# Am I horribly, horribly insane re: South Parks writer’s attitude? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478 "2005-03-14T16:30:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/1 "2005-03-14T16:30:03Z")
In the course of my daily life, I often come across things that offend me. Specifically, the idea that people shouldn’t have to risk being offended by things they see in the media. Paradoxical, I know, but it is how I feel. In the thread [OK, South Park has gone too far now.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=306842), I said, in effect: > [@Me](#): > > \ \ shows like South Park, and the complete other end of the political spectrum comic strip Mallard Fillmore is the following: > > “I know perfectly well that people who disagree with me have a good point, but… > Ew! Men who want to be women! that’s disgusting.” combined with a little: “At the end of the day, I want to sit down and watch brain numbing tv. I am angry that I see social issue discussed everywhere, and I am disgusted by the fact that they are produced by people on the coast, not people who share my viewpoints.” > > They understand intellectually that these are not men who want to be women, but women born into the wrong bodies, but that doesn’t stop them from being disgusted by the idea. Then again, I could simply be misreading the situation, and am completely off my rocker. > [@Me](#): > > I found another example of the attitude I am talking about. > > [http://jewishworldreview.com/strips/mallard/2000/MFT50107.jpg](http://jewishworldreview.com/strips/mallard/2000/MFT50107.jpg) > > [http://jewishworldreview.com/strips/mallard/2000/MFT50101.jpg](http://jewishworldreview.com/strips/mallard/2000/MFT50101.jpg) H > [@vinryk](#): > > I think people still really don’t get South Park. > They often pick the wrong side of an argument, just for the sake of showing how idiotic this stance is. > I haven’t seen this episode yet, but I think that instead of Parker and Stone making fun or insulting transsexuals, are making fun of people having these judgements. > I don’t know how to clearly express this, but I think they often play Devil’s advocate to show how stupid that Devil is. Personally, I think vinryk is giving them to much credit, but maybe not. P.S. When furthur accused me of being racist, I can see his point. I think of this attitude of being prevalent in the heartland of America, but I am wrong. I believe this attitude exists, but the restraining it by definition to “Middle America" is stupid of me. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/2 "2005-03-14T17:18:35Z")
What? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/3 "2005-03-14T17:26:51Z")
Ok, I’ll simplyfy what I am saying. I am upset by the idea of the “liberal media” I believe that the creators of South Park" by into the idea, as do many other people. ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/4 "2005-03-14T17:46:02Z")
> [@Scott\_plaid](#): > > Ok, I’ll simplyfy what I am saying. I am upset by the idea of the “liberal media” I believe that the creators of South Park" by into the idea, as do many other people. What? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/5 "2005-03-14T17:49:14Z")
“Buy into the idea”, I meant to say, not “by into” ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/6 "2005-03-14T18:09:43Z")
What? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/7 "2005-03-14T18:30:29Z")
Thank you, all. This is the funniest shit I’ve read in eons. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/8 "2005-03-14T18:30:56Z")
What? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/9 "2005-03-14T18:33:27Z")
Is this thing on? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/10 "2005-03-14T18:38:54Z")
This OP sets a new SBMB record for research to content ratio. My meter reads a gazillion and two to one. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/11 "2005-03-14T18:59:59Z")
Good lord, Scott. I just read your comments here and in their orig. context and I have no idea what you’re saying. Maybe you can break it down for us. First off: are you or are you not offended by SP? Second: If so, what in particular offends you? If not, why not? Third: What does Mallard Fillmore have to do with South Park? ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/12 "2005-03-14T19:25:02Z")
Sounds good Peter, we’ll go ahead and get that fixed up for you. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/13 "2005-03-14T19:31:37Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > Is this thing on? Anyone who can’t read this message please respond and let me know. Thank you for your cooperation. Stranger What? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/14 "2005-03-14T19:36:10Z")
Check, check, check… Jerry, pull the high end out, I’m still getting some hiss back here. Ah, perfect. **1: are you or are you not offended by SP?** I often see south park lampooning some rightwing cause. I laugh. Then I see them ridiculing the other side, but instead of actually parodying attitudes and issues, it seems like they are lampooning a straw man. **2: If so, what in particular offends you? If not, why not?** In the episode with the recounts in a kindergarten election, they were parodying recounts. They made it sound like the whole recount thing was just one side whining until it gets it’s way, which was not the case. I got the impression the writters were saying “I wish these people would just shut up, and go back to ruling the country. Who gets the election? The one who appears to have one it, possiblity of misscounted ballots or not!” This attitude of “The media should conform to the view of the majority”, is what offends me. **3: What does Mallard Fillmore have to do with South Park?** I believe both the writers of South Park and many other show feel that the popular culture is imposing on them. The Mallard Philmore strips were an example of the writer saying: “The media imposes it’s values on us” and not listening when told to not watch if he doesn’t like what some of the shows say. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/15 "2005-03-14T19:42:49Z")
I’ll give my one vote for **Scott\_plaid** being \*\*horribly, horribly insane \*\*. I’m not sure he isn’t right though. ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/16 "2005-03-14T19:56:27Z")
So you’re basically saying that you’re offended when your ideologies are mocked, but enjoy seeing the other side attacked? If that’s not it, I apologize for not understanding and doubt I am capable of doing such. If that is the case, then why are you watching a program that routinely attacks both sides of the political spectrum? ---
**Author:** ![modular](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@modular](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/modular)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/17 "2005-03-14T19:59:59Z")
You are missing the point of Southpark. Week after week, they prove that people will laugh and continue to watch the foulest rudest concepts possible, yet in kid cartoon form. They lampoon one side so people say ‘haha’ then they lampoon the other side, and the people laughing are now getting made fun of. They have made a multimillion dollar empire at everyones expense, using crude and witty situations. They take everything shallow, bad, good, etc that television stands for, and vomit it back all at one time. In short, genius. ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/18 "2005-03-14T20:07:27Z")
holy crap…I spent a half hour adjusting the settings on monitor hoping it would help make sense of this thread. Save yourself the effort, it doesn’t. scott, can you prehaps try again? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/19 "2005-03-14T20:08:36Z")
> [@BabaBooey](#): > > So you’re basically saying that you’re offended when your ideologies are mocked, but enjoy seeing the other side attacked? No, I wouldn’t mind if they attack my side, I just wish they would address the issues, instead of strawmen of what they think my side says. I also believe they are saying: “At the end of the day, I want to sit down and watch brain numbing tv. I am angry that I see social issue discussed everywhere, and I am disgusted by the fact that they are produced by people on the west or east coast, not people who live in the Heatland of America.” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478/20 "2005-03-14T20:30:11Z")
I stand by my earlier post. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-horribly-horribly-insane-re-south-parks-writer-s-attitude/294478.md?page=2)