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Columns, Forum

Columnist explains the genius of ‘South Park’

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By Isaac Mathewson
 For 16 years, “South Park” has entertained and offended people all over the world. With over 200 episodes, a feature film, several video games and a huge amount of merchandise it continues to be Comedy Central’s highest rated shows, as well as being one of the most popular animated shows in history.
 I myself have been a fan of the show since I was about 10 and to this day it is one of my favorite TV shows as well as a major comedic influence in my life. Now with it coming into its 17th season, I have decided to give some of my viewpoints on the many criticisms of this hit show.
 Ever since it first aired in 1997, “South Park” has been a target for criticism for many reasons. It has often been criticized for its coarse use of foul language, toilet humor, racial slurs, and violent images, among many other factors. While many viewers claim that these elements are funny and at times it is well written social satire, others see it as inappropriate behavior that is offensive and is “corrupting” our children. I am going to explain the truth behind these criticisms.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the show’s creators, have said that “South Park” is social satire that is meant to be viewed by adults only. They say that at, literally, the very beginning of every episode. It has a lot of adult content both in its subject matter as well as in the topics it covers. One of the biggest issues, if not the biggest issue, is the pervasive language in the show. This is also the theme of the film. Many parents have complained that the language corrupts youth. However, the real truth behind the pervasive use of language is the fact that the creators say that this is what children say when they are alone, and they are trying to accurately portray kids in their dialogue and their ideas.
Another major issue is the portrayal of prejudice, most notably the way the character Eric Cartman constantly torments fellow student Kyle Broflovski for being Jewish. Many people have criticized this because they feel that this is making prejudice and racial slurs look acceptable. The reason behind this is that the creators wanted to show what it is like to be the only Jewish kid in school, as co-creator Matt Stone went through that phase himself. It is also meant to show human behavior, and how we as a species treat others who are different.
 The show is not without its flaws. Sometimes it can be too over-the-top, and it can be disturbing and occasionally disgusting. However, what we really need to do is look at it based on its writing and the topics that the show covers. Some of its writing is very good and it does at times have good messages. If anyone wants to see the art behind “South Park,” I would recommend the episodes “Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants,” “Margaritaville,” “Make Love Not Warcraft,” and “Chin Pokomon.”
 I am psyched about the upcoming 17th season, and I hope that the show continues on for several more years. Hopefully, we can all look past the adult content, and appreciate the show as  well written satire, as well as some of the best comedy of the past 20 years.
Columns, Forum

#SPEAKOUT: To Be or Not To Be

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By Danielle Sheally

Breaking away from something that we are a part of or a certain group of friends that we talk with and hang around is hard to do.  It’s almost like we are attached to them like a lock to a locker.

Do not do something just because your friends are doing it.  Do it because you absolutely breathe it and love it.  For example, I know a lot of girls in high school participate in dance, but they get so attached to their dance team that they are apprehensive to have their own dreams and goals.

In this world right now, so many people are not happy.  So many people focus on the negative. We become so consumed with everyday life that we become who people want us to be and we go through some days miserable because we are not being our own role model.

My goal in life is to start my own modeling agency for girls and boys with disabilities.  I want them to be able to break their mold  of looking at themselves with their disability.  Instead, I want them to look at themselves as fierce and fabulous individuals.  I want them to be able to look at their pictures with them out of their chairs or contraptions and be able to say, “This disability does not and will not define me.”

Though that is my goal, I want other individuals to be able to say to themselves,”Just because I am in this job or I am in this position does not mean I have to do this for the rest of my life.”  I want people to be happy when they wake up every day ready to go to their job.

News, Peter Hyle, Sidney Reynolds

Dance Marathon committees plan out the year ahead

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By Peter Hyle and Sidney Reynolds

FC will be hosting the Dance Marathon this February for the fourth consecutive year. This event provides games and activities in an effort to raise money for Riley Children’s Hospital. To conduct an event like this requires well thought out planning and dedication. In order to make the fundraiser as successful as possible, the planning and preparations are divided into four different committees.

“We have the fundraising committee, which is in charge of fundraising money prior to the event itself to try and get the total up each year. We also have recruitment, which works on getting people to the event itself and spreading the word about what Dance Marathon is and what we’re trying to accomplish. The entertainment committee is in charge of planning the night, which involves creating a schedule and planning out all of the activities. And then of course there’s catering that provides us with all of the food and beverages,” said FCDM coordinator and English teacher Tiffany Stansbury.

Creating each committee and giving them a purpose was a large task to take on. But even more in depth was deciding how each group would be constructed. For the fourth annual Dance Marathon, there were 170 students who volunteered to be on staff. Unfortunately, not everyone could be accepted.

“It was certainly a nice problem to have,” said Stansbury, “But we had to have a certain amount of guys and girls, a certain amount from each grade, and then we tried to get an even amount of people who have been involved in previous years and people who are new to the staff.”

Each year the event is hosted, more students learn about the fundraiser and it’s success seems to build from previous years.

“I had so much fun at last year’s Dance Marathon, and I thought it would be an even better experience this year to contribute,” said sophomore Kristen Burger, new to the FCDM staff this year.

Even though the main event is not until the second semester, the committees are dedicating their time and efforts in advance to make as large an impact as possible.

“We sold Yankee Candles at the end of August as our first fundraiser, and we have so much more planned. The yard sale is on Sept. 28, and we have a Halloween Party coming soon in October,” said Burger.

For the other volunteers, the overall experience of being on staff is also a main reason they choose to dedicate themselves to the cause.

“I volunteered for Dance Marathon again this year because last year it had a big impact on my life. It felt good to be a part of something so huge and worthwhile. I was a small part in it but it was still a great opportunity,” said junior Lexie Byrd.

