- 08/02/2013
- Posted by: essay
- Category: Free essays
The primitive style of animation in the “South Park” – is completely on purpose, the use for such animation editors Maya and Corel Draw Parker and Stone describe as “an example of self-irony”. (Jones, 2008)
“South Park” very often shows business and media stars, although only few of them (in particular, “Radiohead”, “Korn”, Robert Smith of “The Cure”) voiced themselves. In most cases the ratio of creators to the characters of celebrities is extremely humiliating, all their negative traits are maximized, sometimes even mockery has no real motive.
Paris Hilton. In episode 812 she opens in South Park a shop “Dull spoiled whore”, she also used obscene language. In the comments creators emphasized that usually do not make fun of a particular celebrity, but the idea of “celebrity” in principle, and in this case they had quite specific desire – to show that girls must not become such as Peris is.
Barbara Streisand. Creators of the series really hate Barbra Streisand for her self-love and is constantly laughing at her: in the episode “Mecha-Streisand” she tries to take over the world in the form of a huge robot dinosaur, in the episode “terrible fish” her face is always on the screen to the viewer was terrible. And in the movie “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut” her name is used as a curse, but in the episode “Osama Bin Laden Has Farty Pants” plaque with her picture represents an extreme degree of stupidity.
Ben Affleck. In episode 510, he is the son of people with ass instead of head, and all are aware that Ben Affleck is quite obvious also sick of this disease. In the 705th episode, Ben Affleck falls in love with Cartman’s hand, imagines himself the new Jennifer Lopez. This infuriates the real Jennifer Lopez, who arranges for Cartman’s hand, hunting for what eventually sentenced to occupational therapy.
Sally Struthers. She is a well-known on television stout woman, engaged in charity, so in episode 109 she eats cupcakes and is intended for humanitarian aid. In episode 311 she is shown in the image of a giant worm Jabba the Hutt from “Star Wars”.
Russell Crowe. In episode 604, Russell Crowe is shown as idiot, who leads his own show on beating people around the world. In particular, Russell Crowe beat the Chinese, children and cancer patients.
Mel Gibson. In episode 804, when Stan and Kenny come to the Gibson home, he is shown as a lunatic, who paints his face like his hero in the movie “Braveheart” and the chase in his shorts for boys, laughing, mad, and cries of “torture me!” Until the South Park. At the end of the episode, Kyle, which is developing a complex about the film “The Passion of the Christ”, says “I am that all this time agonizes over this movie nerd?” (Jones, 2008)
Typically, a celebrity does not react to ridicule in the “South Park”. Nevertheless, we know that Bob Saget, David Blaine, Tina Yozers and Patrick Duffy commended their “appearance” in the series, considering it was funny. But there are a lot of counter-examples: as sharply responded negatively about the series Barbra Streisand. Also in one of the most controversial episodes called “Trapped in the Closet” Tom Cruise is for a long time trying to “come out the closet”, which is a typical expression meaning “to confess to his own homosexuality”. Although Cruz said that he didn’t care about these jokes. (Jones, 2008)
The main topics of mockeries in the “South Park”
One of the most characteristic features of the plot of “South park” is the presence of many series of parody debriefing and moralization, when heroes Stan and Kyle speak to other characters: “I learnt something today”. In different series it can be portrayed in different ways: sometimes with the help of the rotation (at least in those cases when, after a standard phrase uttered truly significant word) actually supplied some kind of morality and suggests that belong to Parker and Stone. In other cases, however, it serves as a simply humorous admission, when the heroes have to make some of their goals or get rid of those they harm. (Broman, et.al,2007)
A characteristic feature of the series, which can be observed in many series, is the constant mockery of all kinds of stereotypes of our modern life. The set of characters and situations are hyperbolizing in series to limit expressions of certain stereotypes prevailing in America or around the world. On the other hand, often in the “South Park” primitive stereotypes unexpectedly found to be completely accurate. The complex, ironic play around stereotypes, by which to know the plot twist is practically impossible, is a striking feature of the series. (Heffernan, 2005)
The most common stereotypes are about nationalities and their characters, about modern society and modern style of life.
