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South Park and its use of cultural stereotypes: An

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and their role in fighting the ....

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 Journal of Media Studies
Vol. 26(1): January 2011 16-29
© 2010 ICS Publications
www.jms.edu.pk

South Park and its use of cultural stereotypes: An

investigation of post 9/11 satirical cartoons in
television and their role in fighting the war on terror

Sandra Pitcher1

Abstract
South Park is a television show which has rocketed to fame
thanks to its unique satirical content, and its ability to poke fun
at many institutional establishments. Generally, this has been
achieved through the use of blatant stereotypes of various
social groupings, especially in creating a specific image
surrounding both Middle Eastern and Muslims. This paper
analyses critically the stereotypes which are displayed within
the five seasons of South Park post September 11, 2001, and
determines through a textual and discourse analysis, that
whether these stereotypes could be seen as perpetuating
antagonistic behaviour and views toward Islam; ‘othering’ of
Muslims as an entire social group, hence advancing a split
between East and West; or if through the use of satirical free
speech, they are contributing toward bridging the gap between
cultures through satire and humour. Findings indicate that
whilst South Park identifies these prejudices, it simultaneously
juxtaposes them with the absurd, in order to demonstrate the
ridiculousness of such bias.

Keywords: Satire; cultural stereotypes; othering; war on terror

Introduction
Satire has long been a tool for social commentators to poke fun
at those in power, and the rules governing the conventions of
society (Navratil, 2007). Today, we see a plethora of comical
satirists who attempt to destabilize traditional discourses and
ideologies surrounding a number of socio-political issues,
through the many facets of modern media. One such example
is that of the television series South Park, which has become

1Sandra Pitcher is a PhD Candidate and LEAP Relief lecturer at Department of

Media and Cultural Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
 Sandra Pitcher South Park and its use of cultural stereotypes 17

widely recognised as having a ‘no holes barred’ attitude

toward what or who they ridicule with their over-the-top
satirical content. Following the adventures of four 8-year old
boys, Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny, South Park addresses
many issues facing global society through the character’s
somewhat innocent perspectives of the world. Subsequently,
creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, are able to oversimplify
and over-exaggerate many representations and ideologies of
global culture, as the boys try to make sense of the
complications and tribulations of the world they find
themselves growing up in. One of the most blatant, and
possibly most controversial way in which they achieve this, is
through highly caricaturised and stereotypical representations
of various social cultures, religions, and ethnicities.
Since the attacks on the Twin Towers in 2001 and the
controversy sparked by the cartoons of the Islamic prophet
Mohammed within Danish newspapers in 2005, the media
landscape has changed significantly with many corporations
finding it necessary to tone down satirical commentary (Lamb,
2004). Satire is an important tool within democracies as it helps to
hold those in power accountable for their actions and beliefs, but
by limiting satirical content, not only is free speech undermined, it
also destabilises the foundations of which most Western
democracies were created. Yet, even in the midst of these
difficulties South Park has been constant and unforgiving with
their depictions of various peoples. Therefore, this paper firstly,
aims to examine the role that satire plays within contemporary
society, and secondly, how a show such as South Park contributes
to global discourse, using their unique brand of satire. Thirdly,
this paper will investigate the way in which South Park has chosen
to represent the Islamic culture through an analysis of episodes
made post-9/11, in order to determine what types of discourses
they are perpetuating, and finally, using this data, theorise if these
representations are contributing to anti-Islamic sentiment, or if
instead, they are helping to alleviate the tension surrounding
Islam within Western society through humour.

Making fun of authority

Satire is a unique form of social commentary which allows
political and social critics the opportunity to “keep a jaundiced
eye on democracy” (Lamb, 2004: 4). Many researchers have
found that democracy is only able to truly flourish if those in
18 Journal of Media Studies 26(1)