For the past three years, the FCDM committee has gone past their own expectations and raised more than their actual goal. To make this possible for a fourth year in a row, their new goal is to “Strive for Forty-Seven Five”, which is a couple thousand more than what they collected at last year’s event. On top of that, they are constantly thinking of how they can improve and give more back to Riley’s Hospital.

“We’re trying to get the word out earlier and take part in more activities throughout the school year. For us, Dance Marathon is a year-long process and we want to bring that to the school as well,” said Stansbury.

Editor’s Note: For more details on this year’s Dance Marathon activities, check out the Oct. 4 issue of The Bagpiper.

Features

ROTC introduces new senior naval science instructor

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DSC00030
SNSI Mike Epperson looks over senior Lance Youtsey, the cadet master chief of FC’s NJROTC during uniform inspection. Photo by Will Huston.

By Will Huston

Towards the end of the last school year, shortly before Lieutenant Colonel Ben Gipe’s retirement, he and Senior Chief Mike Beal sat down and looked through a list of possible candidates to take over as the new senior naval science instructor, the position that Gipe held at the time.

“We wanted somebody who was passionate, knew something about drill, rifle team, how to teach, and seemed to uphold the qualities of Honor, Courage,  Commitment,” explained Beal, describing the core values of the Marines.

There were seven candidates who applied for Gipe’s position, one being Chief Warrant Officer Gunner Michael Epperson.

Epperson, a tall man who sports a conservative military haircut, was chosen for several reasons, a few of  which Beal listed: “He’s fired up, he’s passionate about his work, and he wants to see cadets get to the next level.”

Epperson has been in the Marine Corps for 26 years now, and during his time with the Marines he taught Light Armor classes, and was an academics officer at Fort Knox, which contributed to  him winning over the SNSI position.

But the main reason that Epperson got the position was his love for drilling, as demonstrated with his time at Shawnee High School in Louisville.

“It was his time at his last school [that made us choose him],” said Beal.

Epperson hopes to improve the ROTC program by encouraging more people to join.

“The more people who get involved, the more people who have fun,” said Epperson.

When comparing Gipe and Epperson, senior Lance Youtsey, who is the cadet master chief of ROTC, draws a few similarities.

“They’re both pretty funny, [and] they both yell really loud,” said Youtsey.

Outside of school, Epperson spends time woodworking, and watching the occasional movie, his favorite being Full Metal Jacket.

It’s still early on into the school year, and Gunner has already made a few significant changes, such as more PT and platoon drills, but that still convinces some cadets that the change is beneficial.

“I think the program’s going in the right direction,” said Youtsey

A&E

The Film That Got Away: Clear History

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By Christian DiMartino

Title: Clear History

Genre: Comedy

Release Date: August 10, 2013

Rating: NR

Leads: Larry David, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton

Writers: Larry David, Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer

Director: Greg Mottola

Larry David is a genius. Why? Well, for one thing, he is the co-creator of Seinfeld, the greatest show of all time. Also, he is the creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm, the best show currently on tv. He skipped out on writing another season this year  in exchange for a great movie called Clear History.

In my personal movie rule book (it does not actually exist by the way), in order for a comedy to earn a high rating, it must truly be hilarious. Not only that, it needs to be entertaining and have a great storyline. Clear History is the first comedy in years that can be considered perfect, and it is a true pity it did not go to theatres (it is currently available on HBO).

The film revolves around a guy named Nathan (David), who works at a car company. When his business partner Will (Jon Hamm) comes up with an idea for a car named “The Howard”, Nathan can not stand it and quits, which turns out to be a huge mistake. “The Howard” becomes a billion dollar franchise, causing plenty of embarassment for Nathan, who is considered America’s biggest idiot.

Ten years go by, and Nathan, now completely unrecognizable, and going by a different name, is now living a quiet life in Martha’s Vineyard. His quiet life is soon turned upside down when Will shows up and buys a mansion. But here is the thing: Will does not recognize Nathan. So soon after Will’s arrival, Nathan hatches an idea: blow up his house.

David has done something interesting with this movie. Nathan, in all honesty, is not a good person. The fate of his character occurs mainly because he did it to himself. But like the characters on Seinfeld and like his character on Curb Your Enthusiasm, the viewer roots for Nathan. The viewer might not agree with what he is doing, but yet it simply has to happen. Clear History is a daring comedy without a soul, and sometimes that is not such a bad thing.

The film has a wide variety of colorful scene-stealing performances. Michael Keaton is fantastic as a maniac who helps Nathan with his plan. Liev Schrieber is hilarious as a detonator salesman, and J.B. Smoove is perfect as a townfolk who has an idea of what is going on. Kate Hudson, Eva Mendes, Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Amy Ryan, and even the band Chicago all have their moments.

As an enormous Larry David fan, the film does not dissapoint. This is one of the single-most entertaining films of 2013. Forget the years other great comedies (This is the End, The Heat, The World’s End). Director Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) handles these actors with care, and it is a pleasure to see them. There is not an unfunny second in this film. Clear History is a movie that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. The first comedy of its kind in a while.

The film has that sort of Curb Your Enthusiam-ness to it. There is a lot going on here, a lot more than described above, and each storyline is as entertaining as the next. It is hard to remember many comedies that work as well as this. Clear History has fallen from comedy heaven. It is a near miracle. There might never be anything like it again. By the end, it does have a sour after-taste. But for the sake of the movie, it is worth it.

This is probably the strangest of the “Films That Got Away”, mainly because it has only been out for a month. It is not quite a film that got away, bur rather, a film that is not going anywhere. I know plenty of people who have HBO and have never even heard of it. If it had been released a little sooner, it may have received an Emmy nomination. As  Larry David would say, “It’s pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty… pretty good.”