Although it was designed as a satirical cartoon for adults, South Park has clearly established a strong following with

much younger viewers than its original audience of mainly 18- to 39- yearold males. As has been the case with The Simpsons, the language and other semiotic codes associated with South Park have entered the everyday lives of young people the world over Although it is not so well placed to attract the large advertis-ing investments that come with mainstream success, South Park nonetheless appeals to a large view-ing population that appreciates its absurd humour and originality. In the U.S., Canada, and Australia this audience includes a significant number of children as young as 8 years old, as well as teenagers and young adults. Not surprisingly this information has made the series attractive to advertisers who support popular cultural forms other than television. The Cult appeal of South Park Intertextual reference South park Nintendo game South park merchandise Kenny Oh my God! They killed Lenny" Adolescents' reported fascination with the South Park character Kenny raises interesting questions for parents and teachers. Obviously part of that character's appeal lies in the fantasy elements of the recurring storyline with which he is associated. The predictable pattern, as well as fantasy element of the storyline, is that although Kenny is killed in nearly every episode he reappears in the following episode as if nothing had happened. Some adults understandably express concern at this supposed emphasis on killing and death, as well as the implied violence of some of the deaths. One time he was killed by a falling cart of underpants. Such variations, however silly, provide an element of surprise and suspense that children enjoy and that is comfortingly familiar to them from other popular cultural forms. In addition, when voiced, the content is so outrageously silly, sexist, racist, or crude

South Park And Our Culture

In the past half century the United States has developed a culture unlike any the world has seen in history. With the on set of mass communications technology, the culture that has grown from the post World War II era has had an immense effect on not only the United States but societies all over the globe. To ask the average American what our cultures meaning is not only here at home but abroad as well is to get a processed answer. This is all but a programmed answer, the American way or the American dream. We see the mediums of culture and the products they present us with as what we would like to be or want, often this turns into a false reality or an escape from problems that plague us in life. This can be seen on most every television sitcom, popular music, and movies. Culture in this society has become a commodity in which we always indulge in. With culture becoming a commodity it loses its value to enrich the human intellect. In this time of mass produced, pop culture, are there any aspects from this culture that critique the times and beliefs that we live in? I will argue yes. Although there are very few examples of pop culture giving a social critique today, one stands out in my mind, South Park. In particular the recent movie, South Park: Bigger Longer, Uncut. According to the thoughts of philosophers Marcuse, Adoron, and Horkhiemer, todays culture industry is a tool to subdue the masses from realizing real problems in the world around them, and that cultures main role in a society is to question the standing beliefs. In my view South Park is a critical challenge to the current societys belief system and is a valuable critique on the American psychic. There is no question that late 20th century pop culture has captured the collective conscious of the world, are movies and programs such as South Park the cultural review that we need to break the chains of domination? Before we look at the movie itself we should take a glance at the two minds behind the mayhem. Trey Parker and Matt Stone have become household names in the last couple of years with the explosion of South Parks popularity. They have run the gamete of views from vilified for corrupting the youth to being praised for taking an aggressive critique of society. Trey Parker, born in 1969, grew up in Conifer, Colorado where at an early age he found his way into shocking audiences. While putting on a production in 6th grade, Parker and a friend did a skit call Dentist where he pretended to drill through the patients head. He later had to apologize for the skit in an effort to convince the other students that it was ok to go to the dentist (Unknown p.1). After high school, Parker attended Berkley School of music in Boston, then later transferred to the University of Colorado to study film. This is where he met Matt Stone, and began the duo that would shock a nation. While at U of C, Parker created a trailer for a film that did not exist as a class project. The trailer was so popular on campus that Parker created a movie to go with, which caused him to be kicked out of school one semester short of graduating (Unknown p1). Matt Stone, originally from Houston, Texas, moved to Littleton, Colorado as a child. Stone excelled in school, and then attended University of Colorado, where he met Trey Parker. While in film study with Parker, instead of looking at film noir, they created cult classics such as Jesus vs. Santa and Jesus vs. Frosty short clips. Stone graduated from the Colorado with a double major in Film and Math. Throughout there parternship they have produced many value shaking projects like, Cannibal: The Musical, Orgazmo, Your Studio and You, and American History. These where the