power are continually held accountable for their actions

(McIntyre, 2005; Treiger, 1989). At times, satire borders on a
socially unacceptable rhetoric, often being labelled as profane
and discriminatory. However, it is precisely through distortion,
and its intentionally false stereotypes of society, that help to fuel
debate surrounding various issues. It works “through distortion
of the familiar – while at the same time pretending to depict
reality – in order to level criticism” (Treiger, 1989: 1216). Political
watchdogs and journalists are able to do this to a certain extent;
however, they are often confined by many ethical boundaries
which restrict them in terms of what they may or may not
publish. Traditional journalists are required to report on matters
“unmediated by human interests or values” (Ettma & Glassner,
1998: 7), and as such, journalists should not adversely influence
public consciousness. This is further supported by Pritchard
(2000: 1) who argues that in “a variety of direct and indirect
ways, media content influences what people believe, what they
think about and how they act”. Therefore, journalists need to be
responsible in the way in which they report, and give citizens an
opportunity to open their minds to events without obvious
ideological biases. However, by doing so, various actions taken
by authority figures are often not debated or even considered by
the public, due to both an overload of information within
today’s ‘information society’ (Friedman, 2006; Mirzoeff, 1999), as
well as a rising degree of public apathy. However, satirists in
part, are able to combat this, being lauded for being able to “hold
accountable those with power and influence who are abusing
their privileges” (Lamb, 2004: 61).
Therefore, editorial commentary, and more importantly
satire, aims to “explode constraints and add a vital dimension to
public discussion of issues” (McIntyre, 2005: 4). The importance
of satire stems from its ability to create public debate through its
ridicule and parody of various people and issues. However, in
order to achieve this and allow for critical satirical comment,
there are a number of conditions within society that must be
met. Under totalitarian rule, even traditional journalists are
under constant pressure to conform to the ideologies of those in
power, least of all those which criticise or question authority.
Therefore, Chris Lamb (2004) indicates that the most important
condition needed before satire can be implemented is that of free
speech. Without this fundamental stepping stone of democracy,
satirists would face authoritarian prosecution.
 Sandra Pitcher South Park and its use of cultural stereotypes 19

Secondly, he indicates that those consuming satirical work

need to have a firm understanding of that which is being
parodied. Therefore, audience members need to be somewhat
educated regarding political and social affairs, or else the work
would lose all meaning. This in turn, leads him to explain that
not only do audience members have to have a sound knowledge
of what the piece is about, but they also need to have a good
understanding of what satire itself is about, and what it intends
to do. Satirical cartoons especially, are confined by these two
conditions, and readers “must be aware of the meaning of the
symbols in a particular cartoon” (Lamb, 2004: 49). “Satire is an
art form that depends upon shared assumptions between writer
and reader” (Treiger, 1989: 1229), without which, audiences are
left with a vague and offensive rendition of social events, instead
of a witty take on current affairs. South Park especially, is an
example of this paradox, with many critics labelling the
programme as “twisted”, “extremely mean-spirited” and “vile
trash” (Fagin, 2000).

The importance of “Vile Trash”

Whilst it is true that the four boys, around whom South Park is
based, are crude and foul-mouthed, many critics seem to
undervalue the social discourses which are discussed,
concentrating only on the face-value of the show. Often critics
focus too heavily on the racial and ethnic stereotypes which
generally drive the show, however as Sienkiewicz and Marx
(2009) argue, the offensive humour surrounding these prejudices
help to demonstrate that they are part of a systematic, social
problem, rather than something to be blamed on various
individual perceptions. Apart from this, viewers who are
confronted with these stereotypes, and who are able to recognise
the racist qualities inherent in the narrative are “forced to
confront his or her own assumptions and latent prejudices”
(Sienkiewicz & Marx, 2009: 8).
The success of South Park can, in part, be attributed to its
intended opposition to that which it overtly represents,
consistently advancing“ nuanced positions in ways that surface
readings of the show miss” (Sienkiewicz & Marx, 2009: 8).
Viewers are expected to understand the absurdity of the various
plot points, in order to create a platform from which to discuss
the various cultural issues facing society, as posed by the
narrative of the show. One of the most telling aspects which
20 Journal of Media Studies 26(1)

