Cable Television

1
Cable Television

• South Park
• Teacher Bangs a Student

2
Cable TV Statistics

• Total US Television
• (Sept. 2008)
• Households
• 113.3 million
• Cable subscribers
• 64.7 million (57.1)

• Top 25 providers
• (June 2011)
• 1 Comcast
• 22.5 million subscribers
• 4 Time Warner
• 12.2 million subscribers
• Top 25 Channels
• (basic cable2010)
• 17 Comedy Central

3
A TV show about people

• South Park is an American animated television
  series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for
  the Comedy Central television network.
• Intended for mature audiences, the show has
  become famous for its crude language, surreal,
  satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide
  range of topics and has inspired controversy for
  nearly an entire generation. Emphasis on parody.
• The ongoing narrative revolves around four
  boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman
  and Kenny McCormickand their bizarre adventures
  in and around the titular Colorado town.
• In the 2004 documentary The 100 Greatest
  Cartoons, South Park was placed at 3, just
  behind The Simpsons and Tom and Jerry.
• South Park is currently contracted to continue
  until 2013, taking the show to 17 seasons.

4
Expected Narrative

• Relationship montage
• Report to the police

5
Main Plot

• Narrative influenced by character
• South Park brand based on parodies of famous
  people and current events
• Storyforbidden love (lovers are breaking a
  social rule)
• Parody of Deborah LaFave and her young lover
• ThoughtStudent-teacher relationships are okay if
  the teacher is female and hot

6
Unexpected Narrative

• Cartman as Dog the Bounty Hunter
• Go with Christ for a video

7
Subplot

• Narrative influenced by character
• Iconographyprocess of creating a star
• Cartman is a fat, manipulative, bigoted,
  intolerant sociopathnote opening rant
• Storypursuit (focus on the chase)
• Normally about pursuit, but this about reclaiming
  the public persona
• NoteDog the Bounty Hunter use of N word
• ThoughtBad guys cant pursue justice.