If you think Saddam and Satan make a kinky couple, wait till you get a load of South Park and Philosophy. Get your Big Wheels ready, because we’re going for a ride, as 22 philosophers take us down the road to understanding the big-picture issues in this small mountain town.A smart and candid look at one of television’s most subversive and controversial shows, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year Draws close parallels between the irreverent nature of South Park and the inquiring and skeptical approach of philosophy Addresses the perennial questions of the show, and the contemporary social and political issues that inspire each episode Uses familiar characters and episodes to illustrate topics such as moral relativism, freedom of expression, gay marriage, blasphemy, democracy, feminism, animal ethics, existential questions and much more makes you laugh out loud
Author(s): Robert Arp
Edition: 1
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 256
The Super Best Contributors......Page 8
Sucking Balls and Fucking Off An Introduction to the Bothersome South Park and Philosophy Robert Arp......Page 13
Part One Taking South Park Seriously ...M ’Kay......Page 15
1 Flatulence and Philosophy A Lot of Hot Air, or the Corruption of Youth? William W. Young III......Page 17
2 Is It Okay to Laugh at South Park ? Catherine Yu......Page 29
3 Blasphemous Humor in South Park Kevin J. Murtagh......Page 41
4 The Chewbacca Defense A South Park Logic Lesson Robert Arp......Page 52
Part Two The Fab Four......Page 67
5 You Know,I Learned Something Today Stan Marsh and the Ethics of Belief Henry Jacoby......Page 69
6 Respect My Authorita! Is Cartman “The Law,” and Even If He Is,Why Should We Obey Him? Mark D. White......Page 78
7 Oh My God!They Killed Kenny ...Again Kenny and Existentialism Karin Fry......Page 89
8 The Philosophical Passion of the Jew Kyle the Philosopher William J. Devlin......Page 99
Part Three The Republic of South Park......Page 107
9 The Invisible Gnomes and the Invisible Hand South Park and Libertarian Philosophy Paul A. Cantor......Page 109
10 South Park and the Open Society Defending Democracy Through Satire David Valleau Curtis and Gerald J. Erion......Page 124
11 “Vote or Die,Bitch ” – The Myth that Every Vote Counts and the Pitfalls of a Two-Party System John Scott Gray......Page 133
Part Four Ethics:Dude ...Gay Muslims Don ’t Eat Veal......Page 141
12 They Satirized My Prophet ... Those Bastards!South Park and Blasphemy David R. Koepsell......Page 143
13 You Can ’t Get Married, You ’re Faggots Mrs. Garrison and the Gay Marriage Debate Jacob M. Held......Page 153
14 Just Don ’t Kill Baby Cows Cynthia McWilliams......Page 166
15 Four-Assed Monkeys Genetics and Gen-Ethics in Small-Town Colorado Scott Calef......Page 175
Part Five Who the Fuck Are You? Whores,Robots,and Bodies......Page 187
16 Raisins,Whores,and Boys Gender and Sexuality in South Park Ellen Miller......Page 189
17 AWESOM-O and the Possibility and Implications of Arti •cial Intelligence Randall M. Jensen......Page 201
18 Stan ’s Future Self and Evil Cartman Personal Identity in South Park Shai Biderman......Page 214
Part Six Satan,Suffering,Super Best Friends,and Song......Page 223
19 Cartmanland and the Problem of Evil David Kyle Johnson......Page 225
20 Religious Pluralism and The Super Best Friends Jeffrey Dueck......Page 236
21 Aesthetic Value,Ethos, and Phil Collins The Power of Music in South Park Per F. Broman......Page 248
22 Satan Lord of Darkness in South Park Cosmology Dale Jacquette......Page 262
Special Surprise Bonus!......Page 275
Screw You Guys ...I ’m Going Home Acknowledgments......Page 279
Chef ’s Salty Ball-less index......Page 280
