Various conservative voices online are blaming South Park for the shooting of Charlie Kirk on Wednesday (September 10).
The right-wing activist and commentator was shot in the neck and killed at Utah Valley University campus, where he was hosting his first event as part of his America Comeback Tour. University spokeswoman Ellen Treanor said only a single shot was fired. Kirk was 31 years old.
At the time of writing, the shooter is yet to be identified, and is still at large.
In the aftermath of the killing, several people online have levelled blame at South Park, particularly the August 6 episode Got A Nut, where the character Cartman becomes a conversative commentator who debates students on colleges, mimicking Kirk’s hairstyle and mannerisms. The episode also featured a prize called the Charlie Kirk Award for Young Masterdebaters.
Currently, there is no evidence to suggest the shooting was motivated by the episode. However, many on X (formerly Twitter) are making connections between the satire and the assassination.
“Trey Parker and Matt Stone have blood on their hands. Remove South Park from all streaming services” wrote one person, while another added: “South Park certainly fomented the hatred necessary to get Kirk assassinated.” A separate user claimed: “South Park is slowly killing Conservatives.”
@thecharliekirkshow ♬ original sound – The Charlie Kirk Show
In contrast, many pointed to the fact that Kirk himself posted about his depiction on the show, describing it as “hilarious” on TikTok and sharing a clip of the episode.
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are yet to comment on the incident.
Season 27 of the show has aimed the majority of its jokes at the Trump administration, depicting the US President as being in a relationship with Satan and also having a micro penis.
The White House has previously condemned the depiction of President Trump and his allies in a statement, remarking that the show “hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years.” The show’s creators responded with a mocking apology at San Diego Comic Con in late July.
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