South Park: The not so good side of kids TV shows

South Park. What seemingly looks like a harmless cartoon will permanently damage your six year old's mind. South Park creates the appeal of a kids show with its cheery theme songs and animated appearance, however the show covers a number of controversial issues in a bad way. These include the issues of race, religion, gun control and sexuality just to name a few. One of the main characters Kyle, is bullied by his friends for being Jewish. This occurs in every single episode. What message are we sending to our youth by installing these beliefs into a TV show? Are we really going to let our youth believe that one certain race is above the rest and gives them entitlement to bully another person based on their religion? Another example of a controversial topic is the school cook that goes by the name of "Chef." He seduces women by singing a song and the show portrays women as if they are objects often with the male character telling them that they need food to be cooked. During the premier of Season 22 the show takes on the issue of gun control with a number of threats taking place at the kid's elementary school. The kids and teachers at the school ignore that there has been a school shooting which shows the message that we should just ignore these events that are happening. The kids also bully people who are scared about the school shooting, especially the boys. This creates an environment of toxic masculinity throughout the show. 

The main issue with this show taking on these topics is the way the characters in the show handle these situations in inappropriate way which is something that we shouldn't have in a kids TV show. Obviously, this show will have a major influence on what kids will perceive as right or wrong and by subjecting them to this kind of entertainment, the show may influence them to do wrong. The sad part is, there are more then just one of these types of cartoons. Shows like American Dad, Family Guy, and the Cleveland Show all demonstrate bad morals. 

If one thing can be learned from these shows and television in general, it is that what we watch on TV and the things around us dramatically affect the way we act and see other people. By exposing younger children to these types of shows, we are creating a new generation of racists, homophobes and pretty much every other "phobe" there is. 

Comments

  1. PJMay 5, 2019 at 8:29 PM

    Ben, I hope you know South Park is completely satirical and meant for adults (it’s rated R). It’s most definitely not a kids’ show. I think the show, by being completely horrible and crass, really brings attention to the awful things that we do as people. The cheery theme song is funny because South Park is a town full of disgusting people who do awful things. The real question is, does humor affect our opinions on world issues, and if so, how?

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