I did a lot of solitary, fever-induced thinking while we were away.  So I'm coming right out and admitting that I hated on "South Park" for years.  Years.  It had a lot to do with my snobby love for "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill."  I always thought "SP" was lazy and just being stupid for stupid's sake.  I felt similarly about "Family Guy," which just seemed cheap.  I even shrugged off "Futurama" until it was too late.  Well, I'm here to tell you what you know—these shows are very good.  Of the two still in production, "FG" has some high-quality jokes and maybe even an appearance by Jon Benjamin, but "South Park" is my favorite.  The way they've handled their many recent battles with Isaac Hayes / Tom Cruise / Scientology, the First Amendment, and their own network is nothing short of total genius.  The show calls bullshit on everything, it's an all-out assault on authority, hypocrisy, and douches of all stripes.  Somehow, it remains really funny about it; there are almost equal amounts of politics and farts (almost).  Plus, it has a 2-week turnaround, so they crank it out fresh.  And Towelie, oh man, I just can't get enough Towelie.  I laughed for weeks thinking about that Towel, stoned out of his mind, working as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant, eyes red and droopy, woozily asking "How spicy would you like your Chang sauce?"  Every episode from season 7 on is absolutely essential: maybe you could start with "AWESOM-O," "The Biggest Douche in the Universe" or "Casa Bonita."  This season has felt every bit as vital as "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report," but with lots more violence and poop.  Lots more.

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