contribute to this success is that South Park has a relatively short

production schedule, usually taking only one week to produce
one episode (Sienkiewicz & Marx, 2009). Therefore, creators are
able to continually engage with current events, a luxury not
often afforded to non-live television programmes. This has been
especially telling in relation to their commentary of media
coverage surrounding Islamic fundamentalism and the ‘war on
terror’.
After the attacks of 9/11, the media landscape changed
drastically, in which “traditional forms of entertainment had to
re-invent their place in US life and culture” (Spigel, 2004: 235), as
well as most other nations worldwide. Initially after the attacks,
broadcasters were pre-occupied with showing news
programming related to the attacks, as well as the newly
declared ‘war on terror’, ultimately stunting the return to
normalcy of everyday life (Spigel, 2004). Eventually television
networks started shifting back to consumer entertainment
“enacted largely through recourse to historical pedagogy that
ran through a number of television genres” (Spigel, 2004: 240).As
such, broadcasters concentrated on showing entertainment
infused with historical Western triumphs, such as documentaries
and movies on World War II and the American Revolution.
Almost all mainstream media aligned with the ideologies of the
American government, in a patriotic move to unite Western
society. Even shows usually packed with parody and satire in
reference to the US government and policies, made a swift
turnaround to a more serious tone (Spiegel, 2004). Many writers
at the time argued that the attacks were an assault on American
culture itself, the Twin Towers were after all, a world renowned
symbol of American industry and power (Stein, 2003);
consequently almost all programming aimed to maintain
Western hegemony, “producing an image of the Arab as ‘other’
[and as] the antithesis of Western humanity and progress”
(Spigel, 2004: 244).
Most Western media concentrated on assisting in the process
of containing and enforcing “the cultural fiction of what and who
are significant and what and who are not” (Stein, 2003: 193),
depicting the West as heroes, and the Middle East as the enemy to
be defeated. Yet, one of the fundamental problems with this
thinking is that by doing so, helped to create a “permissive
psychological climate that [made] the unthinkable thinkable and
do-able” (Stein, 2003: 192), thus in turn creating a unique brand of
 Sandra Pitcher South Park and its use of cultural stereotypes 21

Western fundamentalist thinking. South Park, however, was one of

the first, and few mainstream programmes, which moved away
from blind patriotism and this type of thought.

Methodology
For purposes of this paper, it was decided that in order to argue
in favour of the above statement a number of episodes which
dealt with Islam and Middle Eastern culture needed to be
analysed; it was, therefore deemed most appropriate to conduct
a purposive sampling analysis. While there were many
references to Islam and Middle Eastern culture made prior to the
attack on the Twin Towers in 2001, it was determined that it
would be most useful to analyse those episodes which aired after
9/11, as they would contain the most relevant ideological
inferences made toward the ‘war on terror’. It was also decided
to limit the research to episodes made up until the end of Season
11 in 2007 as this was the time in which tensions in the Middle
East rose to extremes – especially in Pakistan (St. John, 2007).
Furthermore, it was decided not to discuss those episodes
which merely mentioned the Middle East or Islam, as many of
these references could not be analysed in enough detail for the
scope of this article and remain in context. It therefore only
became necessary to examine those episodes which made Islam
or Middle Eastern culture a primary theme. This therefore,
limited the scope of this research to six episodes, namely
“Osama bin Laden has Farty Pants” (Season 5, Episode 9), “Red
Sleigh Down” (Season 6, Episode 17) “The Snuke” (Season 11,
Episode 4),and “Imagination land (Season 11, Episodes 10-12).

Moving away from blind patriotism

The first episode which addressed the war on terror, and
America’s search for Osama bin Laden during the course of
Season 5, entitled “Osama bin Laden has Farty Pants”,
concentrated on demonstrating the absurdity of war, and the
complete irrationality in which people were reacting to the
threat of terrorism, rather than focussing solely on propagating
the superiority of Western ideologies. This episode sees the
four main characters travel to Afghanistan, to return a goat sent
to them by four Afghan boys. In the process, they are captured
by Al-Qaeda and threatened by Osama bin Laden, who is
depicted as an insane, camel-loving fool. Superficially, one
could argue that this imagery helps to belittle bin Laden, and
22 Journal of Media Studies 26(1)

