Post on 03-Jan-2016
Difference in South Park
Race
• According to U.S. Census Bureau, there are 5 race categories: populations differentiated by genetic traits
– 1. White (72%)
– 2. Black or African American (13%)
– 3. American Indian or Alaska Native (1%)
– 4. Asian (5%)
– 5. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (.2%)
– Two or more races (3%); some other race (6%)
• Those who identify the origin as Hispanic or Latino, may be of any race
Ethnicity
• Identification (self or otherwise) with cultural, social, national groups
• Shared customs, language, cultural heritage, history, homeland, religion, ritual, food, etc.
• Ethnicity can be socially constructed or the biproduct of social interaction
14, Difference
• Bahktin: jokes provide “corrective of laughter and criticism” forcing a contradictory reality
• Ethnic jokes can subvert the stereotypes they deploy as they confront the stereotype and challenge dominant culture
• But, can they reinforce hegemonic culture???
Chef
• Musical, libidinous, most sensible adult
• “Uncle Tom” who doesn't explore the complexities of black life in South Park
– Epitaph for someone who participates in their own group's oppression by dominant culture
• Draws attention to the marginalized/cliched role of black people in popular cinema
• In the town of South Park we see how racism is learned, it's a social construction
Token Black
• Reminder of TV's “Tokenism”: the practice of making a symbolic inclusion of minorities
– In TV, token characters have reduced roles and often bland personalities
– Name is a play/parody on the concept
• Musical/entertainer stereotype
• “South Park takes prejudices...exposes the flaws of examination, and...neutralizes their power to offend. The show turns political correctness on its head with carnivalesque humor.” (Johnson-Woods p. 220)
Rednecks, White Trash & Crackers
• Redneck stereotype: beer, guns, fights, xenophobic, working class
– 1) biologically different: unattractive, less intelligent, inbred
– 2) geographically different: southern, trailer park, across the tracks
– 3) economic/culturally different: lazy, violent, poor
Ableism? Hipster Ableism?
Anti Conformity, Anti-Capitalism
Hippies
• 1. Giggling stoners 2. drum-circle hippies 3.know-it-all college hippies and 4.Aging Liberal Hippie Douche
Canadians
“Here Comes the Neighborhood” (2001)
• Gentrification parody
• Satire/parody of the representation of African Americans in media
• Token counter-marginalizes by inviting rich people to South Park; creates a new subculture
“Here Comes...” Cont'd
• The ultimate difference between “richers” and South Park townspeople is class not race
• “Richers” or “cash chuckers”
• One of the many episodes that make hate groups look ridiculous and petty
• For the viewer:
– 1) racism is reinforced by thinly disguising it AND/OR...
– 2) shows the stupidity and pointlessness of racism
• Ends with a showdown between subculture and mainstream
Free Speech v. Hate Speech
• Communication whose only purpose is to express hatred towards a group; MUST result in violence
• Against a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation
• While speech may be hateful in nature, it doesn't make it hate speech
• “Immanent Danger” test: results in unlawful action
• Hate speech is NOT protected by First Amendment
“The Snuke” (2007)
• Racial profiling; commentary on torture
• Cartman represents Westerner narrow-mindedness
• Perpetuation of the Arab stereotypes by western media aka Orientalism
• Parody of 24; torture as a dramatic device (“super bad farts”)
• Hillary Clinton; lower body stratum/grotesque
– Public official used in the satire...other examples?
• The real enemy? Cartman's bigotry/racism?
Arab Stereotypes in Western Media
• Bombers, Billionaires, Belly Dancers
• Media stereotyping + news portrayal of current events = Arab profiling in US
Orientalism
• Oriental=Eastern world;Occidental=Western world
• Edward Said, 1978
• Orientalism is the lens through which the West sees the East...forms stereotypes
• How the Middle East/Asia is constructed by Western culture as “other” in media reflects power interests
• West projects its fantasies upon it and shows it as sensuous, mysterious, irrational, undeveloped; West is presented as opposite to this
• Orientalism answers why the West has preconceptions about the East
7, Race, Ethnicity, and Belonging
• Use of slurs/stereotypes brings on marginalization and counter-marginalization
• In South Park, stereotypical judgements are true
• Minorities must assimilate into South Park
– Educate them on “proper” roles in community
– Must change language, culture, etc. to fit in
• South Park satirizes white assumptions, which creates a counter-hegemony as ethnic minorities are better people than white hegemony (???)
Nativism
• Notion of characteristics endemic to a group within a region
• American nativism= perception of American ethnicity/culture
• South Park townspeople are more nativist than purely racist
• Those who are not South Park natives must assimilate to be included
In the End...
• “Although Parker and Stone satirize the powerful, the hypocritical, and stridently bigoted, the do not provide solutions to society's problems or provide keys to social harmony” (Coleman p. 141)
• But South Park shows how racial and ethnic tension can have positive outcomes
Structural Racism
• Aka white privilege based on a long history of racism
• Bigotry is not on a personal level, it's on an institutional level
• Discrimination is less overt, but systematic and subliminal that reinforces whiteness
• What are some structures
– Religion, education, military, work/labor, corporate business, government, property ownership, city planning, standardized tests, bank lending, legal/prison system, health care...more?
• Policies, laws, etc. are not blatantly racist but outcomes the put POC at a disadvantage
• Do Parker/Stone benefit from white priv? Exploit it?
Hipster Racism
• Ironic racism as humor or satirizing racism and political correctness
• Not wanting to be racist in an attempt to make it okay to be racist; being controversial/edgy
• The powerful making jokes at the expense of the powerless
• HOWEVER, this still is and can reinforce racist ideas
• Is South Park guilty of Hipster Racism?