Consisting of two episodes, Go God Go has Cartman growing more and more impatient as he waits for the Nintendo Wii to be released in two months time. Growing more and more fidgety as he can't stand to wait any longer, with the assistance of Butters he has himself frozen so he can be thawed out two months later when by that time it would be available to buy. Inevitably though things don't go quite according to plan, and he finds himself been unfrozen five centuries later in a world where religion has now been completely abolished and Atheism reigns supreme. Meanwhile, a now post-op transgender Mr Garrison refuses to teach evolution at South Park Elementary. As a result famed evolutionary, biologist Prof. Richard Dawkins is brought in to conduct the lessons on evolution instead. Although hostile at first Dawkins convinces Mr. Garrison to reject theism and embrace Evolution, and the two embark on a torrid love affair.
It's fair to say as a dedicated fan of South Park I've always been fond of their work as satirists which has been pretty much their raison d'être over the years. It's rare that when it comes to their social and political commentary they haven't hit the bullseye with their surreal and off the wall style of comedy, which while not necessarily being known for it's subtlety has been sharp, honest and when it has to be, brutally not taking any prisoners.
Unfortunately though with Go God Go which was a transparent critique on the nature of Atheism, and a certain Richard Dawkins. A man who has become something of the poster child for "militant atheism", and therefore made for the obvious target for their satirical onslaught, they just missed the mark completely. The result is that I found them to be at their most disingenuous. While it's fair to say that both have lampooned fundamentalist religion in general over the years, Matt and Trey as secular humanist theists (well that's how I'd describe them) have had a misguided agenda in dismantling what some people might miscategorize as hard nosed anti-theism.
For starters there's the whole sub-plot revolving around Mr. Garrison's rapid change in philosophy when Dawkins presents his well known allegorical argument regarding, The Flying Spaghetti Monster. Here they outright distort Atheism as the complete denial in the possibility of God existing rather than the actual claim itself. Indeed, while there could be something said in Mr. Garrison's transformation from a belligerent, hard-nosed theist to then hard-nosed Atheist when shining a light on how arrogance and intolerance exists on both sides of the intellectual and philosophical divide. Never the less I still found myself only being able to damn Matt and Trey with faint praise.
There are some chuckles to have been had at the expense of the whole love affair, Mr. Garrison and Dawkins embark on. However, even though I did laugh in spite of myself it just struck me as all a bit cheap and frivolous.
Most rewarding, if not altogether successful yet having it's smidge's of inspired comedic brilliance is the main plot line. Cartman being accidentally unfrozen five centures into the future wonderfully parodies Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. An affectionate appeal to fans of the late-seventies TV series, it's executed with sublime panache. As are the scenes of an increasingly impatient Cartman who grows unremittingly restless as he bemoans not yet being able to purchase his beloved Nintendo Wii. Not helped further when thrust in to the future, his quest to obtain one proves fruitless and did tickle the funny bone. However in a futuristic world now dominated by Atheism which has split in to three opposing, hostile denominations. A clear attempt to try to say that even without Atheism mankind by it's very nature would find reasons to commit evils towards one another. It strikes me to be the equivalent of saying, there will always be people who are killed in car accidents so anyway we shouldn't ban drink driving. It's that kind of irrational reasoning which leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
While not awful, Go God Go is something of an unfortunate disappointment on purely satirical grounds, and therefore one I have mixed feelings over. While it does still manages to contain glimmers of their sublimely off-kilter wit, and leaves off on a supposed pearl of wisdom that there isn't one truth which I half heatedly agree with. It's rather myopic when it comes to the very basic principal of theism in comparison to the nature of organized religion, and therefore proves to be all too rose tinted and overly simplistic an observation on it.
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