Topline
A rerun of a “South Park” episode featuring a parody of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who previously praised the episode as “hilarious,” was pulled from Comedy Central on Wednesday night after Kirk’s fatal shooting at a Utah university.
“South Park” originally aired an episode parodying Charlie Kirk last month. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Paramount+)
Getty Images for Paramount+
Key Facts
A rerun of “Got A Nut,” a “South Park” episode that originally aired in August, was pulled from Comedy Central’s Wednesday night schedule, according to Deadline and the Hollywood Reporter, though the episode is still available to stream on Paramount+ as of Thursday afternoon.
In “Got A Nut,” the character Eric Cartman learns another South Park Elementary student, Clyde Donovan, has a podcast where he makes disparaging remarks about women and Jews, according to Cartman’s classmates.
Cartman tries to steal Donovan’s thunder by debating him on his podcast, and he later shows up to an in-person debate Donovan holds to “destroy these woke liberal students” in South Park, sporting a haircut that resembles Kirk’s.
Cartman debates students as he attempts to win an award, the “Charlie Kirk Award for Young Masterdebaters,” though he eventually loses to Donovan, which enrages him.
During his debates, Cartman tells a student who disagrees with him that she must “hate America and love abortions,” and he shouted at another who called his haircut “stupid.”
Later, during a different debate, Cartman clashes with a student who confronts him about reproductive rights, telling her life begins at conception while the scene cuts to reveal Cartman is actually sitting on a toilet and speaking to the debater through a video call.
Kirk’s portrayal was one of many “South Park” parodies targeting the Trump administration and conservative activists this season, and the episode spoofing Kirk also took aim at President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
How Did Charlie Kirk React To His South Park Portrayal?
Kirk praised the show’s portrayal of him. “They are so mad I’m not mad and that I found South Park funny,” Kirk said in a post on X days after the episode aired. Kirk also posted a TikTok after the episode aired, praising it as “hilarious,” while showing snippets of his portrayal to his followers. Kirk later said in a Fox News interview he viewed the satirization as a “badge of honor.” Kirk told Fox News he is a longtime fan of the show and praised it for being an “equal opportunity offender” across the political spectrum.
What Do We Know About Charlie Kirk’s Shooting?
Kirk was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon. Videos circulating social media appeared to show Kirk being struck by a bullet near his neck while speaking to a crowd. Following the shooting, many elected officials, including President Donald Trump, urged prayers for Kirk and decried political violence. “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. A spokesperson for the university said the shooter fired from a campus building about 200 yards away at 12:10 p.m. local time, and the shooter remains at large as of Thursday morning. A manhunt is underway, and the FBI urged people with “information, photos, and video from the incident” to share tips. Kirk, 31, founded Turning Point USA, which advocates for conservative politics on school campuses. Kirk was well known for his social media presence, including his podcast, “The Charlie Kirk Show,” and he had more than 5 million followers on X and 9 million Instagram followers at the time of his death.
Further Reading
Charlie Kirk Shooting: Ammunition Found Engraved With Transgender, Antifascist Ideology, Report Says (Live Updates) (Forbes)