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?