predecessors to South Park and help establish Parker and Stone as two people that werent going to play by the rules. After 2 years of growing popularity of there rule breaking South Park television series the next step for Parker and Stone was a full-length feature film. In the summer of 1999 Parker and Stone unleashed South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut a movie that would ruffle more than a few feather in America. The movie centers around the fury that occurs when Kyle, Stan, Eric, and Kenny see an R rated movie called Asses of Fire, a Terrance and Philip film from Canada. When the children begin to use the fowl language that hear in the movie the mothers of South Park, headed by Sheila Brofloski, plan to retaliate against the source of the film, Canada. As the movie moves along the anger of the parents turns to war as Canada and the United States start to battle each other. During this as a staple of the South Park series, Kenny dies, yet unlike other times we follow him to hell to find him giving Satan relationship advice on how to communicate with his lover Sadam Hussein. The boys each fueled by a personal ambition to save Terrance and Philip and stop a potential war, Erics to have a v chip removed from him so he can swear, Kyles to stand up to his mother, and Stans to find a way to make Wendy like him again. As the attempted rescue mission fails a battle between the Canadians and Americans breaks out causing the coming of Satan and Sadam. In a twist of irony Eric begins to destroy Sadam when his v chip begins to malfunction and project lasers when he swears. Once Satan is fed up with Sadams insults he kills Sadam and grants Kenny one wish for helping him realize what a bad relationship he had with Hussein. Kenny asks for everything to go back the way it was before the war, which would still leave him dead. Satan grants his wish and returns everything to its original state and the end is happy as Kenny ascends to heaven. The first of the three main themes in South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut is its critique of censorship. The constant theme that runs through this movie is its attack on censorship and in general the film industry. Profanity is prevalent throughout this movie with more than a hand full of scenes that would turn a sailors face red. In one scene in particular, the boys say the word *censored* over six times with in a minute in school during class. The profanity also stretches to the soundtrack with songs like Uncle Fucka, and Kyles mom is bitch. By using language that is not socially acceptable for children as their dialog, Parker and Stone shatter the rules of society and challenge censorship. The fight against censorship continues in the movie with its blatant attack on the film industry for its hypocrisy on film ratings. The view of the film industry is that profanity is unacceptable for it harms children more than violent content does. As pointed out several times in the film, profanity is banned from television yet violence is fairly unchecked. This is illustrated in the war scene where carnage is rampant yet the movie was not rated for mature audiences for that reason, it was the profanity. As the title suggests Parker and Stone planned to turn the censors on their ear with this film. By using profanity, violence, and nudity laced throughout this social satire, Parker and Stone challenge the current norms of our culture. This bold comedy did not restrict itself to just to the question of censorship thought. The next area of society that Trey Parker and Matt Stone weave into their film is sex. In todays society sex is everywhere, and the amount of it is growing each day. Yet even with the growth of sexuality in our culture certain forms of it are still unaccepted by large segments of our population. Homosexuality is one of these sexual forms that have begun to gain ground, but only very slowly. In South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut Parker and Stone openly address homosexuality with Satan and Sadam Husseins relationship. The relationship between Hussein and

Satan is out lined with Satan being the feminine partner while Sadam is the sex consumed masculine partner. Throughout Satan and Sadams interactions during the movie there is an unprecedented amount of graphic sexuality for a homosexual couple in a film. Another example of open homosexuality is in the character Big Gay Al. Big Gay Al is an entertainer at the USO show for the troops in which he sings a song Im Super in which homosexuality is the basis for the song. These two example of how Parker and Stone attack the homophobia of this nation. By hitting us in the face with homosexuality they challenge our notion that it is not a social norm. The focus on sexuality is not restricted to just homosexuality, heterosexuality also comes into play as well. In Stans mission to make Wendy like him, he asks Chef how to make a girl like him more than any other guy, Chef tells him to find the clitoris. From then on Stan is on search for the clitoris, when he asks Kyle if knows where to find it at he replies, I dont know, is that like finding Jesus?. By putting this in the movie it was a critical look at how much we put an emphasis on sex in our culture. This was a shocking way to critique our sexual obsession, by putting a child in this situation and at the same time very humorous. The final area that Parker and Stone emphases is the American attitude. In this century the United States has transformed from new kid on the block to top dog in a very short period of time. This rapid transformation has developed an attitude of ignorance and superiority by the American public. This outlook can be seen in foreign affairs policy of our government and our general out look on the world. Parker and Stone take aim at this American attitude by satirizing it in South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. In the movie the United States captures Terrance and Philip for corrupting the youth, and the Canadian government demands they be returned to them. Mocking the United States arrogance in foreign policy, Parker and Stone put in many references to this in the movie. In news reports through out the movie, The United States ignores Canadas pleas for a peaceful resolution. This also is shown in a newsreel about Canada, set to poke fun at the newsreels of World War II. Along with our outlook on foreign affairs, Parker and Stone also take a jab at parenting in the United States as well. In one scene in particular, the mothers of South Park are holding a demonstration. The boys walk on stage to talk to them about what they have started, as the boys ask them to talk to them, the mothers continue to ignore them and demonstrate for a safer place for their children. It is this type of critic of parents not parenting and acting out against the wrong thing that puts this movie as a social critic. These three area where not the only things Parker and Stone criticized in the movie but these where the main targets. By focusing on these three areas South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut show the weaknesses of our society, which most films stay away from. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut has been established as an exception to regular pop culture, but how does it stack up to a philosophical paradigm of pop culture critiques? The next section will outline Theodor Adornos view of the culture industry and its ability to critique modern society. Theodor Adorno, a prominent postmodern theorist, has been one of the most out spoken opponents to todays cultural industry. In 1947, Adorno and Horkhemer published the book, Dialectic of Enlightenment, in which they introduced the term mass culture. As time passed mass culture transformed in to the culture industry in which Adorno looks at very closely. When looking at the modern culture industry Adorno shows that the culture industry is not set up for the benefit of the masses but the opposite is true when he states, The customer is not king, as the culture industry would have us believe, not its subject but its object. (Adorno p.1). He then goes on to

