The first two episodes of the new South Park season remind us why the term “South Park Conservative” exists. The show should also help us narrow down the GOP field to politicians who embody its values.
The show has a long history of surprisingly in-depth free-market and political themes. They take no prisoners and call out everyone on their absurdities in the most vulgar way possible. The last two episodes didn’t address the free market, but they did call out both political extremes.
In the season premiere, “Stunning and Brave,” South Park tore apart a culture unwilling to call Caitlyn Jenner anything but that. If anyone says anything unflattering about Jenner or addresses her with the wrong pronoun, the “P.C.” bros come and “check their privilege.”
One of the P.C. bros is South Park Elementary’s new principal, “P.C. Principal.” Through the episode, P.C. ignores bvious, more pressing issues, and instead rebukes people for what some might call “micro-aggressions.”
For example, in order to stop P.C. Principal, Eric Cartman suggests he could frame P.C. for having inappropriate contact with Butters, in the typical outrageous South Park style. But instead of taking issue with Cartman’s threat that ends in, “Capisce?” P.C. Principal is livid Cartman used the word, “Capisce.”
Cartman: Oh-kay. Look, you don’t want to end up like the spokesman for Subway, so you?
P.C. Principal: Did you just use a term that excludes women from an occupation?!
Cartman’s half-hearted apology and threat, “No, I’m sorry. I was just trying to frame you for raping Butters!” doesn’t even faze P.C. Principal.
The P.C. bros are all young, in-shape, and bro-ish. They’re all extremely sensitive to micro-aggressions, and spend their time focusing on being politically correct. They all party together in what closely resembles a frat-house, complete with pledges. The last test the pledges must complete is, “just go out there, and check someone’s privilege.” The point of the frat element —and of P.C. being a principal in an elementary school—is very obviously to note the irony that students, who should be focused on expanding their knowledge and questioning everything, are instead too often focused on being politically correct and censored so much that they cannot reasonably conduct an intelligent dialogue.
In last night’s episode, “Where My Country Gone?,” the show rips the other extreme—then Trumpian extreme. It begins with President Obama and Caitlyn Jenner honoring Kyle for his extreme political correctness.
Garrison, watching Kyle being honored, laments, “everyone’s preaching openness and acceptance, and so now millions of goddamn immigrants are coming over the border, and nobody seems to care!” “It’s like nobody cares! and they just keep coming, crossing the border with their dirty families, playing their stupid music. I mean, look at ’em! I’ll bet not one of them is here legally,” Garrison says, pointing to a group of Canadians. This episode focuses heavily on one of South Park’s greatest pastimes—making fun of Canadians.
In class, Garrison berates his new Canadian students for not speaking English (although they are, with a Canadian accent). When he argues with P.C. Principal, P.C. demands the faculty be signed up for “Canadian language night classes.” This notes the absurdity of both those who are antagonistic towards immigrants and those who are P.C. in a counterproductive way.
In case you haven’t noticed by now, Garrison is intended to represent Donald Trump.
The new Canadians in South Park don’t inconvenience, but Garrison can’t stand them. He holds a rally at which he yells, “Seems like everyone’s afraid to speak the truth around here.” “Well, I’m throwing my hat in and saying I’ll figure this thing out! Now, I might not understand politics… or immigration policies… or… the law… or basic ideological concepts… but, damnit, I understand there’s a bunch of Canadians here and I’m going to do something about it!” Truthfully, this is not far from Trump’s immigration talk. Trump offers no actual solutions, just angry rhetoric and empty promises.
Trump—err, Garrison—isn’t afraid to stand up to P.C. Principal. He interrupts a school presentation in which the Canadians talk about their heritage. He yells at the children, “I got news for you—nobody wants you here! Sorry. Not sorry. It’s time for someone to say it like is and make our country great again.” After a short exchange in which Garrison makes a profane suggestion to P.C., P.C. fires Garrison. “Oh, see? And now i’m fired. That’s the cold, hard truth of immigration.” This is intended to highlight the straw men that extremes knock down. For once, P.C. is being reasonable, firing Garrison for his unreasonable behavior. But Garrison claims the move has to do with immigration—not his own behavior. This is much like Trump attacks his opponents for attacking him personally or not speaking the truth, while Trump’s opponents are often just call him out on his empty rhetoric.
