The (un)politics of Southpark
Posted in Popular Media on January 5th, 2009 by samSouthpark is an immensely popular television show whose raison d’etre is to push the limits of political correctness. While explicitly aimed at a mature audience, in reality the show appeals to a youthful generation whose understanding of political reality is underdeveloped, to put it lightly.
The show’s testing humour is indiscriminate in its critique of politics, and frequently condemns actions and attitudes on both sides of the political spectrum. However, it is where the writers cross the lines of political correctness that problems begin to emerge. On the issue of race, Southpark is famous for its broadcasting of anti-Semitic slurs and racial stereotypes, most often spoken by the show’s most famous character, Eric Cartman. Of course, to those aware of the history and context of the long struggle against Jewish oppression and the civil rights movement, we are conscious of the implications of such references and the irony behind the invocation on worldwide television. My fear is that the subtleties of this ironic message is lost on a large proportion of the show’s audience.
In the show’s defence, there are clear messages that undermine Cartman’s racism, for example the only black character is called ‘Token’, while one of the show’s founders Matt Stone is ethnically Jewish. Unfortunately, one cannot be confident that these undertones, regardless of their prominence, are subtleties recognised by the younger and less educated generation of viewers of Southpark. Instead, I fear that the attitudes and vocabularies of racism that the show wishes to attack are instead reinforced by an audience that misses the glaring message.
It is not only the uneducated who fail to see the subtleties of the programme and appreciate its context as a televisual spectacle. A recent news story that made the national press emerged following a party held by the Oxford University under 21s Rugby team, the theme of which was ‘bring a fit Jew’. Reported by the newspapers, the players apparently brought money bags and curled sideburns, causing outrage amongst the Jewish community. On hearing this story, I could not help but draw a connection between the naïve and irresponsible behaviour of these Oxford students and the influence of the hugely popular Southpark in normalising anti-Semitism. Whilst I believe that Southpark has done much to illuminate the absurdity of racism and discrimination in the United States and beyond, the show’s racial liberalism has some worrying consequences.