Media+Essay+Marissa

Mocking for a Good Reason //South Park// is both ingenious yet humorous at the same time. In this episode of //South Park//, they explore real life issues like gender roles. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and although //South Park// pushes satire to the extreme, the show takes real life issues and mocks them to bring awareness to those issues. In this episode of //South Park//, the title itself tells a story. The title of this is called “Cartman’s Silly Hate Crimes.” By naming this episode “Cartman’s Silly Hate Crimes” the writers of //South Park// wants the audience to be introduced to the idea of prejudice against a certain race or sex. Because the word “Silly” is in the title, the writers are trying to say that hate crimes are baloney. In the episode, the “fat boy” also known as Cartman throws a rock at an African-American boy, Token. Because they are only kids, the worst thing that the audience would expect is for the Cartman to be sent to the principal’s office. However in the principal’s office, the FBI interrupts the meeting. They take Cartman to prison and in court, he is found guilty of committing a hate crime. Cartman does not attack the Token because of his race, but because he is making fun of him. I found this to be funny but at the same time it is obvious that the writers want to mock the issue of racism. Mocking the issue of racism brings awareness of this very issue. In reality, the FBI will not show up at the school because a boy throws a rock at an African American boy. Even though this wouldn’t happen, //South Park// is trying to bring awareness of the severity of racism. Before Cartman got sent to prison, the girls make a bet with the boys, saying that they can beat their four best sleders. The boys have no hesitation to accept the deal and set up a time and a place to race. The boys realize that without Cartman on their team, they would lose. One of the boys in the group says, “Oh, well I sure do hate to see my gender loose to a bunch of women. "This is a sad day for men everywhere ("Cartman's Silly Hate Crimes").” This line shows that the boys think the opposite gender is inferior to them. In the end, the girls would have won the race, but the boys sabotage the girl’s sled to make it go off the mountain and eaten by a bear. This scene stereotypes the gender role of men and women because it shows that men will do anything to win even if it means to lie and cheat, and women are always vulnerable and they can't take care of themselves. This particular situation would not happen in real life but the issues that this scene portrays are realistic. In many cases, men find it very embarrassing to loose to women so they will devise a plan to ensure their win against the woman even if it is a minor challenge. While Cartman is in prison, he has a mental breakdown in his prison cell. He is hysterically crying for his mom when the “tough guy” in his cell asks why he is crying. The “tough” guy has been bullying him throughout this episode, but when he hears Cartman crying, his “tough guy” façade is broken. He automatically tries to put up his force field but he gives into Cartman. He helps Cartman break out of prison and when they do, they are caught. Cartman is let free because of the governors grant but the “tough guy” is forced to go back to prison. This scene shows that this “tough guy” was expected to act tough and have no feeling but the scene shows that even the meanest of people have emotions. Although some men might not think that this is acceptable behavior for a man to act, but it also might show men that they do not always have to be all built up, strong, and masculine. In this episode of //South Park//, writers mock many different roles that men and women, and different sexes should embody but in actuality, these scenes may give people the little push they need to rebel against tradition. Men don’t always have to be strong, masculine, and win every challenge that is allocated on them. Women are not inferior to men, and all crimes are not related to race. In the world of //South Park//, the actions the characters perform, are actually for the opposite reasons of what is being said.