South Park Mocks Steve Irwin

Just read this article on CNN.

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The cartoon series "South Park" has never been shy of courting controversy, but its latest episode has caused outrage by featuring the recently deceased Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin.

Swearing and random death and destruction are staples of the cartoon, which has been broadcast since 1997. Irwin, killed by a stingray's barb while snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in September is the latest celebrity to be lampooned by the show.

The episode, aired in the U.S. earlier this week, shows Satan preparing to host a Halloween fancy dress party. Other guests include Princess Diana, Hitler and rapper Notorious B.I.G. Critics have been appalled by the Irwin character's depiction in a bloodstained shirt and with a stingray still attached to his chest.

www.cnn.com...

This seems really disrespectful to the family and the memory of Steve Irwin. Why would they take this shot so close to his death? If someone had shown Tupac with a bullet in his chest on the show, nobody would go wild over it because we've all had time to come to grips with his passing. This is a serious black spot on South Park in my opinion.

What do you all think? Is this an issue at all? Disrespectful? How about respectful?

I'd like to hear some opinions on this.

I agree this is way too soon to do something like this.

Really, really bad taste

Did you see the episode, or are you just basing this on the article?

In the episode Satan is throwing a Sweet Sixteen Halloween party. Everyone in Hell is invited, including Ghandi, and Biggie Smalls (if you remember, the only ones allowed into heaven is the Mormons) At the party, people want the guy dressed as dead Steve Irwin to leave because his costume is in bad taste (too soon). When Satan approaches the guy turns out to be Steve Irwin, and is asked to leave because he's not wearing a costume.

Now I ask, where is the bad form specifically. Irwin wasn't insulted, aside from not being a Mormon, and nothing bad happens to him. In fact, he's later allowed back into the party when Satan stops acting like a little brat.

Or is it that he was in Southpark in the first place that is the insult.

Why do you wish to assume anything?

Am I a fan of the show? Yes
Have I watched this episode? No

Why is it disrespectful?

It portrays Irwin in hell with the sting ray through his chest. Absolutely no need for this message or the drawings.

It is disrespectful.

it's south park. . .

nuff said Lysergic.

So because its South Park, we can justify it?

Controversy games. Easy publicity anyone? Your cheques in the post

Originally posted by chissler
So because its South Park, we can justify it?

Who cares if its justified. Its a cartoon. They can do whatever they want. It was funny as heck. I'm sure not going to stop watching south park because they insulted steve irwin fans. Heck, they've insulted christianity, islam, scientology, etc etc. Steve Irwin's family and fans are a tiny number of people compared to that.

I like South Park and of course they have the right to do something like this, but I still think it was in bad taste so soon after the incident.

I'm no more a Steve Irwin fan than I am a South Park fan. Their controversy is probably why they have had so much success through the years. But drawing Irwin with the sting ray through his chest, so close after his death, was unnecessary.

This episode was trying to make a point. Notice that in the begining, they mocked Biggie Smalls too. Imo, they were trying to show that people don't care about who died to make a joke, if a certain period has passed.

This really is disgusting. What is the point of it? To get a cheap laugh? Surely if that's the case, they could have gone with something else.

Nygdan
About a month after Sept 11, did South Park release an episode about thousands of people dieng? No. Sure some people would find it funny, but it wasn't made because it would offend too many people, being disrespectful to the people who lost their lives. This should be no different.
It has little to do with the friends or family, but rather disrespect to the dead.

Originally posted by chissler
But drawing Irwin with the sting ray through his chest, so close after his death, was unnecessary.

Totally agree. Having him in the episode did very little for the shows plot, so I really saw no reason for him to be there other than maybe 'shock value'. They could have used any 'dead celeb' instead of him, but controversy sells i guess.

[edit on 10/27/2006 by pstiffy]

Originally posted by chissler
I'm no more a Steve Irwin fan than I am a South Park fan. Their controversy is probably why they have had so much success through the years.

They're successful because they're funny as heck.

But drawing Irwin with the sting ray through his chest, so close after his death, was unnecessary.

So was having a statue of the virgin mary shoot menstruation blood out her butt into the pope's face, but so what?

gear
About a month after Sept 11, did South Park release an episode about thousands of people dieng? No

Having some restraints doesn't mean that they should never crack a joke. And after 911 they canceled 'thats my bush' another creation of theirs, which was almost certainly a mistake. They didn't want to 'make fun of the president in a time of crisis'. But why is it okay now, for say, the Daily Show to do it?

