It's different things for different people. That's part of the problem with AA is that they insist all other methods are wrong. Some folks absolutely need the structure of AA, some people don't, and for some people (people like Stan's dad in SP, people that will grasp any excuse for their own powerlessness) it's the worst idea in the world. I'm glad AA exists and I'm glad it helps as many people as it does, but the idea that there is no other way to get rid of destructive behavior is simply silly, that's the one part of AA that desperately needs to change. Other recovery organizations tend to work as a partnership, they try to recognize the people that they can't help and direct them to somebody else; AA's mentality that everybody else is wrong in the long run could be hurting people.
AA has its problems, no doubt. But at its core, the 12-step method is a brilliant, common-sense approach to sobriety that puts the burden entirely on the subject. It may not work for everyone, but it has saved countless lives, and improved countless more.
The fact that these two overgrown towel-snappers can't see past the most superficial layers doesn't do much to enhance their credibility as social satirists.