Various Artists: Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics

Since its creation, the TV series South Park has been frustratingly uneven, achieving subversive brilliance one moment and lazy puerility the next. Its offshoots are similarly spotty: This summer's entertaining feature-film debut (South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut) started strong but grew repetitive, while the Chef Aid collection mixed inspiration with ample filler. The same is true of the series' first Christmas CD, Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics, which drops a few tremendous bits into a sea of poop jokes and silly voices. It's no surprise to hear numerous songs built around the show's Frosty equivalent (Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo), but how many Christmas albums bait Muslims ("Merry Fucking Christmas"), bring in Neil Diamond (or an impersonator thereof) to sing the praises of being a Jew ("The Lonely Jew On Christmas"), or note, through the muffled voice of Kenny McCormick, that the Virgin Mary needn't refrain from performing fellatio ("The Most Offensive Song Ever") Tracks built around characters' well-worn mannerisms (Eric Cartman's "O Holy Night," Mr. Mackey's "Carol Of The Bells") are amusing but disposable, but it hardly matters when Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics is as inspired as it is on "Dead, Dead, Dead," which helpfully reminds children that each Christmas could be their last. Overall, it's a slight collection that leans too heavily on material recycled from the show, but it's a worthy antidote to new holiday albums by the likes of Jewel.