Having him in the episode did very little for the shows plot

Its a cartoon about a fat kid that hates jews, a little kid that pukes because he's nervous around girls, a white trash kid that is constantly getting killed! One of the biggest characters is a singing and dancing peice of poo! These guys aren't concerned about plot lines.

They could have used any 'dead celeb' instead of him

And why is that any better??? Heck, the gag in the show was that they though someone showed up in a steve irwin costume to a party, and that 'it was too soon, thats not cool'.
Heck, everyone seems to have missed the fact that Steve Irwin was in hell in that episode, along with Ghandi for chrissakes! I'd think that saying Ghandi and Hitler are in the same place is a helluva lot more insulting that drawing a popular tv personality.

I suspect that a lot of the people who act indignant would chuckle if they watched the episode in their own homes. Often it seems being offended by this sort of thing is the expected thing to do, a product of TV for decades now telling us what we should feel, when to be mournful, when to be patriotic, when something is funny. South Park has mocked that very idea before in their "Jarred Has Aides" episode where it was finally "okay to make jokes about AIDS" because 22.3 years had passed. "Hey everyone, did you hear? AIDS is finally funny! HOORAY!" It's also this sort of reaction that is mocked in the character of Kyle's mother, who gets outraged at anything and everything and protests to shut down TV networks, etc.

So to the outraged: How long is long enough? Exactly when does Irwin's death become able to be joked about? 6 months? A year? Ten? Give us a date, please. And where were you when South Park had Christopher Reeve sucking the spinal fluid out of aborted foetuses?








[edit on 2006-10-28 by wecomeinpeace]

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace
Often it seems being offended by this sort of thing is the expected thing to do

The reference to Irwin in the cartoon is not the issue, I'm just confused why they portrayed him with the sting ray through his chest. Humorous content? Just seems unnecessary. Would 9/11 victims dieing in the plane crash on the cartoon get a rise out of people? I would see a helluva lot of people getting upset over that, so whats the difference here.

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace
a product of TV for decades now telling us what we should feel, when to be mournful, when to be patriotic, when something is funny.

I believe they attempt to, and are successful a good percentage of the time. So I would deffinately agree with that point.

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace
So to the outraged: How long is long enough? Exactly when does Irwin's death become able to be joked about? 6 months? A year? Ten? Give us a date, please.

Today, yesterday, tomorrow? Both times I have had to endure a death in my family, I had a great sense of humour about it right from day one. But joking about a mans death and unneccessarily portraying him in hell with the sting ray through his chest, would be two different things. You can joke about a mans death, without being disrespectful, with little effort. My problem is they obviously tried to be disrespectful and controversial.

Some accept that, some don't.

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace
And where were you when South Park had Christopher Reeve sucking stem cells out of dead foetus spines?

Not on ATS.

You guys realize that the true thing they were lampooning and mocking in the show when they had irwin is anybody on here whos bickering about it being in bad taste.

Point is, people die every day, and its a part of life. And we also have something called freedom of speech, it doesn't matter if its "too soon" or "justified." Do you want some sort of Orwellian PC Gestapo to take people away?

Originally posted by WolfofWar
Point is, people die every day, and its a part of life. And we also have something called freedom of speech, it doesn't matter if its "too soon" or "justified." Do you want some sort of Orwellian PC Gestapo to take people away?

Well I'm not aware where any of us have said it is against their right to make the cartoon about whatever they damn please. I don't think I've ever said anyone didn't have a right to something.

Orwellian PC Gestapo to take people away? Creative, I like that. But I think we both know thats not what were referring to.

It is the manner in which Irwin was portrayed that I have an issue with.

Kevin Cosgrove was a victim of 9/11 whose last moments were recorded on a 911 phone call. Would portraying him on South Park crushed be acceptable?

South Park defends Irwin sketch

The TV network behind controversial cartoon South Park has defended the latest episode which makes fun of the death of TV naturalist Steve Irwin.

The episode shows a bloody Mr Irwin with the stingray that killed him in September hanging from his chest.

Continued at source...

Jak