With the school year coming to an end and summer nearing, new seasons of America’s iconic and well-known satires, defined as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. are being released: Season 27 of South Park, Season 8 of Rick and Morty, and the finale Season 8 of Big Mouth. These cartoon comedies aren’t just known as satire, but also considered weapons of wit, helping to break down contentious political and social topics within society in a digestible and humorous format. 

Rick and Morty 

The first episode of season 8 of Rick and Morty airs on May 25 exclusively on Adult Swim and HBO Max. Season 8 trailer slightly hints at trending controversial topics such as religion among society and a continuation of Rick and Morty’s journey since the last episode of season seven dropped on Dec. 17, 2023. 

“If you want to feel like you fed your brain Pop Rocks, you should watch it,” junior Jaelynn Vargas said.

Audiences like Vargas, who watch Rick and Morty, become invested in this show, demonstrating the social pull. These viewers often find themselves in similar situations influenced by the way that Rick and Morty handle both roadblocks of daily life, whilst simultaneously learning how to persevere through these moments through numerous dimensions and free expressions. 

“They really portray not to take things too seriously, because Rick and Morty are fighting alien monsters who look silly while also dealing with real-life issues,” Vargas said.  

Big Mouth 

The opening episode of Season 8 of Big Mouth airs on May 23 on Netflix. Big Mouth is a coming-of-age show about the journey of young adolescents through puberty. Within this, the final season will lead the audience to the end of what transforming from a young child to a young adult entails and the importance of connection in a humorous and vulgar way. 

“I think finding yourself, especially as you go through puberty, a lot of people try to find themselves to see what they really enjoy. People don’t really see that until they start growing up,” Scott Lee said.

Growing up comes with obstacles, awkward moments and challenging times, but Big Mouth has brought people together, showing that everyone relates to these moments one way or another. 

“I think Big Mouth is meant to make people more comfortable with themselves. It looks like it does a good job of making puberty, or just like change, less scary or something,” junior Damian Maya said.

South Park

South Park, the show that’s been simultaneously offending and enlightening audiences for over 25 years with it’s controversial yet relevant topics and themes, is streaming on multiple sites: HBO Max, Paramount+, and Comedy Central. The newest episode of Season 27 will air on July 9.  Based on past seasons, viewers can assume that Season 27 will include heavily controversial and taboo subjects of today that will be portrayed and played out within its characters.  

“I think South Park is classically known for being really out there and being unafraid to address important issues with comedy. I particularly liked the airplanes crashing, a referendum to actual airplane crashes, and the firing of a lot of the FAA people,” chemistry teacher Alex Chen said. 

This bold and courageous humor allows South Park to expose issues that seem to hit the soft spots of many people and a multitude of difficult issues. This power to bring light to issues in the dark in a comedic way presents South Park as a good place to start in satirical comedies. 

“South Park is a good entryway into real-life issues that is brought to the forefront and done so in a way that is both humorous but also surprisingly accurate,” Chen said. 

Satirical shows stand for more than just entertainment. It’s the rebel yell of comedy, a form of standing up against societal issues in politics, cultural issues, and more. With satirical shows being a societal mirror that reflects social issues, its role is vital in exposing unsaid issues plaguing communities boldly and unapologetically.