The Issues Of Racism, Racial Boundaries, And Religion In South Park

South Park is known to be one of the biggest comedic reflections of American pop culture. The show, since its release back in 1997, has pushed limits with various categories in American society over the years. The writers of South Park are extremely attentive of the racism and racial prejudices in modern society. This is established through their humorous illustrations of non-white groups as well as through puns engaged at racial preconception alone. It contains beneficial factors that attract almost every race because of its involvement in pointing jabs at real world stereotypes. Now, let’s look at how this shows sheds light on some of the most modern-day issues involving racism, racial boundaries, and even religion.

Now how is race consistently defined in this show? South Park has only profiled certain stereotypes in order to define race in a specific way. For example, in one South Park occurrence entitled “With Apologies to Jesse Jackson” the n-word is said numerous times throughout the episode. However, it is one of the show’s most distressing episodes for the method it implies deep into the matters of race in America, and how it nurtures deeper comprehension and consideration for minorities by a judgmental society. In the episode one of the key characters’ dad, Randy, goes on Wheel of Fortune and misguidedly tries to answer one of the riddles by shouting a racial insult. Resulting in this occurrence, Randy becomes an identifiable character and is distraught wherever he goes. The show is extremely shrewd in the means that it uses Randy, a white American man, and positions him into a role where he must tolerate the form of discrimination challenged by African Americans, some of which originates from awful usage of the particular disrespectful slur he carelessly uses.

As a kind of taste of his personal medicine, people overuse the phrase “n*****-guy” as an offensive nickname aimed at Randy, much like how the word n***** is used abusively against African Americans. A concluding emotional situation represented in the episode is when a stereotypical mob of racist, redneck white men, like those who abuse African American for their own selfish reasons in real society, approach Randy on the road and intimidate him. The episode contains a serious hit and really ups the dangers because not only does it apply pressure on the message for white audience followers to watch Randy as he meets the different performances of discrimination, but because it positions them as him in the show rather than alongside Randy, making the audience look at the consequences of a selfish bigoted performance themselves. It provokes fault and helps people in better grasp of how to enhance the understanding of how to treat other individuals. One last important component about the episode, which was created by two white men, is that at the idea they admit that as a white person one cannot truly comprehend the influence of the n-word or how it touches others who face the negativity of discrimination. . The writers try their greatest way to depict what it would feel like to face the racial discrimination African Americans go through daily in order for individuals to better comprehend what it’s like to live a life of a minority individual, but knowing that as a white person it is truly terrible to experience this for themselves as well.

Religion is also made up in comedic satire in an abundant amount of seasons. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the writers, are atheists so their attempt to offend people is mostly intentional. Religion in South Park is defined to be in some way “exposed” as weird cults that perform contradictory acts that they follow through in their spiritual law. For example, South Park's priest character, Father Maxi, chooses to put an end to the epidemic of children being molested by Catholic priests, but turns up against a Catholic organization that really endures the idea of raping kids. It’s messed up to hear yes, but that is what the humor is delivered as in South Park. Parker and Stone make an aware argument in which that the theme of religion isn't rituals and commandments, but the ethical teachings that make you a healthier individual. They claim that the world needs the Catholic Church, however the Church itself is fading away from its followers by failing to perform on its own humiliations. That is what South Park tries to tell audiences that, in fact, religion is hypocritical because people “abide” by the laws of religion yet commit against those same laws that they bash other people for breaking. Another example of a hypocritical perception, which was showed in class with the 12 Years a Slave video, where all the “God Fearing” white men talk down on a whole race when their beliefs are supposed to be pure.

The broader cultural context of this show is the environment that all these characters live in. South Park broadened its theme material to satirize everything American policies to popular culture. Their usage of satire is so deliberately noticeable that it is tremendously easy to catch and comprehend. Now after 17 effective seasons and halfway through the 18th, South Park remains one of the greatest popular shows on TV and remains to stay relevant. In short, South Park does an outstanding job of catching American attitudes and mocking them to the point of irrationality. South Park’s satire suggests a new perspective on modern subjects, usually displaying how absurd American responses are to those issues.

Now what is this source trying to communicate to the audience in order to tie it in with broader popular culture? South Park is never taken seriously by society in general because, well, it’s simply South Park and they don’t take shit serious ever. However, there is a message in this show that people seem to see right through, which is to assist the audience to understand how they think religion and race is in modern day America. It fits into broader popular culture by showing such humiliating situations in a fictional cartoon and showing the reactions of people judging those who mistake the idea of race and religion when talking about it. South Park shows the sensitivity of society when race and religion are involved by using those ideas against other people’s beliefs to turn it into a whole joke to prove their point.

South Park has displayed people that the beginnings of religion and race are contrary and amusing. The concepts showed by the writers is consistently exposed through each season. Knowing that the concept of race is known to be a solemn issue to this day, and that people still make everything about RACE. Along with religion in which this case is known to be disapproving individuals who follow a man who teaches not to be judgmental and to be kind, in which they aren’t viewed as in South Park.