# South Park Creators and a Signed Photo of Hussein **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2009, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488 "2009-04-09T11:28:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/21 "2009-04-10T00:31:11Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Alright then: I think there’s funny and unfunny, but I don’t think there’s such a thing as “inappropriate lightness.” For that matter, once you start talking about appropriateness in comedy, you usually end up killing it. You don’t think there’s any such thing as inappropriate lightheartedness?! What do you think the obvious counterexample is that springs nearly unbidden to my mind, and what is your response to it? As to talk of appropriateness in comedy, I didn’t say anything about appropriateness in comedy. I didn’t take their actions in accepting the picture, or their comments about it, to be comic performances.\* \*I have to acknowledge that with these two, the lines are certainly blurred, but I’m reading the actions I mentioned as basically straightforward and only performative, if at all, in some indirect or mediated sense. In other words, it seems to me they accepted the gift in the spirit it was offered and were expressing their true feelings about the gift, not the feelings of some character they were playing. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/22 "2009-04-10T00:34:22Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > You don’t think there’s any such thing as inappropriate lightheartedness?! You’re right, that’s too vague. In the case of a public figure, particularly one like Saddam, I’d question whether there can be such a thing as inappropriate lightheartedness. In private life, that’d be different. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/23 "2009-04-10T00:49:57Z")
Just out of curiosity, **Frylock** , was this the first time you heard about Saddam being forced to watch “South Park?” That story, minus the detail of Matt Stone and Trey Parker receiving a signed photo of Saddam, was first publicized in 2006. I’ve certainly known about it since then. Here are some contemporary news accounts: [Hussein Made to Watch South Park "Repeatedly - 28/08/2006](http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/hussein%20made%20to%20watch%20south%20park%20repeatedly_1006468) [Hussein Made to watch South Park “Repeatedly” - Monday August 28, 2006](http://www.hollywood.com/news/Hussein_Made_to_Watch_South_Park_Repeatedly/3548454) [Exposing Saddam Hussein To ‘South Park’ Movie Well Within Geneva Convention Torture Guidelines - Tue August 29, 2006](http://gawker.com/hollywood/south-park/exposing-saddam-hussein-to-south-park-movie-well-within-geneva-convention-torture-guidelines-197415.php) [Saddam Forced to Watch the South Park Movie - Monday August 28, 2006](http://www.americablog.com/2006/08/saddam-forced-to-watch-south-park.html) [Saddam Hussein is Forced to Watch Himself in South Park - Aug. 28, 2006](http://yeeeah.com/2006/08/28/saddam-hussein-is-forced-to-watch-himself-in-south-park/) People weren’t that outraged about it nearly three years ago. And I thought then, as I do now, that was the mildest of what he deserved. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/24 "2009-04-10T02:32:42Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Just out of curiosity, **Frylock** , was this the first time you heard about Saddam being forced to watch “South Park?” That story, minus the detail of Matt Stone and Trey Parker receiving a signed photo of Saddam, was first publicized in 2006. I’ve certainly known about it since then. > > Here are some contemporary news accounts: > > [Hussein Made to Watch South Park "Repeatedly - 28/08/2006](http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/hussein%20made%20to%20watch%20south%20park%20repeatedly_1006468) > > [Hussein Made to watch South Park “Repeatedly” - Monday August 28, 2006](http://www.hollywood.com/news/Hussein_Made_to_Watch_South_Park_Repeatedly/3548454) > > [Exposing Saddam Hussein To ‘South Park’ Movie Well Within Geneva Convention Torture Guidelines - Tue August 29, 2006](http://gawker.com/hollywood/south-park/exposing-saddam-hussein-to-south-park-movie-well-within-geneva-convention-torture-guidelines-197415.php) > > [Saddam Forced to Watch the South Park Movie - Monday August 28, 2006](http://www.americablog.com/2006/08/saddam-forced-to-watch-south-park.html) > > [Saddam Hussein is Forced to Watch Himself in South Park - Aug. 28, 2006](http://yeeeah.com/2006/08/28/saddam-hussein-is-forced-to-watch-himself-in-south-park/) > > People weren’t that outraged about it nearly three years ago. And I thought then, as I do now, that was the mildest of what he deserved. Yes, it is the first time I have heard about it. (Not sure why you’re asking?) As to what he deserved, my posts are predicated on the notion that he deserves different treatment at the hands of different people. What the military division in question owed him was to keep him in custody as per regulations and hand him over to the proper authorities. What he deserved from the judicial authorities was a fair trial. What he deserved from his executioners was… execution. What he deserves from others not directly involved with this process runs the gamut, and includes ridicule and humiliation. