Oh my god, South Park mocks Irwin

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | 10/27/06 | Staff

[Millee]

The creators of South Park have never been afraid to upset celebrities - and many of the show's viewers.

From jokes about religion and homosexuality to four-letter tirades, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have always mixed shock tactics with satire in the hit cartoon series.

But they were accused of hitting a new low last night after lampooning the demise of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin just weeks after his death.

The latest episode shows an animated Irwin in Hell with a stingray poking out of his bleeding chest.

Irwin, 44, died in September after he was impaled by a stingray's barb, while snorkelling near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

The South Park episode called Hell On Earth 2006, which was broadcast in the US this week, shows Satan preparing to host a Hallowe'en fancy dress party.

Hundreds of dead celebrities are invited, including rapper Notorious B.I.G., Princess Diana and Hitler.

But at the party Satan receives complaints from his guests that someone is inappropriately dressed up as Irwin.

Satan confronts Irwin but the Aussie environmentalist protests it is really him, not a guest in a costume.

While characters have been killed off in the series before – spawning the show's catchphrase "Oh my god, they killed Kenny!" – campaigners are particularly incensed about the stingray still being attached to Irwin's bloodstained trademark khaki shirt.

British broadcasting watchdog Mediawatch condemned the episode as "grossly insensitive."

Its director, John Beyer, said: "I think this is in bad taste. Steve Irwin's family are still grieving."

"To lampoon somebody's death like that is unacceptable and so soon after the event is grossly insensitive. It is not what the family would want to see."

South Park maker Comedy Central defended the episode. A spokesman said: "It has offended people in the past and probably will again. Regular watchers would not be shocked."

[NMR Guy]

Have any who are complaining about this actually *watched* South Park??? Of course it's insensitive, that is part of what they are about. But there is very little they of what South Park does that doesn't have a deeper point - and these points are often completely lost on viewers and non-viewers alike.

In all the mourning of Steve Irwin's death, there has been very little, if any, focus on the point that what he did for a living was a bit crazy. Instead, people act as if some great, unfathomable injustice has tragically taken his life, when in reality it was almost inevitable that something like this would happen.

The South Park guys put the stingray barb in there because if reflects the kind of lifestyle that Irwin lived. They also understand that it contrasts sharply and uncomfortably with the sanitized image of Irwin being portrayed in the wake of his death. They are primarily mocking the public's view of Irwin, not Irwin himself.

[Dr.Deth]

Put another barb on the shrimpie?

[Eric Blair 2084]

British broadcasting watchdog Mediawatch condemned the episode as "grossly insensitive." ...................

Thank you. We aim to please.

You're right about "Passion of the Jew". Parker and Stone somehow knew that Mel was insane long before the rest of the world found out.

They haven't gotten nearly enough credit for that.

[Eric Blair 2084]

The link was removed from youtube. Some kind of violation. What did you do?

[Wormwood]

Anything and everything can be mocked.

There are no exceptions.

[Eric Blair 2084]

But there was stuff that was a lot worse tahn that, like the Dahmer sex scene.

__________________________________________________________

Where are the Gacy, Dahmer victims family with their outrage?

Where are the Three Stooges fanclub members with their outrage?

Where's the Catholic Church?

Where's the Necrophiliac Victim's Alliance?

Everybody was offended. Just line up and take a number.

[Sybeck1]

Biggee Smalls!

[Eric Blair 2084]

I dare you to type Nancy Pelosi three times on your keyboard and hit post.

Go ahead, do it. See what happens.

[SevenofNine]

HEY ES i was unconfortbale watching that it too soon maybe six months or year I think Matt and Trey went too far that time

[Doc-Joe]

He is holding a Corona.

[Central Scrutiniser]

It was funny, I laughed.

We all can still laugh, he was a public figure.

[Central Scrutiniser]

Real Aussies don't drink Fosters, its not too well liked over there. VB and XXXX and Coopers is what is drank in OZ.

[HairOfTheDog]

You're right about "Passion of the Jew". Parker and Stone somehow knew that Mel was insane long before the rest of the world found out. They haven't gotten nearly enough credit for that.

They live in Hollywood now, they undoubtedly get invited to a lot of the same parties. Their take on Paris Hilton was from personal experience, too, I think.

I think the Hollywood party thing is behind some of the jokes on this current episode too. The whole debutant party concept is a world I don't hang out in.

[BossLady]

The whole episode was a satire on the MTV show, 'My Super Sweet Sixteen'....the 'whos, wheres and whys' in the show all supported the outrageous and ridiculousness of these wealthy Paris Hilton wannabe girls.....and who better to illustrate that then Satan himself??? LOL!

[HairOfTheDog]

That helps.... I'd not heard of that show :~)

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Biggee Smalls, Biggee Smalls, Biggee Smalls...

The hip-hop Bloody Mary.

[Caramelgal]

…Of course it's insensitive, that is part of what they are about…… little, if any, focus on the point that what he did for a living was a bit crazy… people act as if some unfathomable injustice has tragically taken his life,… in reality it was almost inevitable that something like this would happen...…they are primarily mocking the public's view of Irwin, not Irwin himself.

You’re right.

South Park is a show meant to offend. And it does offend nearly everyone, even me on some level at some times with the over the top, gross out humor and “just in the news” format. But I think Matt and Trey really want to make people think, think about us and our media culture and our slavish devotion to and obsession with celebrity of any kind and of course political correctness.

While I was not a fan of Mr. Irwin's shitch, he may have well been a nice guy and his family surely grieves, as any family would when they loose a loved one, his loss is not special just because he was a celebrity. Admittedly I was initially shocked to hear he died, but then I wasn’t really shocked since he did live life rather dangerously. Dah! I did find it ironic and kind of funny it was a stingray and not a croc or poisonous snake.

I was sad when Princess Di died because she and I were the same age, people said (at least when I was younger)that I resembled her and I found out my “fairy tale” wasn’t such a fairy tale about the same time she did so I could relate to her. But after a day or two of 24 hour news coverage, I got sick of the whole thing and started laughing, not because a nice, young, attractive and rather tragic woman died in a horrible accident, but because the media and too many people around the world fed on the event of her death like piranha. Ironically it was her celebrity that was partically responsible. I was laughing at them and us, not her.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Watch 'My Super Sweet Sixteen' sometime. It is like a train wreck. You feel guilty watching; but you (at least I) can't stop. It is surreal...the cost of the parties are in the hundred thousand plus (and up) range; that is why I love the 'but I didn't want an Acura cake' swipe. Quite the commentary...and funny as hell.

There was an episode of MSSS last season in which (I am not making this up) hunks were auditioned to carry the littre (sp?) on which a particularly snarky deb was to be carried into her party on.

[Mr. Blonde]

I can't believe girls volunteer to be on the show. I would never want to be on something that made me look like that. Of course they probably don't even realize how bad they look.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

LOL...the ultimate in narcissitic behavior. Four or five hundred of your closest friends at the soiree; and several million viewers at home.