For example, there are a lot of mockeries about Canadians. All Canadians on the show, since appearing in episode 101 of Ike, are shown much coarser than the American characters: they have small eyes, the upper half of the head twitches during a conversation. Primitivity of image of Canadians is emphasized: for example, a person with an ugly face is depicted in the same way as any other. Deliberate ugliness of Canadians, compared with the usual characters, is a clear mockery of the American stereotypes of Canadians as inferior human beings. In the FAQ on the official website of the series was told that Stone and Parker are trying to “portray the most realistic of Canadians”. (Johnson-Woods, 2007)
In the song «Blame Canada» and anticanadian campaign in the movie “South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut” also a mockery of American stereotypes about their neighbors are marked. However, in 2005 Matt Stone made clear that the characteristic for the series image of Canadians is no more than a satire. (Johnson-Woods, 2007)
Also the “South park” has a lot of jokes about the Japanese. American stereotype of spirituality and “machining process” of Japanese is reflected in episode 904, when one of the archangels of Heaven resembles another that “the Japanese have no souls”. The stereotype of the Japanese as enemies of America is ridiculed in a series 310, when the Emperor of Japan with his assistants hipnotizes children again to attack Pearl Harbor.
It is necessary to mention also certain jokes about the Chinese. In a series 611 Chinese restaurant owner Tuong Lu Kim’s is requested to build the city wall, as he is the only Chinese in the city, but the Chinese do have the ability to build the wall. Chinese outraged, but nevertheless built a huge wall, quite comparable to the Great Chinese Wall, and later he tried to defend it from Mongols who tried to destroy it. Also in the series “The China Probrem” Cartman decides that the Chinese want to conquer the world, and they along with Butters depict the Chinese to learn from one of the Chinese families about plans to seize the world.
Speaking about the topics of jokes and mockeries it is necessary to point out the questions of religions: Islam, Catholicism and Sсientology.
For example a series “Trapped in the Closet” is ridiculing the Church of Scientology and its famous followers, Tom Cruise and John Travolta. In this episode, Scientologists declare Stan’s new incarnation of L. Ron Hubbard, and Tom Cruise is locked in a closet because Stan did not praise his acting skills. Also, Scientology is parodied in the series “Super Best Friends” and “Return of Chef”, but just the name of religion is not called. In “Super Best Friends” appear fictional cult of “Bleyntology”, that is taking money from the faithful, who claims to tax benefits and compels ordinary people consider themselves unhappy, and in “The Return of Chef” author returns to the events surrounding the “Trapped in the Closet”. (Jones, 2008)
The “South Park” has repeatedly derided Judaism and Mormonism. Kyle is a Jew, Cartman is an anti-Semite, so that attacks on Judaism are frequent phenomenon for “South Park”, while these jokes are mostly from negative characters. Series “The Passion of the Jew” illuminates the contradictions surrounding the movie by Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ”: Kyle, a Jew, after viewing the film decides that his nation is truly blamed for the sufferings of Christ, and tries to make the synagogue in South Park to bring apologies. However, to the final series it turns out that Gibson is an insane fanatic weirdo, and even Cartman is disappointed in him, though “The Passion of the Christ” is one of the pillars of his anti-Semitism. (Heffernan, 2004)
Mormons are subjects of a series “All about the Mormons”, in which their religion is ridiculed in every way and is provided as very silly and controversial. Repeatedly in the series it was shown that only Mormons will appear in Heavens – and thus illustrated the absurdity of the problem of choosing between different versions of Christianity. Nevertheless, in the episode “All About Mormons” the boy-Mormon Gary said he felt that “if people who believe in something, are happy, the intelligent man should be capable to understand and respect it.” (Heffernan, 2004)
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