state that, The culture industry missuses its concern for the masses in order to duplicate, reinforce, and strengthen their mentality, which presumes is given and unchangeable. (Adorno p.1). Another characteristic that defines the modern culture industry is its commodification of culture, when he states, The entire practice of culture industry transfers the profit motive naked onto cultural forms. (Adorno p.1).

Next Adorno look at what culture should strive to be and what it currently is. Adorno says of the purpose of culture, Culture, in the true sense, did not simply accommodate itself to human beings; but it always simultaneously raised a protest against the petrified relations under which they lived, thereby honoring them. (Adorno p.2). Adorno laments at what culture

has become when he says, Brought to bear is a general uncritical consensus, advertisement produced for the world, so that each product of the culture industry becomes its own advertisement. (Adorno p.2). What he meant by this is that the culture industry feeds upon itself and becomes a false reality because it is trying to push itself onto the masses. Adorno see the culture industry as an entity that is too strong to reform at this point in time, so he advocates an entirely new phenomena.

Now that we have a grasp of Adornos general dismay with the culture industry, we must look at its power. Adorno is not oblivious to the power that the culture industry possesses but puts it in perspective when he states, It is to be taken seriously, without cultured snobbism. In actuality the culture industry is important as a moment of the sprit which dominates today. Whoever ignores its influence out of skepticism for what it stuffs into people would be naive. (Adorno p.3). This state makes it clear that Adorno does not take the culture industry lightly as he should not. He goes on to voice concern that because of its prominence that the lack of disclosure on quality of the culture it produces is very harmful. He shows this concern for the culture industries unchecked status when he states, To take the culture industry as seriously as its unquestioned role demands, means to take it seriously critically, and not cower in the face of its monopolistic character. (Adorno !

p.3). In the face of this power the culture industry has, some intellectuals have become ironically tolerant of it. Adorno is very weary of these phenomena and believes it to be very important to remain steadfast in there criticism of the culture industry. Adorno suggests that this split outlook is not just maintain by

thinkers, but by average people as well. He states, It may also be supposed that the consciousness of the consumer themselves is split between the prescribed fun which is supplied to them by the culture industry and a not particularly well-hidden doubt about its blessings. ( Adorno p.4).

The next step for Adorno is to attack the defense of the culture industry. He points out the strongest defense for the industry is that it rings a sense of order to a world that would not have it without it. Adorno hits back by responding to this defense by saying, The order that springs from it is never confronted with what it claims to be or with the real interest of human being. Order, however, is not good in itself. It would be so only as a good order. The fact that the culture industry is oblivious to this and extols order in abstracto, bears witness to the impotence and untruth of the message it conveys. (Adorno p.4).

Finally Adorno has one more round of attacks on the culture industry in his closing. Adorno argues that the culture industry presents a positive picture of the current situation so as to keep the masses from questioning the things that are wrong with society. He also states that even the most harmless messages help to undermine the collective conscious of the masses. Adorno ends by summing up his feeling on this by saying, It (culture industry messages) impedes the development of autonomous, independent individuals who judge and decide consciously for themselves. (Adorno p.5).

Having looked through Adornos view of the culture industry, and South Parks' view of our society, are the two compatible? After looking at Adorno, one would think no instantly. Adorno would see this movie as a part of the culture industry, but to look closer, believe Adorno would see South Park, Bigger, Longer, and Uncut as an important deviant in the culture industry. Although he would not fully embrace it, for it is still apart of the culture industry. In defense of Parker and Stone the only way to have message heard in our society is through the culture industry, so in essence you must sell your soul to accomplish your goal. Adorno would applaud Parker and Stone for addressing social injustices and problems that the culture industry would not normally look at. He would disapprove of the commodification of the movie and would site that as a loss of legitimacy.

In closing, South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut sent shock waves through our society for looking at issues that make our establishment have butterflies in their stomach. Yet in Theodor Adornos view this would barely scratch the surface of what is need for our society. He would view this as an important foirst step into questioning our culture industry and its complete dominance of our society. With shock culture becoming more and more the norm, it will become increasingly more difficult to separate the trash from the insights, but it will be necessary for the development of a legitament culture for our society. For those who thought South Park was shocking, you aint see nothing yet.

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