South Park and politics

[Rocknrule]

Just an observation I have made as a regular watcher of the show: Kyle seems to be the quintissential liberal. He is intelligent, aware, observant of the world around him, and has a strong sense of morals and what is right and wrong. Cartman, on the other hand, is the quintissential conservative: selfish, racist, sexist, immature, disconnected from reality, mean-spirited, and ignorant. The antagonistic relationship between Cartman and Kyle, IMHO, is reflective of the relationship between American liberals and conservatives in general.

[Sammy Pepys]

1. Ithink the whole show tilts conservative/libertarian though....

...in the entirety of the message.

[Yollam]

5. As do its creators - self-professed Bush voters.

They are definitely right libertarians, and the whole show has an anti-liberal bent to it. Some people are fooled because they automatically equate certain permissive attitudes with liberalism.

But I guarantee you that Parker and Stone want MORE tax cuts and LESS help for the poor from the government - totally opposed to the CORE PRINCIPLES of liberalism.

They often use Kenny's poverty as a comic device. "Ha ha - Kenny's house has rats. Ha ha Kenny's parents have scabs (wink wink). Ha ha - Kenny's family has oatmeal for dinner every night."

I guess you have to take a little pity on them for having grown up in Colorado, though...

[meegbear]

2. mmmmmmm...ok

[SteppingRazor]

3. Because the show tries to offend everyone...

Everyone thinks it tils the opposite way they do. Here at DU, everyone will say it's a conservative show. Over at Free Republic, they'll all say it's a liberal show. And so on, and so on.

[GoneOffShore]

4. Apart from those of us who think it is just a waste of bandwidth.

The South Park crew are in my opinion, talentless wreckers.

[Yollam]

6. Nobody thinks it's a liberal show.

It may be anti-fundie, and libertarian, but there is NOTHING liberal about it. Hence the book "South Park Republicans..."

[mattclearing]

11. It certainly more sensitive to liberal concerns than almost any other show

on television, outside of maybe the Daily Show.

I know Parker and Stone's feelings about liberals, but ultimately, very little of their own politics seems to motivate their writing.

They tend to skewer the left and right equally, and even making fun of Kenny's poor family is usually recognized as being in poor taste...Cartman is the one doing it half the time.

[Johonny]

7. I believe

at the start of the show Matt and Trey were suppose to be Kyle and Stan. As the show progressed they became more and more Cartman. There is a certain joy of being a total selfish jerk. The show seems to be all over the map politically. I like some episodes, hate others, simply am bored during others... In the end it's not suppose to be biting social commentary and if you get offended by something you should probably relax since that was most likely the point. Matt and Trey apparently have never left the grade school attention seeking humor level. But in away none of us have. Which is why so many watch the show. The show is generally at it's weakest when dealing in science facts, and generally strongest when trying to show the fallacies of prevailing social norms.

[stevietheman]

9. I agree -- they're definitely all over the place politically.

They hit everyone equally. I've been watching the show from the very beginning.

To label them with any ideology is ignorance of the show, IMHO.

[Mr_Spock]

13. I agree also - can't figure out why people take it so literally

It's a damned cartoon and they hit everyone equally - at least when I watch it. guess if it parody's both sides then nobody will be happy when everyone should be laughing at themselves...

[pocket]

8. 'I hate conservatives, but I really... hate liberals'

so says Matt Stone.

THE BOOK SOUTH PARK CONSERVATIVES SAID YOUR SHOW IS AN ANTILIBERAL SATIRE. IS THAT A FAIR DESCRIPTION?

Matt Stone: I think that's a fair description of some of the show's politics.

http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1169882,00.html

[Rocknrule]

10. They take some pretty harsh jabs at conservatives too

like in the PSP and Ladder to Heaven episodes

[rudy23]

12. I think they're right down the middle, like many satirists

They were on the Charlie Rose show, and touched on the South Park Conservatives book. I got the sense that Trey Parker was more libertarian, and Matt Stone (Curly hair, glasses--I may be mixing them up)seemed more liberal.

Trey Parker explained that they kind of grew conservative in the spirit of punk rock rebellion--only the culture they were rebelling against was Hollywood liberalism. They did point out that they've taken on many, many conservative ideals such as organized religion, but they just get more attention when they take on liberal sacred cows--like when they made fun of the founder of Earth Day who stabbed his wife.

I think South Park is a very smart show, that does span the moral spectrum from Kyle's liberal awareness, to Cartman's "isn't it fun to be selfish" attitude. It does bother me when they take a very specific stand and get preachy on it (not eating meat is for wusses, but veal is over the line). I sometimes think Butters is their example of a future bleeding heart liberal--how not to be in their view.

I know a lot of people who think the Simpsons and the Onion are conservative because they occasionally rag on liberals. I know many conservatives who love the Daily Show and Colbert Report for the same reasons. I think they belong to the party of young satirists, who like to point out absurdity anywhere they find it. Great show though, I'm getting their 7th season DVD today after work.

[Brazenly Liberal]

14. They are the Archie and Meathead of the 21st century

South Park is BRILLIANT.