South Park as Parody of Society Essay - 1399 Words

South Park as Parody of Society South Park began airing in 1997. The commercials that preceded it gave the impression of it being another stupid cartoon; however, when I began watching, I realized important issues were being covered through the repeated behaviors and actions of its characters, through the influences these actions could have on the viewers, through the reinforcement and rejections of certain stereotypes, through the long-term effects that could result from watching the program, and through its reflection of social reality. Some of the repeated behaviors and actions of the characters include one of the children (Kenny) dying during each episode (followed by Stan yelling, Oh, my God! Theyve killed Kenny (South†¦show more content†¦There are both negative and positive influences these repeated behaviors and actions could have on an audience. One negative effect could be the numbing of the viewer to childrens deaths: it is such a common occurrence on the show until it is expected. Another effect could be the instilling of negative feelings toward the overweight; the audience could be learning that it is acceptable to verbally attack a person with a weight problem. Also, in a time of AIDS, promotion of sexual promiscuity is a dangerous thing: never have the writers mentioned the use of condoms by Chef during his encounters. Finally, because of the recent advances in genetic research and its awakening of new fears in the public, South Parks parody of the geneticist could further play on peoples fear s. Despite the potentially negative influences of these behaviors and actions, there could be a positive influence existing in the form of catharsis. American society has suffered from the rules of political correctness, the fear of AIDS, and the fear of knowledge (the fear of going too far into Gods domain--thanks to our Puritanical background). Maybe South Park gives us release from repression by allowing us to laugh at the things we fear the most: death, ridicule of our differences by our peers, the contracting of deadly diseases, and advancements in science. (I am sure that most of us need release from the built-up tensions of daily life; SouthShow MoreRelatedImmigration : The Ongoing Question1419 Words   |  6 PagesStates and therefore all of them should be deported. Using Juvenalian and Horatian satire, satirists poke fun of illegal immigration through the satirical devices of parody, irony, and exaggeration in order to bring light to this very important issue facing the United States of America. 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