ADVERTISEMENT Several conservative voices online are blaming the satirical comedy show South Park for the shooting of right-wing activist and staunch Donald Trump supporter Charlie Kirk on Wednesday 10 September.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University campus, where he was hosting his first event as part of his America Comeback Tour.
At the time of writing, the shooter is still at large.
In the aftermath of the killing, opinions have been split online, with Republican voices blaming the Left and reactions showing yet again the depth of division in Trump’s America.
Now, some 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.
While there is no evidence to suggest the shooting was motivated by the episode, many on X 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 user, while another added: “South Park certainly fomented the hatred necessary to get Kirk assassinated.” Another said: “I am all for cancelling South Park in honor of Charlie.”
Some have defended the show, saying: “Short of them showing Cartman getting assassinated in it or people calling for him to be assassinated, they have nothing to do with this.”
Many also pointed to the fact that Kirk himself thought the skit was funny and even embraced it. Indeed, Kirk posted about his depiction on the show, describing it as “hilarious” on TikTok and sharing a clip of the episode.
“Honestly, my first reaction was that I kinda laughed,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital, saying that he used to watch South Park in high school and calling the show an “equal opportunity offender.”
“It’s kinda funny, and it kinda goes to show the cultural impact and the resonance that our movement has been able to achieve,” Kirk said. “I look at this as a badge of honour.”
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are yet to comment on the incident. However, Comedy Central has announced that it will no longer air reruns of the episode depicting Kirk.
The episode remains available to stream on Paramount+.
Season 27 of South Park has routinely lambasted the Trump administration, going so far as to depict the US President as being in a relationship with Satan.
Trump continues to lead a growing number of conservative commentators in blaming the “radical left” for Kirk’s death, despite the identity of the shooter currently being unknown.
