An open letter to the pusillanimous executives in charge of “South Park”:
As a Christian, I am often offended by Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s “South Park.” However, I am also a scholar of literature and an advocate of traditional American freedoms. Your craven decision to edit the second half of the South Park “universal offense” episode has prompted me to boycott your channel, and to call on others to do the same.
Yes, I’m often offended by the show, just as the British were offended by Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” and the Los Angeles funeral industry was offended by Evelyn Waugh’s
The Loved One. That’s the point of satire—to skewer sensibilities. That’s what makes it different from simple abuse: it has a serious point, often expressed indirectly. Though in my opinion, “South Park” does contain gratuitous abuse and salaciousness (as do John Dryden’s satiric poems, and Swift’s as well), they often incisively zero in on the stupidities and contradictions of almost every religious and political opinion. No one has gotten a free pass . . . until recently.
I almost took a similar action after the “Respectful Depiction of Mohammed” episode, but that was close enough in time to other Muslim atrocities perpetrated on the outspoken and the innocent that I let it pass. But this shows that you, the producers of the show, are more concerned with salaciousness and the promoting of gratuitous offense than you are with actual satire. So, if Muslims get a pass, then I’m offended that you let other depictions of revered religious figures pass without comment or action. And by the way, Muslims should be offended as well—this action implies that their religion is too intolerant to participate in the often-messy free speech that is the practice of satire in America.
As a Christian, I wrestle with the fact that I do, in fact, view material that could be offensive to others, or morally detrimental to me. I justify that with the sense that at least satire makes valid points aimed at getting people to objectively look at their own behavioral contradictions. But now, I can’t be sure that any of your satirists, from Jon Stewart to Stephen Colbert, to Matt and Trey, are really allowed to make points that they otherwise might make. I question their objectivity and freedom to speak.
So, while I will sorely miss “The Daily Show” and the “Colbert Report,” along with new “South Park” episodes, it’s worth it to me; I’ll have to get by on “My Name is Earl” reruns and “The Simpsons.” Just a quick and clichéd reminder—“Freedom isn’t Free.” Aren’t you guys even half as good as Google? They put their money where their mouth is. It’s clear that Matt and Trey were willing to take the physical risk; you might at least risk some monetary loss.
Sincerely,
James Helfers