Islam, subsequently downplaying the fear associated with the

Al-Qaeda terror network that has been instilled within Western
society. However, there are many more elements which drive
this episode away from being pure anti-Middle Eastern
propaganda. As already mentioned, South Park often uses
extreme stereotypes in order to express various ideas. This
episode especially, uses many stereotypes, depicting Middle
Eastern life as drab and backwards, such as depicting broken
down vehicles being dragged by donkeys and store fronts with
no doors or windows.
However, these stereotypes are used to help expose the
horrors of a true war torn country, and not to impress the
general anti-Middle Eastern sentiment of the Western media at
that time. This is especially telling if one considers that earlier in
the episode, American fighter jets are shown bombing civilian
dwellings, indicating that much of the destruction within the
Middle East has been brought about through Western violence.
This is further supported by the boys who state: “No wonder
terrorists come from places like this. If I grew up here I’d be
pissed off too”, implying that it is not religion that develops
terrorism, but rather, is a result of various complex social ills.
This is further emphasised by the Afghan children, who inform
the boys from South Park that many in the Middle East feel that
America itself started the war years ago, when they put military
bases on Muslim holy land.
However, one should not assume that Parker and Stone
are aiming to create an anti-American sentiment. The American
military are shown overthrowing the Taliban, and killing bin
Laden in combat after all. The boys themselves conclude that
even though Western society has many problems, fuelled by
consumerism and capitalist ideals, it is still part of who they
are. The ideological conflicts within the episode highlight the
“high degree of pastiche, blank irony, and recombinant
imagery that would be difficult to say encourages any
particular ‘dominant’ reading of the war” (Spiegel, 2004: 258).
In doing so, Parker and Stone are not passing comment on the
war at all, but rather, are satirising the way in which media
institutions created such a complex tirade of news reporting on
the war, often making it increasingly difficult for viewers to
discern what was going on. Sienkiewicz and Marx (2009) argue
that this helped to create a meta-comment on the media, rather
than a direct comment on post 9/11 society.
 Sandra Pitcher South Park and its use of cultural stereotypes 23

This is further emphasised by the episode entitled “The

Snuke” in Season 11. During the course of this episode a
Middle Eastern boy starts school at South Park Elementary,
and based on the prejudices of Cartman, is accused of being a
terrorist based on his ethnicity. Cartman then attempts to
uncover the alleged terrorist activity of this new boy and his
family, ultimately leading the CIA to uncover a real terrorist
threat, not from Islamic fundamentalists however, but from
America’s oldest enemy, the British. The episode plays on the
narrative formula of the popular television series 24, in an
attempt to parody the show after it was criticised for depicting
a Muslim family as terrorists (Sienkiewicz& Marx, 2009). Not
only does this episode look to engage its viewers in current
public debate, in this instance, if it is fair to represent Muslims
as terrorists, but also highlights the complex intertextuality
used by the creators in an effort to get audiences “to critically
engage with modes of discussion in which these secondary
texts are participating” (Sienkiewicz & Marx, 2009: 8).
Not only does this episode aim to engage viewers in
regard to a secondary media text, and its impact on the media
landscape, but it also attempts to highlight the impact that the
media has had on the mindset of the general population in
relation to the understanding and representation of the Middle
Eastern culture. Cartman’s prejudicial stance against the new
boy, based on his ethnicity, can be viewed as a direct influence
of the media frenzy which took place post 9/11, linking the
Middle East and Islamic fundamentalism to the attacks.
Therefore, one could argue that Parker and Stone satirise this
common ideology in an attempt to foreground the irrationality
of labelling all Middle Eastern peoples as terrorists based on a
small minority of extreme fundamentalists.

Drawing reason from the ridiculous

As already mentioned, South Park attempts to destabilise general
societal and cultural conventions by juxtaposing common beliefs
with the completely absurd, in an attempt to fuel public debate.
“Osama bin Laden has Farty Pants”, whilst commenting on the
complexities of war, also parodied the ridiculous extremes
which American society adopted in the aftermath of September
11.At the beginning of this episode, the boys are shown wearing
gasmasks as they wait for the morning school bus, afraid that
without them, they would be exposed to anthrax or smallpox, a
24 Journal of Media Studies 26(1)

