The gods of mockery have heard our prayers. “South Park” is back! This latest clip kicking off the show’s 20th season captures the absurdity of Colin Kaepernick and Black Lives Matter as only “South Park” can. It’s just what we need to cleanse our palettes of political correctness.
A cleanse is exactly what we need. For weeks we’ve been subjected to protests by athletes who have bought into the narrative that racism is institutionalized in America. These people clearly don’t know the difference between an individual racist (and they’re to be found in any country) and a nation that is systemically racist. Maybe they should move to Saudi Arabia to find out.
Instead of presenting reasoned arguments to make their case, they perpetuate ignorance and stir up division in a country that should be united under the banner of freedom for all and which, of all countries on earth, is the freest society for people of all races.
That’s exactly why we need the kind of humor “South Park” fearlessly delivers. Comedy shatters groupthink, using humor to expose lies, question authority (especially so-called “experts”), and shame hypocrites (celebrities most of all).
We need “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone to continue to do what they do best—indiscriminately roasting all the sacred cows of American culture without apology. We need comedic writers with guts, because safe humor doesn’t challenge our brains or make us laugh.
In “South Park” no group, no idea, no religion, no race is off-limits. They attack anyone and everyone, calling into question accepted truths and using searing logic in the form of humor to shatter preconceived notions. Sometimes it’s mean, other times it’s downright disgusting, but it’s always done with a purpose. On “South Park,” free speech reigns.
In today’s oppressive and divisive political environment, we need more parody. Whether it’s mocking social justice warriors and their demands to “check your privilege” or pushing socially acceptable boundaries by repeating the N-word dozens of times as the show did in “With Apologies to Jesse Jackson,” “South Park” serves as a release valve for a tightly wound society.
As the PC culture has been slowly killing comedy, “South Park” is a ray of hope. In a free society, nothing should be so sacred that you can’t laugh about it or mock it in some way—and I really do mean nothing. If you can’t laugh at something, then you’re afraid of it and it has power over you. If you’ve stifled comedy, then you’ve lost one of the greatest weapons of freedom.
Thankfully, we have fearless soldiers at “South Park.” Like them or love them—and they don’t care either way—we need them.
