South Park, "World War Zimmerman"

Much can be said about the way South Park satirizes a subject or issue by reversing the roles, letting one side experience the other side’s view. Or how Matt Stone and Trey Parker come up with such strange, surreal, frequently dirty metaphors that are nevertheless crystal clear in what they’re talking about. But I think the show’s most effective when it dives into its target directly, unmercifully, with the subtlety of a sledgehammer and complete indifference to who will get offended.

When you’re addressing a subject that arouses as much fervor as the whole George Zimmerman affair, there’s really no better way.

As usual, Eric Cartman is the everyman voice of the indefensible position, in this case fearful, subconsciously prejudiced white America. The episode finds the little hell-raiser treating the town’s lone black boy Token, often the recipient of racism from Cartman both implied and outright, with uncharacteristic respect. No, he hasn’t learned tolerance; he’s actually trying too hard to keep his classmate from rioting in reaction to Zimmerman’s not guilty verdict (yeah, about that...). When his overzealous friendliness becomes insulting and prompts Token to respond, Cartman causes widespread panic across the country, though everyone else seems to think his imaginary race war is a zombie apocalypse (or at least most of them; some I’m not so sure).

Very direct, and even though Zimmerman’s trial ended months ago, the satirical sting is not diluted one bit. The spoof of World War Z is funny and well integrated into the story, as the show’s parodies usually are. But trappings aside, it’s just astounding how this show can make a point so strong, sometimes so painfully and uncomfortably true, and yet also make us crack up at what we’re seeing. And the episode does that for Zimmerman and stand-you-ground laws, better than any other piece of comedy I’ve seen that ventured into this territory. Zimmerman himself even appears, in a turn of events that’s glorious. Absolutely glorious.

This is one of this season’s gems, a great and memorable episode of which there are a couple each season, which a few years from now fans will look back upon as a classic of this point in time.