A South Park episode mocking conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has been removed from schedules following his murder on Wednesday (September 10).
The right-wing activist 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. Kirk was 31 years old. At the time of writing, the shooter is still at large and the investigation into the killing is ongoing.
The August 6 episode of South Park, Got A Nut, featured the character Eric Cartman becoming 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.
Deadline has reported that reruns of Got A Nut have been removed from the schedules of cable network Comedy Central following Kirk’s killing, although it is still available on Paramount+, the streaming home of the show in the US and UK.
At the time, Kirk himself branded the satire “hilarious” on TikTok, with Deadline quoting an August 7 interview on Fox News where he said of the portrayal: “We as conservatives should be able to take a joke, we shouldn’t take ourselves so seriously.”
However, some conservative social media users have criticised the episode, accusing it of creating hostility toward conservative figures. No current evidence suggests a link between the show and Kirk’s murder.
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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