South park in Denial

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I didn't see this episode yet and I probably won't. I saw several other episodes of SouthPark and it's all garbage. I don't expect this to be any different.

Yeah, I mean I expected South Park and ya know what it's kinda funny and I mean it was Cartmen. But when Glee did it, it's like, aren't you against stuff like this, and here you are doing this.

I agree with you--I wish they were more thorough with this issue. I am thankful that "South Park" has several disabled characters--yes, it makes fun of them, but not more than other characters, which is precisely the point. It's ironic that "South Park" introduced these characters as another way to be provocative and anti-PC, yet it is the only American TV show with strong, recurring disabled characters. I guess this is why I was disappointed with how Matt and Trey Parker handled Aspergers in this episode--I was maybe expecting too much of them.

Yes. One might need context to understand Cartman's situation. To put it simply, he's a massive jerk. So when he is in a situation where he makes a mockery of a diagnosis, it is to be expected. Glee on the other hand is just Mr. Roger's smile with ghastly implications.

As far as I have ever seen, this is what South Park has always been about. The show is rude, crass, makes fun of everyone. Always has, always will. That's what it's all about. What it's really about is that people need to lighten up and quit taking so many things so seriously.

South Park handling anything the way anyone else thinks they ought to, wouldn't be South Park. It is what it is. It's not an educational show. It was never meant to be. It's comedy based on being as crassly and politically incorrect as possible. Interesting how a show like this can be really funny as long as they aren't picking on us. But that's what they do. There's no reason to be surprised by it. The writers themselves have as much as stated "We intend and expect to offend everyone sooner or later."

I've laughed my arse off at some episodes, and did at this one too. Some are funnier than others. I've got a button that changes the channel. I bet everyone else does too.

Nobody goes to South Park to learn about anything. Why on earth expect them to portray anything accurately? It's not what they do.

It was great. And the not real part, there's a twist to that. The people saying it was not real were a front for another organization.

I like South Park.
South Park may be outrageous at times but from watching the show you know the creators are very pro tolerance and pro rationalism. So I can take jokes from them.
I was dissappointed that the episode didnt deal with asperger as much as it could have. I mean I wouldnt even have a clue as to what asperger is from what I made out of that episode.
They didnt play with stereotypes or anything.
Poorly made episode.

First post here.

I have to disagree with this assessment. Full disclosure: I am a fan of South Park, and most of the reason why is because they tend to take society's (or Cartman's) ridiculous views on things and satirize them. I think the Tourette's episode is a perfect example. For those of you who haven't seen it: Cartman thinks it's cool having Tourette's because he can say whatever he wants and no one can hold it against him because of his condition. So he starts saying everything that comes to his mind. However, he eventually loses the ability to filter what he says and starts revealing things about himself that he doesn't want anyone to know.

The Tourette's Syndrome Association reacted positively to the episode:



South Park has also had several episodes where there was a very valid moral to the story. The Alcoholism episode, the Katrina episode, The Death Camp of Tolerance, the episode about the Economy, and the Teacher sleeping with the Student episode being the best examples off the top of my head.

My point is that there are often times absurd reactions to events that happen in this world, and South Park brings them to light. In fact, the whole show is basically four kids trying to make sense of all the crazy nonsense happening around them.

I don't know why everyone is so upset, I love that I'm at the butt of a south park joke. It doesn't matter what the message behind the show is, anyone who watches south park for the message is clearly doing it wrong, it's publicity in a widely viewed media source. I find it hard to see any way this couldn't go well for the AS community. Oh, although that ridiculous "assburgers" joke has become really popular among my friends. Man...I hate my friends.

You guys take the fun out of everything, honestly. Okay I'm a little sad they didn't make fun of the actual condition, but it was a good episode.

I agree. I love South Park but their Aspie episode was pretty stupid.

If you compare it to their Tourette's episode there is a big difference. There was a lot of empathy you could see from the creators for people with Tourette's but not much visible empathy for people with Aspergers.

