The television show South Park is a highly controversial show that has been attacked by the media, politicians, parents, the school system, and almost every other social group imaginable. Why is the show so controversial? The reason it is attacked so thoroughly is because of its crude humor and the vulgar displays of its characters, as well as the fact that it attacks the thoughts and beliefs of every religion in the world. This vulgarity and intolerance is especially evident in the character Cartman, who is extremely offensive in his thoughts, ideas and actions. The show, however, provides a balance to Cartman's antics through his co-stars Stan and Kyle. Stan and Kyle almost always oppose Cartman and ridicule his intolerance, thus creating a vision of intolerance for intolerance's sake. This intolerance of intolerance is the part of the show that redeems it and should silence the critics. Unfortunately, these critics are the groups that the show often criticizes, and because of this they find the show repugnant. South Park's portrayal of society is very helpful, as it shows viewers who can look past crude humor, that intolerance in our society is not acceptable, and making fun of these ideas is a way to promote tolerance. The first thing people notice, and criticism of South Park is the fact that the show is based on four children who promote crude humor and vulgarity. This display, they say, is inappropriate because the show is in cartoon format, and therefore is appealing to children. After watching the show a little more, they see many other disturbing ideas promoted by the show, including but not limited to: religious ridicule, promotion of extreme ideals, and po... middle of paper... ..an open society in where its citizens can openly discuss anything without being ridiculed. The one thing that should not be tolerated is intolerance, because it reduces freedom by taking away people's ability to openly discuss an issue. South Park is very open to any issue, and this willingness to discuss important aspects of society is what makes the show so much more than just a bunch of kids promoting crude humor. Works Cited Curtis, David Valleau, and Gerald J. Erion. “South Park and the Open Society” Signs of Life in the United States: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 6th ed. Eds. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2009. 296-302. Press. "Something Wall-Mart like this comes." South Park: The Complete Eighth Season. Written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Director Trey Parker. Comedy Central, November 3, 2004. DVD.Parmount Pictures, 2006. DVD