'South Park' Does NASCAR; How Afraid Should Race Fans Be?

Full disclosure: I love South Park. I watch every episode. It's on my DVR's "season pass."

The show is hilarious, but there are episodes that are so offensive, I wonder how Comedy Central even gets away with airing them. I suppose it's because South Park is an equal-opportunity offender, lampooning all races, religions, political parties and various topics of the day.

That said, I'm wary of Wednesday night's season premiere: South Park is doing an episode about NASCAR.

The title? "Poor and Stupid."

South Park could easily shred NASCAR. It could make stock-car racing look like the biggest backwoods joke of a sport imaginable. After all, it's South Park.

But there could be hope, based on the clip after the jump.

In this brief segment, Cartman tells his crew chief, "I've learned everything I can about being poor and stupid – I'm ready for NASCAR."

Here's the thing, though: Making fun of NASCAR for a half-hour is way too easy for South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Perhaps since they're using Cartman as the driver in the episode – Cartman is the most tasteless and distrespectful main character on the show – the sport will be portrayed more positively.

In other words, if Cartman has preconceived notions and then learns a lesson about NASCAR, it could be a good thing.

I could be wrong, though: South Park could go for the cheap laughs by making NASCAR look like the stupidest competition in the history of mankind. In that respect, the NASCAR should be shaking in its boots from a public relations standpoint.

But I'm hopeful Parker and Stone will come through with an episode disproving some of the ideas mainstream America holds about NASCAR and its fans.