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'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

theguardian.com

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Re: 'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

#41

Post by corodra »

diveanon wrote: post #9
peteretep wrote: post #7

There was a time when the fact that they’re Americans would definitely protect their right to do stuff like this, but these days I’d worry that China will invalidate some Ivanka trademarks, and the creators will find themselves under very heavy pressure from above.

I truly doubt they would cave to any pressure at all. Those two thrive on this kind of controversy, I can basically picture them sitting back and rubbing their nipples while watching this unfold. We need more people like Trey Parker and Matt Stone who aren't afraid of starting some controversy to get a conversation started. They choose to do it through cartoons and satire, but I honestly believe they understand our s…

You know... since the precedence has been made a few times now, an American president having an entertainment background... I'm just saying, if they decide to go in as a pres/vice pres duo, I'm not going to instantly ignore them at least.

Re: 'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

#42

Post by howard941 »

eeZah7Ux wrote: post #37
eeZah7Ux wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Freedom of speech is specifically meant to protect citizens from oppressive governments. It is not meant to help holocaust deniers create a new oppressive government.

The downvotes are telling. Is HN becoming 4chan?

The downvotes are too easy. They should cost karma.

Re: 'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

#43

Post by [deleted] »

obituary_latte wrote: post #33
ghostcluster wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have to give some credit to Viacom, the media company, for allowing the show to air. Viacom owns Comedy Central, MTV, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, and CBS among other media properties. They certainly have business interests in China.

I wonder if they were aware of the controversial nature of the episode. I’d bet really money, though, Viacom et. al. wouldn’t hesitate for a second to censor South Park if it starts hurting their bottom line.

[deleted]

Re: 'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

#44

Post by magashna »

smitty1e wrote: post #34
drawkbox wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Comedy is not dead. Comedy can change minds. Comedy is powerful and attacks the self-important and authoritarianism. Comedy can take on serious challenges in the best way. > John Cleese in On Creativity said: "the self-important always know with some level of their consciousness that their egotism is going to be punctured by humor -- that's why they see it as a threat. And so {they} dishonestly pretend that their def…

Comedy is threatened by corporations and people assuming the position for tyranny.

Maybe corporate comedy. There will always be a joke in dark places. You can find books written from the jokes told by those in the Nazi concentration camps.

Re: 'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

#45

Post by leftyted »

eeZah7Ux wrote: post #30
mwyah wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Go to Europe and say the holocaust didn't happen, see what occurs. In fact many countries in Europe have blasphemy laws and they uphold them: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/its-not-fr...

Freedom of speech is specifically meant to protect citizens from oppressive governments. It is not meant to help holocaust deniers create a new oppressive government.

There are many arguments for freedom of speech.

One of the most famous centers around the idea that no one should have the ability to decide what can't be said because that assumes infallability: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill#Freedom_of_sp...

So, yes, from this perspective, freedom of speech exists to protect Holocaust deniers.

The idea that the Holocaust deniers will "create a new oppressive government" seems extremely paranoid to me. I don't think there are very many Holocaust deniers and I also expect that, somewhat unintuitively, banning Holocaust denial would create more neo-nazis. Banning an idea confers a certain amount of glamour.

Re: 'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

#46

Post by Phillips126 »

delfinom wrote: post #38

There's potentially going to be more to come in Wednesday's episode given their "apology" and it may start WW3.

Comparing the causes of WW1[0] and WW2[1], seeing the name "South Park" on the WW3 wikipedia page [assuming the world still exists] would be the most bizarre thing I could imagine. That being said, it may just happen!

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_World_War_I

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_World_War_II

Re: 'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

#47

Post by throwaway_bad »

dekhn wrote: post #39

I have to say, this is really the only way to respond to China when it comes to their no-humor censors: just come out and mock them. They don't really have any way to reply. One wonders if there is an entire revolutionary class within China sharing South Park videos for freedom.

Sometimes we forget that getting disappeared in china is not just a meme.

Police will show up to arrest you just for posting comments online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCOAbkTs_a4

Re: 'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

#48

Post by dekhn »

throwaway_bad wrote: post #47
dekhn wrote: post #39

I have to say, this is really the only way to respond to China when it comes to their no-humor censors: just come out and mock them. They don't really have any way to reply. One wonders if there is an entire revolutionary class within China sharing South Park videos for freedom.

Sometimes we forget that getting disappeared in china is not just a meme. Police will show up to arrest you just for posting comments online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCOAbkTs_a4

i certainly don't forget. I've been watching Russia and China from a very safe position of privilege in the US for many years. The last time I really worried was when I used to post dumb stuff on usenet in college, but in retrospect, I was never really at risk.

Re: 'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

#49

Post by [deleted] »

dekhn wrote: post #39

I have to say, this is really the only way to respond to China when it comes to their no-humor censors: just come out and mock them. They don't really have any way to reply. One wonders if there is an entire revolutionary class within China sharing South Park videos for freedom.

[deleted]

Re: 'We good now China?' South Park creators issue mock apology

#50

Post by bluntfang »

dekhn wrote: post #39

I have to say, this is really the only way to respond to China when it comes to their no-humor censors: just come out and mock them. They don't really have any way to reply. One wonders if there is an entire revolutionary class within China sharing South Park videos for freedom.

>One wonders if there is an entire revolutionary class within China sharing South Park videos for freedom.

I've noticed a trend on this site in particular where we collectively wonder if our western media is a part of Chinese counter-culture. Is this hubris uniquely American?

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