The role of sexual humor and sexuality in South Park has been the subject of many popular and academic discussions. For instance, the episode “The F Word,” was censured by GLAAD (a group that actively supported the program in the past) for its supposedly offensive re-appropriation of the word “fag” to describe loud, obnoxious motorcyclists. In the episode, the boys insist that a widespread change in cultural values about homosexuality makes this shift in the meaning of language acceptable. Academics have examined this episode and others qualitatively but “narrow analyses of single episodes tend to suffer from a significant limitation. ‘South Park, like most self-reflexive examples of cultural production, cannot be understood within a vacuum.’” (Schulzke, 2012, 24). Qualitative analyses of a complex program like South Park would benefit from the support of a quantitative analysis that examines the show’s long run. Quantifying South Park’s use of offensive language could illuminate how the show’s perspective on gender and sexuality has changed over its long run. These changes would also reflect any long-term cultural shifts because South Park frequently satirizes popular values. However, all previous analyses of South Park lack a quantitative measure for sexual references that captures the level to which these references either degrade the minorities they invoke or satirize bigotry. This project quantifies the normative and non-normative behaviors and language of South Park to determine the level of sexism and homophobia present in the show’s sexual humor over time. This content analysis includes an examination of the satirical tone, visual references and gender performance in each episode of South Park. This study answers questions about the interaction between television representation and cultural values about gender and sexuality using data about a show that acts as a popular cultural touchstone.
About the presenterChelsea Daggett
Chelsea Daggett is a second year Doctoral Student at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She recently received her MFA in Film Studies from Boston University. Chelsea has presented papers on popular culture at several regional conferences, such as NEMLA and NEPCA. Chelsea’s research focuses on adolescents and young adults in media. Her Master’s thesis discusses the U.S. adaptation of the U.K. television series Skins and Broken Britain. She is currently awaiting publication of a bullying content analysis. Her current research focuses on freedom of speech in higher education and mass shootings in public memory.