The problem I had with the Asperger episode is the creators either committed one of two evils:

1. They trivialized Aspergers due to ignorance
2. They satirized something without realizing the negative percussions on people who would take the show literally. I wish South Park would take a little more responsibility rather than just make cheap shots at people who don't deserve it.

Yes, I found the episode offensive. I realize comedy is about mocking people, but I was disappointed.

I initially defended this episode in another thread saying how the episode was really just about transition in your life and accepting and moving on and how Stan's misdiagnosis was just due to adult negligence.
After watching it a couple more times over the last several months I'm starting to think they actually don't believe the condition exists. Remember the guy from the fast food conspiracy group? Remember how he kept interrupting everything Kyle and Stan said with sarcastic remarks like "Oh sure, like a friend would just walk out on a friend with a serious condition". That bit I didn't get for a while (sarcasm? what a shock!) but now I think it's Trey and Matt conveying their scepticism about Asperger's. Even so they do it by attacking symptoms and affects that aren't even synonymous with ASD's. They were just straw-man attacking a condition without really understanding it. Whatever. I've laughed at so many other groups they've made fun over the years it doesn't really bother me. It's also still one of my favourite episodes, surprisingly emotional for South Park.

The key word there is "SATIRE." Satire is about ridicule or scorn. Not about accuracy. They may very well research their topics, but they do not by any means portray anything with accuracy. Accuracy has nothing to do with what South Park does. Accuracy serves no purpose toward their main goal, which is satire, ridicule, and taking things to ridiculous extremes. I'm NOT saying that's a bad thing. I love the show, but I sure as hell don't watch it to learn anything. The fact is, If I didn't understand the topic fairly well to begin with, before watching an episode, I wouldn't understand the humor well at all. It's funnier if you already know the topic fairly well. That way, you know which parts are being exaggerated. That's what makes it funny.

My point is that it is undeniably NOT an educational show. It's a comedy. Plain and simple. It's not SUPPOSED to be taken seriously. Ergo, it really doesn't matter whether the information is accurate or not. As a matter of fact, what South Park actually does best is expose "absurd reactions" by bringing them to light, just as you said.

Absurd reactions are absurd because they are irrational. Bringing irrational thoughts and actions to light is not bringing accuracy to light. It's exactly the opposite. And that is what they do.

The Tourette episode you brought up, even by your own description, contained exaggerated inaccuracies. That said, I don't understand how that example proves that isn't what they're all about. If anything, it supports that SP is not about dispensing accurate information.

I suppose everyone has the freedom to choose whatever source they wish for it's morals. But, South Park moral stories? That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one.

I love the show, but I sure don't watch it to learn anything. I find the very thought of people actually using it as a learning source rather disturbing. Even a little sad.

A person has the right to be offended if they are truly offended. I was slightly offended because I am teased a lot and I felt the show did absolutely nothing but encourage further stigma (perhaps I view things differently than the average person). I tend to remember everything I hear and everything I've seen and everything affects me even years after the fact. I find it funny how people will jump on you for being offended. I prefer to be truthful. Yes, I was slightly offended. I'm not going to write in to the writers though and tell them to take it off the air. I just find it weird how people will write off idiocy as humor.

Besides, it's not so much that I was offended, it was more like I thought the humor was dull and unoriginal.

I'm saying this as a South Park fun. Some of their shows are simply duds and I thought this was one of them, despite a few killer lines here and there.

Okay, I rest my case.

People expect South Park to act serious? About anything?

I don't understand why everyone's so upset either, but you're not the butt of the joke, society and its complete and utter lack of understanding of what aspergers is, is the butt of the joke. There were two aspie kids in that episode, and they were portrayed quite well. Nothing offensive whatsoever. South Park DOES do a good job of accurately representing things and bringing things to light. But they also use satire and exaggeration to make it super obvious and to show what happens when people take things too far. South Park is the best damn show on television. In fact, it's the only thing still being broadcast that's worth watching anymore.