South Park

All characters and events in this show—even those based on real people—are entirely fictional. All celebrity voices are impersonated.....poorly. The following program contains coarse language and due to its content it should not be viewed by anyone.

The show's frequent depiction of taboo subject matter, general toilet humor, accessibility to children viewers, disregard of decency standards, and portrayal of religion for comic effect have been the main sources for generating controversy and debate over the course of its run. As the series first became popular, several schools banned its students from wearing South Park-related T-shirts, while several parent councils in the United Kingdom expressed concern when eight and nine-year-old children voted the South Park character Cartman as their favorite personality in a 1999 poll. Parker and Stone, who are not opposed to allowing older children and teenagers watch the show, assert however that the show is not meant to be viewed by young children, and the show is certified with TV ratings that indicate its intention for mature audiences.

But South Park is much more than an insulting, potty-mouthed cartoon for adults. It reveals a clear world view by mocking reality in order to outline its drawbacks. Behind violent and vulgar behavior we can see the smuggled messages, the lessons from which we all should learn.

The use of satire is effective as it shows everything and the creators are not afraid of expressing their opinions, even if they have to break established taboos in order to do so. Another reason of the show's effectiveness in moralizing is the fact that the main plot concerns children. It is the eight-year-old kids who outrun the adults in almost every aspect of life. The fact that the world in South Park is perceived by children contributes to discovering its faults. Children see more and perceive things more strongly.

Thus it may be assumed that South Park turns out to be more than an offensive show, demoralizing everyone who watches it. Although it is just a cartoon, it certainly gives a lot of room for thought.