One of my favorite shows, South Park, has been stirring up controversy yet again after the airing of one of the funniest and wittiest episodes to date. Parker and Stone dissect the word “fag”, giving it a new meaning by the end of the show. The basic tenant of their commentary is that the “f” word does not have the same meaning to kids today as it once had. It is now a term used more generally to describe someone who would traditionally be known as a douchebag.
Advocacy groups monitoring issues of gender identity and sexual orientation in the media are not thrilled about the episode… I know, shocking right? To be honest, I understand the fear that these groups have about making light of a term that has been used to target and ridicule homosexuals for the past few decades now. However, the show accurately depicts the notion that it is not the word itself that is used for ridicule, but the hatred associated with it. By shifting the meaning of the word to be defined as: 1. An extremely annoying and inconsiderate person most commonly associated with Harley riders, and 2. A person who owns or frequently rides a Harley, they are taking aim at and attempting to destroy the hatred behind the word. What’s more, they have successfully completed that mission, if we limit their influence to the audience that has actually viewed the episode.
I know that an advocacy group promoting the rights of gay and transgender individuals must feel obligated to take a stand against this particular episode. But the reality is that there was no gay-bashing of any kind in the show. If anything, the show’s characters support the rights of homosexuals. By exercising the right of free-speech, South Park has shown that in so doing, we can change the meaning of a word, thus fighting injustice and promoting equality.
