RJ Writing Ink

South Park: the Pandemic Special Review

At the time I’m writing this, it’s only been an hour since the premiere of South Park: the Pandemic Special, and I’m still coming down from the laughter high it gave me. And considering how my highlight from the previous night was seeing the two guys running for President yell at each other, I needed this pick-me-up. All of America needed this pick-me-up. They needed this Pandemic Special, and it tried to deliver. It also served as a reminder that this year is the worst since 1968. Now, let’s breakdown what made this Pandemic Special mostly work.

South Park is Miserable And It’s All Randy’s Fault

The cold opening showing South Park in pandemic mode reminds the audience of how bad things have gotten for America. Shops remain closed, people are dying, and life sucks for everyone. The only ones happy are Cartman and Randy Marsh. The former because he’s happy to not be in school, and the latter because his weed farm is booming. And being Randy, he first rubs it in people’s faces, and then announces his Pandemic Special to make an extra profit.

If this took place last year, I’d have just groaned at Randy’s stupidity and see how it played out. However, the writers seem to be aware of how many fans don’t like Tegridy Farms, and decided to use that to their advantage. In the special’s synopsis, it says that Randy comes to terms with his role in starting COVID-19. Turns out they weren’t joking. Remember how Randy went to China last season? Well, he and Micky Mouse got high on weed, they found a bat, and, well…

But then it turns out it was a Pangolin. That he also did it to while high. In other words, Randy Marsh is responsible for ruining 2020, which would be hilarious if it weren’t for how miserable we all are, and the fact that the show spent the better part of its last season focused on Randy’s stupidity. As a result, Randy then spends the rest of the Pandemic Special trying to cover his tracks and keep himself from being blamed, only to make things so much worse.

The Great Chain of Misery for 2020

The special is South Park’s attempt to address an entire years worth of misery in the span of an hour. While I don’t think that they managed to hit everything right, I also know how monumental a task that is. Life has gotten so ridiculous that it can be hard to make fun of at this point. Still, they at least try, and I think that’s what counts.

While Randy’s trying to keep his part in COVID-19 a secret, the rest of the special deals with the myriad of garbage this year has thrown with us. There are free big issues that primarily focuses on, though. The first is the debate over whether school’s should reopen, something that Cartman adamantly opposes. It’s not that he’s concerned about his health, though; he just likes being out of school and ignoring classes on Zoom. Nonetheless, he’s right to be worried. Every time we try and open a school, it seems like someone catches COVID-19, and everyone has to quarantine. In this case, the kids have to spend two weeks stuck at school and watched by Police Officers.

Which brings me to the next issue: the fact that no one trusts police anymore. Thanks to the heinous actions of several cops in 2020, confidence in them has hit rock bottom. And since the cops in South Park are so trigger-happy, they make things worse by shooting themselves in the foot by accidentally shooting Token. Then they use insane troll logic to quarantine the whole school because of COVID-19. Which leads to the students escaping and results in the police going to town.

As hilarious as it is, it highlights just how badly things to change with police in our country.

Finally, there’s the big, underlying issue that is explored through the kids: the desire to return to a normal life. With how miserable 2020 has been, we all want to wake up and find everything’s gone back to normal and we can enjoy our lives again. And the fact that it may be months or years before that happens is not something everyone can cope with. Stan even breaks down in tears near the end over it. But then, the Pandemic Special gives us the Aesop of the story, I think.

The Aesop of the Pandemic Special

Okay, I’m not sure if this is the moral of the story, but it’s what I got from it: that we shouldn’t give up hope. I know it’s cheesy and cliche, but we all have to remember that everyone’s been suffering through this year. But no matter how bad things may get, we can’t just give up hope, and that we need to remember to look on the bright side of things. Or at least learn to laugh at our misery.

I think that’s what they were going for, but aside from a few moments, it didn’t always work in its execution. In fact, the very end has the show give a genuine plea for people to get out and vote Trump out of office. If South Park is willing to abandon their philosophy of making fun of everyone, then we know that something is wrong with this country. For the love of all that is good, people, vote Trump out of office!

I Give “South Park: The Pandemic Special” a 3/5

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I’m not the first to say this, and I don’t care: 2020 has sucked so far! Thanks to COVID-19, the entire world’s come to a standstill. People are dying from the virus while much of the world’s forced to stay home to combat the spread. Others are getting laid off from their jobs while the economy tanks. And the cherry on top is that most of the entertainment industry is getting hit hard: every major film for the spring and summer is either delayed or canceled. It feels like there’s no hope spots in the world right now!

That’s where you’re wrong.

I know how bleak things seem right now: many of us are stuck at home, no job, no going out to see friends, no fun. Yet there are still plenty of hope spots to be found in 2020. Thus, in the interest of helping everyone to keep going, I wanted to go over a few positive things that we have to look forward to in Spring 2020

Rick and Morty’s Back!

It’s very ironic that a show as cynical and nihilistic as Rick and Morty could be one of the hope spots of Spring 2020. Yet as we have time and again, Rick and Morty resonates with people in a way few shows do these days. So when Adult Swim released the trailer for the second half of Season 4, the Internet blew up.

