disney fans. He, too, is portrayed sympathetically. His feelings are actually best summed up by Kennedy: “I'm sorry I was so reckless with the things that you love.”
Disney has been, in fact, reckless with the things Cartman and we all love. If the real-life Kathleen Kennedy or the company came out with such a statement and a genuine promise to be more careful, it would go a long way in repairing the fan/producer relationship. As it is, we stand here broken hearted that the franchises we loved have been raped by well-meaning but exceedingly foolish executives.
I said South Park is too fair to Disney. The show blames laziness for the entertainment company’s failings. Moreover, it suggests a chicken-and-the-egg conundrum as to who started the trouble. Was it angry fans reacting to Kennedy’s pandering, or did Kennedy pander because of angry fans? I feel that Disney started it, and it wasn’t laziness but hubris. However, these are opinions, so we won’t fault South Park too much.
With all that said, I think South Park was right to take an even-handed approach to the topic. Both sides are sympathetic. Both sides have their fair say rather than being straw maned. In the end, the space-time tear is fixed when Cartman and Kennedy make amends. The metaphor is not subtle but uplifting.
There does seem to be a real cultural change coming. That South Park’s “Joining the Panderverse” exists is proof of that coming change, although it’s not inevitable. So, here’s to hoping we can right the ship and get back to making truly great movies.