South Park Conservatives
Everyone’s talking about South Park Republicans these days…
Today at Tech Central Station:
One of the side benefits of presidential elections every four years is that it allows for fairly close readings of where America’s culture as a whole currently stands. That’s one reason so many books on the topic are released shortly after each presidential election’s conclusion. One of the newest is Brian C. Anderson’s “South Park Conservatives,” the title of which will be familiar to Tech Central Station readers. The name is based in part on a piece that Stephen Stanton wrote for TCS back in 2002 called “South Park Republicans.”
Anderson, the senior editor of the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal, uses fans of the popular — and controversial — Comedy Central animated series as a metaphor to describe the changing face of conservatism.
The media generally misrepresents Republicans as religious rich white males. This is patently false. Half of the voting public is Republican. They watch R rated movies, enjoy a few drinks at happy hour, and even go to the occasional Wrestlemania. Hopefully, the South Park Republicans will shatter the unfair stereotype and set the record straight. As Cartman would say, “That would be pretty sweet.”
An article about Brian Anderson’s South Park Conservatives from The Daily Standard:
Is South Park conservatism exclusively a young phenomenon? Well, Anderson says, “a lot of the older conservatives just don’t get it.” But some do. Bill Bennett, says Anderson, called after reading the article. Bennett’s kids were South Park fans and had been encouraging him to give it a try. And so he did, finding the show clearly anti-liberal. (No word yet on Bennett’s opinion of Team America: World Police.) But, yes, South Park conservatism is especially big among young conservatives, says Anderson, who are more comfortable with the new “more flippant tone” and the new technologies.
(Yes, I bought it!)
And of course, check out the South Park Blogger Gallery. :wink:
(It was Steven W. Stanton’s idea–where are you, Steven? You ought to be there too!)
Raven says:
I just ordered this book, thanks Beth for pointing it out.
Kyle says:
PLEASE, if you’ve even been watching South Park you’d know its far more libertarian than it is Republican or conservative.
I bet you haven’t seen the “Terri episode” or “Team America”
those comments are clearly false dichotomous, what’s non-liberal or anti liberal doesnt make it conservative.
Beth says:
Oh, I know that Kyle. I’m simply relaying what others are sayin’. Honestly, though, I’m as conservative in my politics as anyone, and I fit the South Park description in many ways.
Conservative doesn’t HAVE to mean no potty-mouth, easy listening music fan, church-goer. My politics are damn near in lockstep with the “religious right,” the only difference being tactics and lifestyle. That’s it, and that’s what a South Park Republican / Conservative is in my book. I definitely don’t agree with Libertarian social policy. And actually, I haven’t watched South Park in years; I watch CSPAN and the news.
Kyle says:
that wasnt my point.
yes, you’re as conservative as anyone and you fit “SP descr.” in many ways, so can many “as liberal as anyone” people say the same.
what I was saying is that SP doesnt belong on anybody’s side, that’s how it was popular in the first place. As do the Simpsons. It’s semi-neutral, open ended and libertarian.
I wasn’t saying SP is mutually exclusive to conservatism, but rather it’s NOT exclusive to liberalism. Or better yet, con-lib dichotomy can sometimes be laughingly similar when SP portrays it.
Blogs by Women says:
The Right Nation. Il blog amerikano di Ideazione.com says:
South Park Conservatives’ Roundup.
Il nuovo libro di Brian C. Anderson, South Park Conservatives: The Revolt Against Liberal Media Bias, sbarca nelle pagine dei commenti del prestigioso Wall Street Journal con uno splendido articolo di Erich Eichman. Ma è già qualche giorno, ormai, ch…