reflection of the panic that ensued after anthrax spores were

found in letters in Florida a few weeks after 9/11 (Firestone,
2001). To add to the absurdity of the situation, the boys are
searched by police, as they board the bus, for any weapons that
they may be concealing – a direct reference to the stringent and
somewhat sensational security measures, taken by security
forces on airline flights after the attacks.
However, one of the more interesting episodes, which
explores the impact of contrasting common cultural
understandings with the ridiculous, is entitled “Red Sleigh
Down”. In this episode, the boys feel that they must convince
Santa to deliver the spirit of Christmas to the children of Iraq.
In doing so, Santa is captured by Iraqi forces, and tortured by
Iraqi guards, seemingly reinforcing the negative stereotype of
the Iraqi people as malevolent and cruel. However, one cannot
read into this without considering a number of other
components which make up the convoluted symbolism within
the episode.
One of the most controversial images shown within this
episode is that of Jesus Christ arming himself with various
weapons, in an attempt to free Santa from his captors. Apart
from the contradictions that this poses on the teachings of
Christianity, in which Jesus is the peace-loving son of God, it
also creates an interesting paradox in terms of highlighting
ideas of Christian fundamentalism. By depicting Jesus as a man
who is willing to kill to save an iconic figure, intent on
spreading the ideologies of Christmas in a non-Christian
country, this episode asks viewers to reconsider their own
prejudices against the Islamic faith. The general consensus
among the Western world is that all Muslims are
fundamentalist religious zealots (Maher et al, 2008), bent on
undermining the secular nation-state, and forcing the return of
the “pre modern spectre of religious nationalism” (Friedland,
2001: 125). However, this episode explores the irony of Western
cultural icons attempting to force a specific set of religious
ideas and beliefs on the people of the Middle East, in an
attempt to “save” their society from the evils of their own
cultural beliefs.
Apart from the contentious imagery of Jesus and Santa
resorting to senseless violence and weaponry to impose their
authority, this episode further explores the irony of imposing
Western thought onto Middle Eastern culture during the boys’
 Sandra Pitcher South Park and its use of cultural stereotypes 25

eventual escape from Baghdad. Santa is shown completing his

mission, of bringing the Christmas spirit to the Middle East, by
“bombing” the streets of Baghdad with mass Christmas
decorations, many of which display Christian symbolism, much
to the horror of the Iraqi citizens. This played on a highly
contentious issue that was at the forefront of political debate at
the time, that of holding democratic elections within Iraq, under
the watchful eye of Western observers. This activity further
fuelled tensions, as it implied that the Western way of
governance and thinking was superior to that of Middle Eastern
culture.
However, apart from the critical commentary on Western
interference within Middle Eastern politics, the in textual
reference within this episode proposes an interesting question
surrounding the understanding of the Middle East itself. The
final battle between the Iraqis and the main protagonists, as well
as the scene, in which Jesus arms himself, is referential to The
Matrix. Consequently, one could argue that like the world in The
Matrix, in which society is an imagined reality, so is the created
ideology surrounding the Middle East: a highly structured
imagined concept, dreamt up by those determined to maintain
Western supremacy. One could also argue that this way of
thinking has evolved to include terrorism itself, especially if one
considers that the main objective of terrorism is to instil fear in
the mind of society.

It’s just make believe

Often it is the fear of the unknown which drives the
imagination to create an environment for terrorism to thrive.
This factor is explored in depth over three episodes during the
course of Season 11, in the trilogy entitled “Imagination land”.
In “Imagination land” the boys are taken by a Willy Wonk a
type character to the land of imagination, in which they are
introduced to the many made-up characters of popular culture,
such as the Care Bears and Luke Skywalker. During the course
of their visit, terrorists attack and destroy the barrier separating
the good and the evil sides of the imagination, ultimately
allowing the “American imagination” to run wild. However,
there are two important aspects which need to be taken into
consideration. Firstly, the terrorists are seen as being placed on
a par with the most evil made-up characters of Western society,
such as Friday the 13th’s Jason, and The Nightmare on Elm Street’s
26 Journal of Media Studies 26(1)