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/25 "2009-04-10T02:33:49Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You’re right, that’s too vague. In the case of a public figure, particularly one like Saddam, I’d question whether there can be such a thing as inappropriate lightheartedness. In private life, that’d be different. Got it. I think the possibility of inappropriate lightheartedness in this case varies with the directness or indirectness of one’s relationship to the custody and trial process. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/26 "2009-04-10T06:43:14Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Yes, it is the first time I have heard about it. (Not sure why you’re asking?) As I said, I was just curious. That had been widely known for about the last three years. I was curious why you came around to posting about it so late and not back in 2006 when the story first broke. Your opinion about it is still valid now as it would have been then, of course, but I didn’t think there was anyone now who was unaware of Saddam being forced to watch the movie, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/27 "2009-04-10T10:58:25Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I was curious why you came around to posting about it so late and not back in 2006 when the story first broke. The occasion for my posting was the April 9, 2009 story about the creators of South Park. I was posting about their actions as well as those of the army division in question. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/28 "2009-04-10T11:10:30Z")
The war in Iraq was a major pop cultural flashpoint that coincided perfectly with the political satire and farce in South Park and other media like the Daily Show. There is absolutely nothing inappropriate or even surprising about this; it’s a completely predictable intersection of international politics and pop culture. Comedy is a reflection of real life (in some ways it’s a truer reflection than “serious” entertainment.) That includes the good and the evil and everything in between. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/29 "2009-04-10T11:16:15Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > The war in Iraq was a major pop cultural flashpoint that coincided perfectly with the political satire and farce in South Park and other media like the Daily Show. There is absolutely nothing inappropriate or even surprising about this; it’s a completely predictable intersection of international politics and pop culture. Comedy is a reflection of real life (in some ways it’s a truer reflection than “serious” entertainment.) That includes the good and the evil and everything in between. **Argent Towers** , do you think I’m criticizing the very existence of the movie or something? Because I’m not. I love the movie. I think its Saddam sequences are hilarious. If that’s not what you think I’m criticizing, I can’t make sense of your post. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/30 "2009-04-10T18:07:16Z")
I don’t know about inappropriate, but the idea of Saddam enjoying a parody cartoon movie about himself is positively mind blowing, not that it really changes my opinion of him as a mad dictator. Actually I wonder what the point of stories like this are? “Saddam wasn’t such a bad guy because he had a sense of humor.” ? :eek: :dubious: :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/31 "2009-04-10T18:08:30Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > I don’t know about inappropriate, but the idea of Saddam enjoying a parody cartoon movie about himself is positively mind blowing, not that it really changes my opinion of him as a mad dictator. Wait, what? Saddam enjoyed the film? ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/32 "2009-04-10T18:11:53Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Wait, what? > > Saddam enjoyed the film? Oops I misunderstood the OP :o ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488/33 "2009-04-10T18:38:55Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > The occasion for my posting was the April 9, 2009 story about the creators of South Park. I was posting about their actions as well as those of the army division in question. I understand. The story of Matt and Trey receiving the signed picture _was_ news Not so much the story that U.S. Marines forced Saddam to watch the movie. I’m usually the next to last to hear news, so I assumed if I knew about it, so did everybody else. > [@furryman](#): > > I don’t know about inappropriate, but the idea of Saddam enjoying a parody cartoon movie about himself is positively mind blowing, not that it really changes my opinion of him as a mad dictator. > Actually I wonder what the point of stories like this are? “Saddam wasn’t such a bad guy because he had a sense of humor.” ? :eek: :dubious: :rolleyes: It’s doubtful if Saddam enjoyed it. He had the movie banned in Iraq upon its release. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-creators-and-a-signed-photo-of-hussein/492488.md?page=1)