By Coren Feldman
South Park is known for being vulgar, abrasive and for its willingness to make fun of anyone or anything. In the early 2000s when it started airing, this made it stand out from other, more tame shows, and it resonated with teenagers the world over who were drawn to its defiance of what's normally considered taboo.
The show, overall, has decent writing and is often funny (depending on the season). But the same outrageous comedy South Park haphazardly sprays in all directions that made the show so popular is also what makes it a morally bankrupt and dangerous one.
Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the show's creators, love to wave the banner of "equal opportunity satire." And while in an ideal world that would be fine, it doesn't take into account that not all people are inherently equal in our society.
A good example of this is The Daily Show. Before Jon Stewart took over hosting from Craig Killborn in 1998, the show would parody funny clips the staff found on the news, often focusing on gaffes and dumb answers from interviewees—everyday people who happened to have been in front of the lens. Jon Stewart wasn't a fan of this practice and as he redesigned the show, he insisted that they only "punch up," meaning only making fun of people in positions of power who can take it. This is a big part of the reason the show shifted to politics.
Meanwhile, back on South Park, the show continues to satire anything they feel like, which is problematic for many reasons:
- The show draws a false equivalence between silly things (like farts) and important matters (such as climate change), effectively trivializing issues that need broad consensus and action.
- It also targets vulnerable minority groups in the US, such as the LGBT community, which is still fighting for acceptance, safety and equality under the law. When jokes use slurs and make light of (or spread harmful stereotypes about) those communities, they are at best in poor taste and at worst helping to incite more hatred against them.
- Stone and Parker's Nihilism—particularly in regards to politics—helped normalize and prop up dangerous politicians like Donald Trump. In the season leading up to the 2016 election, which pit a normal politician against a racist, anti-democratic demagogue, the show revived its 2004 bit, comparing Hillary Clinton to a "giant douche" and Donald Trump to a "turd sandwich," essentially saying that they were both the same, and it doesn't matter who you vote for.
Like it or not, the old (slightly adjusted) adage is true: With great viewership comes great responsibility. When you punch down, you run a real risk of hurting someone. This isn't to say that sensitive topics are entirely off the table when writing jokes, but you can't approach them with the same cavalier attitude you would the World of Warcraft.
It's unlikely South Park will be taken off the air any time soon due to its popularity, but if you're still watching it, consider this as an invitation to stop. And if you're looking for some good cartoons to replace it—well, I've got just the website for you.
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| Coren Feldman is the founder of CorenTV. He used to believe in god, but then he got two hangnails at the same time. |