In fact, the show's dissociated world allows South Park to make light of topics that lack any intrinsic humor. As well as they might have done things, recent much-lauded TV comedies didn't break any new ground when they found humor in the absurdity of everyday life (Seinfeld), sexual politics (Friends), or class tension (Cheers). These things are among the most ancient topics for comedy and, of course, South Park jokes about them all the time, too. No matter how well done--and the best sitcoms have shown flashes of brilliance--this is not quite as hard as creating genuinely funny humor concerned with Third World debt and literary criticism.
Through its uniquely warped worldview, South Park has managed to revive truly primeval traditions of Western satirical comedy and make continuously sharp political points at the same time. After a dozen seasons, South Park remains as pointed as ever. And it's also a good source of breast jokes.
Eli Lehrer is a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.