Posted on 10/27/2006 9:16:27 AM PDT by Millee
The creators of South Park have never been afraid to upset celebrities - and many of the show's viewers.
From jokes about religion and homosexuality to four-letter tirades, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have always mixed shock tactics with satire in the hit cartoon series.
But they were accused of hitting a new low last night after lampooning the demise of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin just weeks after his death.
The latest episode shows an animated Irwin in Hell with a stingray poking out of his bleeding chest.
Irwin, 44, died in September after he was impaled by a stingray's barb, while snorkelling near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
The South Park episode called Hell On Earth 2006, which was broadcast in the US this week, shows Satan preparing to host a Hallowe'en fancy dress party.
Hundreds of dead celebrities are invited, including rapper Notorious B.I.G., Princess Diana and Hitler.
But at the party Satan receives complaints from his guests that someone is inappropriately dressed up as Irwin.
Satan confronts Irwin but the Aussie environmentalist protests it is really him, not a guest in a costume.
While characters have been killed off in the series before – spawning the show's catchphrase "Oh my god, they killed Kenny!" – campaigners are particularly incensed about the stingray still being attached to Irwin's bloodstained trademark khaki shirt.
British broadcasting watchdog Mediawatch condemned the episode as "grossly insensitive."
Its director, John Beyer, said: "I think this is in bad taste. Steve Irwin's family are still grieving."
"To lampoon somebody's death like that is unacceptable and so soon after the event is grossly insensitive. It is not what the family would want to see."
South Park maker Comedy Central defended the episode. A spokesman said: "It has offended people in the past and probably will again. Regular watchers would not be shocked."
I saw it and didn't care for it but I wouldn't rank the episode very highly anyway. I'll see what they do next week.
Didn't Steve pull out the barb anyway?
What's really funny about this protest is that, in the show, everybody is upset that "someone" dressed up like Steve Irwin so soon after his death.
Even Satan himself says it's inappropriate for someone to make fun of Irwin's death, and calls the "person" out to protest about his insensitivity for making fun of Irwin.
Then the "person" says "But I'm really Steve Irwin".
Then Satan says "oh, you aren't wearing a costume", and has him thrown out of the party.
If that was really Steve Irwin, wouldn't he be drinking a Fosters instead of a Coors? That was the Aussies should really be mad about.
It is nasty beer, not as bad as spoors though. Carlington XXX bitter is much much better (I may be misremembering the brand name).
But it really was funny.
Fine, then show the image of Mohammed in the SP episode where you demanded it removed.
I actually considered this for a Halloween costume, but I couldn't figure out where I'd get a rubber stingray, and my wife would have murdered me anyway.
Was Steve some sort of saint?
Did I miss the High Mass in his honor?
Sheesh - this from the country that gave us Benny Hill...
Classic - "sorry then, no costume, you gotta go"
I wonder if they saw the other SP episode featuring Steve?
That looks like a Corona.
Anyway, they did the same thing when John-John Kennedy died.
Jfk was in hell to welcome him. I thought it was pretty funny.
ROTFLMAO, I think that did the Old Head Ball Coach just right. But why does Urban look like a stoner?
I liked the episode, Satan episodes tend to be funny. And the Irwin bit was great, the whole idea of people like Hitler being offended by someone in an Irwin costume was funny, then to actually have it be Irwin and he gets kicked out for not wearing a costume was great. It's not like they had him sticking his thumb in animals' butts like the episode when he was still alive.
They've offended me before but I still watch because they're honest.
I can't wait to see what they're going to do to Michael J Fox.
Hey that is what South Park does. No one should be shocked. How many years is the show on the air?
One of my least favorite episodes ever. The Irwin thing was nothing compared to the John Gasey, Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer acting like the three stooges part. That was pretty sick.
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