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Racism And Stereotypes In South Park

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As a provocative and anti-politically correct television series, South Park offers its viewers an alternative space to critically think about and discuss contemporary issues.
Contrary to its reputation for potty-mouth humor, South Park often has insightful perspectives on complicated topics in present-day culture. The writers of South Park are acutely aware of the racism and racial prejudices in contemporary society. This is demonstrated through their satirical representations of non-white groups as well as through jokes directed at racial prejudice itself. The episode ―With Apologies to Jesse
Jackson is important because it aims to answer the question: how do we, as young people in the 21st Century, discuss racism? But with further examination, a critical eye …show more content…

Parker and Stone intentionally play with the existing insecurity around political correctness, so when the viewer laughs at Randy, they are also shielding their nervousness around the possibility of this event taking place in life. They (we) are safe to view the conflicts that occur from this mistake within the shelter of the cartoon.
“Hey look honey, there’s that Nigger Guy.”
When Randy apologizes to Reverend Jesse Jackson for saying the N-word on national television, the viewer is exposed to three common misconceptions about race relations. First, the viewer is presented with the stereotype that there is one person who represents all black people. As a political leader, civil rights activist, and Baptist,

minister, Jackson appears a likely candidate for the role that Parker and Stone create within this scene. But of course no one person can represent an entire people, nor speak for them. The writers shove this in the viewers face, blatantly making fun of this stereotype for its absurdity. They confirm this again later when Token yells at Stan:
JESSE JACKSON IS NOT THE EMPEROR OF BLACK PEOPLE!. Yet, this

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