Freddie Kruger. By doing this, Parker and Stone ask their

audience to consider “the absurd, exaggerated nature in which
Muslims are portrayed in American media” (Sienkiewcz&
Marx, 2009: 16).It instantly forces the viewer to take account of
how Muslims have been constructed by the media to represent
the invisible enemy created in their minds by the threat of
terrorism.
Secondly, whilst these terrorists are linked to Islamic
fundamentalists through the faux Arabic language used,
interspersed with the word jihad, Middle Eastern writings, as
well as referring to a terrorist video which showed the
beheading of a Western journalist, the faces of the terrorists are
never shown, constantly hidden by scarves and masks.
This helps to emphasise the point that terrorism, whilst
often instigated by fundamentalist groups, is not driven by the
Muslim culture itself, but rather by a faceless and anonymous
group of extremists, aiming only to instil fear and create panic
amongst society. Therefore, as Sienkiewicz and Marx (2009: 16)
argue, “Imagination land” concentrates on exposing the
“absurdity of trying to reduce so complex an issue [into] easily
decodable images and isolated discourses”. The media, by
definition, aim to inform society; however, audiences need to
understand that terrorists are merely a representation created
by the media, in an attempt to give society something with
which they are able to identify, because, as already mentioned,
it is the fear of the unknown which aids in the success of most
terrorism.
This is further supported during the course of the episode,
when members of the Pentagon state that the effects of the attack
on the American imagination are unimaginable. This seemingly
absurd statement plays on the complexity of trying to unmask
an unseen enemy. It stresses the point that one cannot measure
the impact that the creation of an unseen enemy has on society,
because there are no limits on that which the imagination can
create. Therefore, what one can note is the way in which South
Park, whilst using common stereotypes, is actually undermining
and exposing the absurdity of such representations through
satire.
 Sandra Pitcher South Park and its use of cultural stereotypes 27

Conclusion
Ultimately, South Park’s satirical content, can be viewed as a
highly complex, and meaningful addition to the discourses of
post 9/11 society. During this period, many media forms have
seen a rise in the number of news reports, television
programmes, and images censored, or pulled based on the fear
of offending various social groupings. South Park, however, has
continued in the traditional vein of satirical commentary –
which either everything can be lampooned and spoofed, or
nothing should be parodied (Lamb, 2004). However, through
its unique form of humour, and blatant use of stereotypes, it
has often been labelled as toilet humour, without any real
substance (Fagin, 2000). Yet, after looking intrinsically at the
way in which Parker and Stone use stereotypes within their
various episodes, one begins to notice that South Park actually
helps to “undercut the sort of ignorance and prejudice”
(Sienkiewcz& Marx, 2009: 8) that these stereotypes often
perpetuate.
As indicated whilst discussing “Red Sleigh Down”, much
of the episode focuses not on reinforcing anti-Middle Eastern
thought, but rather explores the irony of a culture which
resents the thought of religious nationalism, whilst
simultaneously, advocating that the Middle East should adopt
a Christian holiday. The images of Jesus and Santa working
side by side to bring the Christmas spirit to the Middle East,
not only highlights the offensiveness of trying to justify a war
through the deliverance of a Western, and highly driven
consumerist holiday, but also forces viewers to question if they,
like Islamic fundamentalists, are guilty of attempting to force
their own specific belief system on another culture not aligned
with its own.
Parker and Stone attempt to destabilise the created
representations of terrorists and the Middle East even further,
by highlighting that often one is only exposed to various
constructions of different ethnic and social groups through
mediation and imagined imagery. This is emphasised again
and again over the course of many seasons through the
complex facet of intertextuality. Through the exploration of
secondary media texts, South Park stresses the continual impact
that the media play on our own understanding of society.
Without one’s pre-existing knowledge of popular culture,
much of the meaning derived from today’s media would be
28 Journal of Media Studies 26(1)

lost on audiences. This supports one of the main ideas

proposed in both “Red Sleigh Down” and “Imagination land” –
that the link between terrorism and Islam, has, in part, been
created through the eyes of the media, in an attempt to give an
identity to the faceless enemy of terrorism.
This paper aimed to examine if, in this case, satire was
being used in a positive way to bring to light contentious
political and religious tensions between Western and Middle
Eastern society. Generally it is media representations and
governmental policies which shape public opinion, in regard to
various societal issues, often reinforcing already inherent
prejudices (Maher et al, 2008). However, what one can note
through this investigation, is that whilst South Park identifies
these prejudices, it simultaneously juxtaposes them with the
absurd, in order to demonstrate the ridiculousness of such bias.
Only through superficial reading of the various texts would
one come to the conclusion that Stone and Parker are
advocating any form of hatred toward Islam, or the Middle
East through their use of stereotypes. Instead one should
realise that they are passing comment on the ridiculous nature
of societies too closed minded to consider any other viewpoint
but its own, and in so doing, prove the important social
necessity that South Park has become within the entertainment
industry of mainstream Western media.

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