South Park

“A Neo-Con Parade: South Park and Post-9/11 Politics” was interesting to me because it discusses the irony and use of humor in the media about a situation which certainly was not humorous, such as 9/11. This chapter looks at the media, and especially South Park and how humor and irony is used maybe not to mock and current issue, but to inform society in a different way.

“However, it does not come to terms with humor’s potential to bridge social gaps or work through traumatic social changes, nor does it allow for humor, satire, parody, and irony to be mobilized as tools through which individuals or communities differentiate themselves from or negotiate the politics of the dominant (200).”

The chapter looks how humor can bind society together, along with other somewhat similar shows such as The Daily Show where they make very real problems in society into humor. I think it is important for shows like these to use humor to “bridge social gaps or work through traumatic social changes.” Although the show could be deemed controversial, it points out issues in society in a different way and through a different light from the media. In episodes regarding 9/11, although South parks humor could be interpreted in different ways, they inform the public about the issues at hand. South Parks humor could certainly interpreted in different ways, but overall South Park is able to use extreme irony and humor to poke fun at the issues and possibly bridge gaps in society.