Praise be, they’re back.

MTV has recently announced the triumphant return of Beavis and Butt-head. Original series creator Mike Judge is on board to produce new episodes which will air on the one-time music network later this year.

As John Altschuler, head writer for the new series, explained to Rolling Stone, “In the years since Mike quit doing ‘Beavis and Butt-head’ he realized that there was a lot to make fun of.” The pair will reportedly be the same Metal-loving, nacho-chomping numskulls they were back in the day (the last episode of the original series aired in 1997), but with a twist: instead of sitting on the couch and watching and pillorying music videos, they will now be sitting on the couch and taking aim at clips from YouTube and reality shows like “Jersey Shore.”

No doubt that modern pop culture (culture! Imagine I wrote that with a straight face) will provide much fodder for the un-dynamic duo, but I wonder…

Beavis and Butt-head seemed so much a product of their times, those gay ’90’s, when the Cold War ended with a whimper and the nation could afford a President with nothing better to do than chase interns around the Oval Office. Beavis and Butt-head both rode and propelled this peculiar, peace-dividend zeitgeist; Americans loved hanging out with these horny, semi-retarded boys, because really, what else did we have to do?

But the world is now a different, darker place. Since Beavis and Butt-head last left us, history returned with a vengeance — 9/11, the War on Terror, Iraq, Afghanistan, the financial meltdown, riots and unrest from Cairo to Athens to Wisconsin. When I first heard they were returning, I wasn’t sure the boys were right for this second decade of the 21st Century. Though I’ve missed them terribly, I thought they might be too good for these ugly times.

But I’ve since come around. I can’t imagine two dudes with whom I would rather watch the decay of our republic. At the very least, it will be refreshing to spend time with someone with no knowledge or concern for the loss of freedom and prosperity going on all around us. Say what you want about Beavis and Butt-head, but at least they have their priorities straight – chicks and rock and roll.

And really, when you get right down to it, what else is there?