‘South Park’ Takes on Washington Redskins Naming Controversy
South Park will have some fun with the Washington Redskins not being able to trademark their team name earlier this year – because, as the U.S. Patent Office declared, it’s racist – on the show’s upcoming 18th season, which premieres September 24th. In a recently released clip, the ever-opportunistic (and surprisingly bouffant-haired) Cartman has begun using the name for some surely tasteless company, whose purpose has yet to be revealed.
A nasally-voiced parody of Redskins team owner Dan Snyder chastises the zaftig South Parker, who has emblazoned his wall with the team’s Native American logo, for stealing the name. “Look, don’t you see that when you call your organization the ‘Washington Redskins,’ it’s offensive to us?” he says. Quarterback Robert Griffin III even backs Snyder up.
“Guys, guys, I have total respect for you,” Cartman says. “When I named my company Washington Redskins, it was out of deep appreciation for your team and your people.” He then lets loose a shit-eating, triangular smile. Of course nothing is resolved by the time the one-minute clip ends with a collage of heads and Richard Charnock’s bassy “Hundred Dolla Girlz” plays it out.
South Park isn’t the only show that will be poking fun at the Redskins controversy in coming months. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart reportedly set up a tense meeting between fans of the team and Native Americans earlier this month for an upcoming segment, led by correspondent Jason Jones. The Redskins fans recently told The Washington Post that they felt duped, because they were under the impression they’d be giving their opinion without counterpoint.
“This goes way beyond mocking,” a former teacher named Kelli O’Dell, who was among the Redskins fans, told the paper. “Poking fun is one thing, but that’s not what happened. It was disingenuous. The Native Americans accused me of things that were so wrong. I felt in danger. I didn’t consent to that. I am going to be defamed.” She also reported that she was not a regular viewer of The Daily Show.
“My heart goes out to them because they are people, too,” an Ojibwe Native American named Tara Houska told the Post. “But it’s a weird position for them to take, because someone is crying over the loss of their offensive mascot when I am right there, standing in front of them. I don’t think they’re racist. I think their mascot is racist.”
Producers for The Daily Show have reportedly refused requests to destroy O’Dell’s consent form. An air date for the segment has yet to be confirmed.