Jason
Is there anything more “on brand” for 2021 than a debate about “canceling” (in both the TV and the annoyingly woke sense of the term) South Park — an almost 30-year-old, and I can’t stress this enough, comedy show?
I submit that there is not.
And not JUST because coming for South Park puts modern “progressives” in the same camp as the churchy right-wing corn-cobs who were mortally opposed to it when it first came out in the 90s.
Now, we don’t get terribly “political” on Pleated-Jeans, but when cancel culture comes for a legendary comedy show, we’ll throw our hat in the ring.
In a tweet that has since gone viral, and keeps resurfacing, journalist and author Dana Schwartz argues that the show had caused “cultural damage” by instructing people to “embrace mockery” in response to criticism of society.
In retrospect, it seems impossible to overstate the cultural damage done by SOUTH PARK, the show that portrayed earnestness as the only sin and taught that mockery is the ultimate inoculation against all criticism
— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) February 13, 2020
Schwartz, 27, followed this tweet with several more that claimed the show preached a philosophy of “smugness” and “provocation” masking as intelligence and bravery.
Smugness is not the same as intelligence; provocation isn’t the same as bravery. The lesser of two evils aren’t the same.
— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) February 13, 2020
It seems lie South Park has been trying to reckon with this—I admit I haven't been watching the show in recent seasons, but I'm fascinated to see this: https://t.co/xjdhGE514y
— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) February 13, 2020
People saying “they make fun of everyone!!!” — that is my point. South Park IS a political show, but one whose message is: both sides are equally terrible so the only correct thing to do is nothing, while mocking it all from your position of intellectual superiority.
— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) February 14, 2020
As you can imagine, this opinion has caused some debate, and below are some of the best reactions to Schwartz’s tweet, both supportive and vehemently against.
I knew I was an independent when the Democrats turned on South Park.
— Bridget Phetasy (@BridgetPhetasy) February 13, 2020
south park was bad for politics but i think it goes without saying that letting jon stewart et al provide the prevailing non-right-wing commentary for ~10 years, and have it be merely "boy conservatives are stupid huh," probably fucked us more in the end (and they're still at it)
— food truck drove away with my debit card (@fart) February 13, 2020
South Park is such a bad show. I never understood how people found that shit funny.
— BDE (@itsbrandonde) February 14, 2020
I love South Park and I disagree with your take, but I respect your right speak to your mind without people attacking you for expressing how you feel. People’s online outrage is fucking stupid. It’s hard not to engage when being attacked, but if you ignore them, they’ll go away.
— Jenny Johnson (@JennyJohnsonHi5) February 13, 2020
Random: “South park has done serious damage to this generation’s morality
The rest of the Internet: pic.twitter.com/qb6RYdMOrt
— Hubert (@seishinbehorny) February 13, 2020
Progressives trying to cancel South Park right now: pic.twitter.com/4nxAEVGhAJ
— GTK (@genesisthekid) February 14, 2020
South Park has been the greatest social commentary on American culture for the past 20+ years. Trey and Matt are geniuses. Satire is meant to be offensive, it’s made to make you look at your own thoughts and ideas critically and either improve them or change them.
— 5’7 and trying my best (@BIG_E98) February 14, 2020
South Park has offered the most honest, insightful look at American culture that I’ve ever found in media.
South Park didn’t damage the culture. It exposes that the culture is damaged. https://t.co/kMCoj608ud
— Tyler Bauer (@T_Bauer97) February 14, 2020
If you could never hope to be even a fraction as creative and fearless and funny as a show like South Park then I guess the only option you *do* have is to say that it’s ruining society
— Kat Timpf (@KatTimpf) February 14, 2020
the only cultural damage south park did was to pc desktop backgrounds from 1998 to 2005 https://t.co/yZDdKNlTOh
— christian (@nopoweradeinusa) February 14, 2020
Translation:
South Park had the audacity to mock the politically correct orthodoxy
&
They were good at it https://t.co/LZSvxv1Mo4— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) February 14, 2020
Ok, and now for one final, pretty level-headed perspective:
It's South Park, bitches. Chill the hell out. It's a fucking cartoon.
— XOSchitzo (@XOSchitzo) February 14, 2020
What do you think?