I don’t know what I’m looking forward to the most. The badass mech-suits, the return of Morty’s dog Snuffles, or the fact that Tammy and Summer are going to throw down. Rick and Morty returns May 3rd, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Harley Quinn Season 2

In hindsight, I wish I had seen Harley Quinn while the first season was still ongoing. It’s one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in years! If I could best describe it, it’s like you fused the foul mouth of South Park with the self-parodying humor of The Venture Bros. and the craziness of a Saturday morning cartoon. In other words, it hits all the right notes for me.

After finally dumping Joker and spending all season trying to one up him, Harley Quinn stood at the top. Joker’s missing, Batman’s missing, and Gotham’s in ruins and up for grab. So now she’s planning to become the top dog in Gotham. Expect a lot of casual profanity, over-the-top gore, and heart and humor. This is so worth $7.99 a month for a subscription.

Streaming Services Step Up

There’s only one thing that can keep the masses sane during this prolonged period of isolation: entertainment. However, due to the virus freezing the entertainment industry, people have to get creative. Enter streaming services to save the day. To be more precise, Disney with Disney+

Disney has one of the biggest media libraries in existence, and it seems they’ve taken it upon themselves to be the big heroes in this crisis. They released Frozen 2 months ahead of time to help people. Now, they’ve just released Pixar’s newest film, Onward. It’s been less than a month since the film came out in theaters. A cynical man would look at this as streaming’s attempts to profit off people’s need for entertainment in a desperate time. However, I don’t care right. This is a big hope spot for a lot of people.

Gamers Get Cool Remakes

A lot of gamer’s out there are hunkering down and taking advantage of the time off from school and work to catch up on their gaming library. However, there’s no denying the fact that COVID-19’s affecting the gaming industry as well. Gamestop switched to delivery services after their miserable attempts to stay open as an “essential bussiness”. The damage is already done, though. Not to mention there’s no E3, and The Last of Us II is delayed.

Fortunately, this April sees remakes of two of the greatest video games of all time. This past week saw Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 get a remastered campaign released. Meanwhile, next week sees the release of the Final Fantasy VII remake. I’m going to be playing both!

Hope Spots for 2020

Look, I know how bad things are right now. And it’s going to get worse before it gets better! But we can’t give up hope yet. These are just a few of the things that we can look forward to in 2020. They’re hope spots in a dark time.

So, to everyone out there who’s struggling to get through these difficult times, just try to keep looking for the silver lining to this dark cloud. If we listen to the health officials and stay safe, then next year, this could all be a bad memory.

So, go find what it is that motivates you to get through this crisis. Binge watch that show you’ve been meaning to see. Finish that game you couldn’t beat! WORK ON YOUR BODY! AND DON’T GIVE UP NO MATTER WHAT!

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Talking About the Impact of the Coronavirus and How I’ve Adjusted

It’s been three months now. Three months since reports came of the new Novel Coronavirus in China. Few realized that this would end up becoming the worst pandemic in the last hundred years. Now the vast majority of the world is in lockdown. People and governments are desperate to stop the spread of the virus. So far, the results are mixed.

As an American, I’ve been keeping track of the spread of the virus since January. I’ve watched as its spread, despite the State and Federal Governments trying to keep a lid on it. Our efforts seem to have been in vain, though, as it’s now spread to every corner of the country. Now life across the US has been disrupted to varying degrees. Schools are closing, businesses and restaurants are shutting their doors, and worst of all, people are buying all the toilet paper for reasons that I cannot comprehend!

How is this affecting me, though? Where I live, almost every place where people gather is shut down. This past week, the place where I work told me that I’d be working from home indefinitely. I’ve barely gone outside my house over the last few days, with most people following suit. By my estimates, it’s only a matter of time before my region goes into full lockdown. The worst part, though, is that there’s no telling how long it will last.

How am I handling these changes, though? Right now, I’m great

I’ve Trained All My Life for This

I’ve always been a bit of an introvert, even though I’m trying to get out and socialize more. If I’m not at work, I’m likely to lounge around my home all day; sometimes I go the whole day without setting foot outside! Now that the Government’s basically telling us to do that for possibly months, I couldn’t care less!

The Government’s basically telling us that the best way to fight the Coronavirus is by staying home, sitting in front of our TV, and avoiding as many people as possible. Gamers like me have been doing that for most of our lives. Whereas that would once be the subject of ridicule, it could now be what saves lives.

What I’m Doing to Avoid Lockdown Fever

Humans are naturally social creatures. Sooner or later, people will go stir-crazy from lockdown fever and want to go out and interact with others. How long we can last before that happens depends on how long we can keep ourselves busy. Fortunately, I’ve plenty of things to keep me busy.

First, I have this blog. Since work won’t be as hectic for the next few months, I can devote more time to writing on RJ Writing Ink. I’ve got a few reviews and ideas that I’ve had stored for a while that I can finally work on.

Second, I have my video games and my YouTube channel. I intend to post way more videos now that I have the extra time. I’ve also switched to buying digital games. Which is good, because Gamestop finally decided to close down their stores.

Third, I have tons of show’s to binge watch on streaming services and on DVR. I can finally watch the dub of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind.

Stay Strong

I know that these are stressful times, and that everyone’s having their lives disrupted by it. However, we must not give in to despair! I intend to make it through this pandemic and lockdown, however long it may last! So, I call upon my fellow nerds, introverts, and gamers everywhere. Our time has come! Set an example for our communities: stay inside, wash your hands, and be lazy. Be lazier than you’ve ever been before!! We will survive this crisis!