I don't think it has to do with the target audience being that young, as much as it has to do with the segmentation of the age group represented in the show. I'm 30, I don't have kids, and my friends that do have kids don't have ones old enough to be into either HSM or Twilight or Emo or Hanna Montana or whatever. HOWEVER, this stuff is EVERYWHERE. If you go to Target or Walmart or even read any sort of entertainment news at all (read: Movie/box office) the news about this crap is everywhere. It's certainly possible to miss all of it, but it's difficult to be completely unaware of any of it.

It's just a cartoon, dude. It doesn't always have to be "political" as long as it's funny (which I think it has been). I, for one, am glad that South Park doesn't only (or even mostly) do "in the headlines" type shows. Sometimes I get enough of that shit on the news and I just want to turn my brain off and laugh.

Dave hit it on the head...plus I think there is also a different way to look at the episodes. While they don't necessarily have a specific commentary on the economic situation, perhaps it's more of a general commentary, hitting multiple points. Look at the "Startling" episode - it made fun of M.Night, Cloverfield, the camera culture, and the concept of mass fear creating panic all at once. Apply the fear and speculation thing to the economy and oil markets and such. I took it as a shot at all of those...not simply what it was on the surface.

Since we can't make new threads yet, I thought I'd bump this thread to mention that the new season starts March 11th, and will be in HD!

March 11th? Nice.

Irony...

http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/sto...=1236118172151