South Park Lampoons Katrina Coverage
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James Joyner | Thursday, October 20, 2005 |
Matthew Sheffield passes on word about the latest South Park satire likely to spark controversy:
‘South Park’ Lampoons Overhyped Katrina Coverage
“South Park,” the popular Comedy Central show about the misadventures of a group of four Colorado boys, criticized the news media Wednesday night for its overhyped coverage of Hurricane Katrina. In the episode, two of the boys, Stan Marsh and Eric Cartman, accidentally crash a boat into a beaver dam, flooding an entire town. In the aftermath, local and national media blame it on global warming, ridiculously exaggerate the extent of the damage, make up stories of rape, murder, “cannabilism,” and tell tales of “hundreds of millions” of deaths in a town of 8,000 people.
Has has video excerpts available in Real and Windows Media formats.
There’s no doubt that the need for constant “news” on the Katrina story sparked more than its share of excesses. Still, unlike many false alarms that preceded (and no doubt will follow) it, Katrina was indeed an incredibly devastating storm for the Gulf region. The death toll looks to be around 1200 and the property damage is still incalculable; while that’s much better than the 10,000 plus dead in New Orleans alone that was reported, it is still terrible.
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About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.
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I watched it last night, and was laughing my ass off because that was exactly how everyone - especially the press - behaved. My only beef is they did not have Geraldo.
There's no doubt that the need for constant "news" on the Katrina story sparked more than its share of excesses. Still, unlike many false alarms that preceded (and no doubt will follow) it, Katrina was indeed an incredibly devastating storm for the Gulf region.
FYI...South Park is a satirical show that lampoons contemporary culture. Any "controversy" that emerges will be from the idiotic V-chip morality police (e.g. Dole, Lieberman, Clinton, Dobson).
My favorite South Park is the one where Christopher Reeve sucks aborted fetuses to cure his paralysis!
Good thing for TiVo, otherwise I would have missed it, with baseball on.
Great episode.
More showtimes (all EST):
Thursday the 20th: 10 PM
Friday the 21st: 12:30 AM
Saturday the 22nd: 12 Midnight
Sunday the 23rd: 11:30 PM
Monday the 24th: 2 AM
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