He then lays out his immigration plan. “Well, there’s only one immigration policy that i believe in, and that’s fuck ’em all to death!” This is a phrase Garrison uses through the episode, one which helps turn him into a cult figure. This is also something he means literally. He later expands upon this and adds he’ll “build a big wall,” but is livid to learn a wall—built by Canadians—already exists.
In a debate between two politicians and Garrison in front of the wall, the two politicians have a spirited debate about why Canadians thought building a wall would be necessary. Garrison adds, “No. Fuck them and fuck you. I wanna see if they have really cool shit back there.” The female polician begins to speak, and Garrison interjects, No, you’ve got a gaping gash, and, [pointing to the male politician] you’ve got vinegary balls. The canadians can’t do this! Don’t they realize that hundreds of thousands of their people are over here illegally?” The friendly Canadian guard sitting far atop the wall adds, “oh, you guys didn’t put up a wall?”
We soon learn why Canadians came to America. Butters begins dating a Canadian girl, and at dinner her father explains that during the last election, one candidate “was this brash asshole who just spoke his mind. He didn’t really offer any solutions. he just said outrageous things. We thought it was funny. nobody really thought he’d ever be president. It was a joke. But we just let the joke go on for too long. he kept gaining momentum, and by the time we were all ready to say, ‘okay, let’s get serious now. who should really be president?’ he was already being sworn into office.”
The screen then goes to the Canadian leader who is very obviously a Canadian version of Trump, in the middle of letting his staff know everyone—those leaving Canada, gay people, Chinese leaders, etc.—can suck his balls. This highlights South Park’s concern with Trump as a leader. Rhetoric can win an election, but it cannot lead. We’ve learned this with President Obama. Trump cannot simply yell at foreign leaders or interest groups in order to solve problems.
Through showing people’s admiration of Garrison for standing up to the quite literal P.C. police, South Park makes clear it is sympathetic to people’s admiration of Trump. They understand people like that he seems to stand up to political correctness and he speaks what’s on his mind. As we learn in the first episode, they understand that political correctness often impedes intelligent conversation.
However, the latter episode cautions Trump supporters who think he’s a panacea. His powerful talk is backed up by no more than brashness and anger. A leader like that can be dangerous, as the Canadians learn.
The episode is also clearly warning those who think Trump is entertaining, and for that reason let his nonsense continue. On the whole, politics shouldn’t be a fun game to watch. It should be taken seriously, and serious candidates should rise while the unserious ones should fall. Those who let the charade go on—instead of rebuking it and attempting to turn attention to serious candidates—ought pause and realize what can happen if they don’t stop the nonsense.
These two South Park episodes highlight qualities we should look for in our leaders, particularly in our presidential candidates. He shouldn’t be obsessively politically correct, nor should his anger and talk replace his ideas. We ought not support candidates who act wrongly to earn points with groups—whether that group is one you dislike or it is you, yourself. Furthermore, just as these two episodes have, we should seek a candidate who can relate ideas to people. South Park effortlessly makes remarkably complex points—usually using vulgarity and himor—in a way anybody can understand. Poltiicians should do the same. There is a big problem if only political elites can understand them. Each person should be able to understand the value of a candidate being elected. If they don’t, they are not to blame. The candidate is.
Finally, in accordance with the anti-P.C. theme, there is arguably virtue in unfettered discourse and saying what one actually means. I have made the case for politicians swearing like Eric Cartman, though I realize it’s idealistic.
We will all apply those principles differently, and see the qualities in different candidates. But we should seek out our South Park Conservative of choice in 2016.
