Chapter 16 Case 73 Brittney Witt

 Funny  Comedy  Satire

 Vulgar  Racist  Rude  Judgmental  Offensive

 The 200 th episode of South Park featured a bunch of characters previously satirized  Jesus, Moses, Joseph Smith, Buddha and Muhammed  Muhammed however was shown as a bear instead of a person as the others were.  This caused the Islamic community to strike back on an Islamic website  “We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid. They will probably end up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them.”

“They will probably end up like Theo Van Gogh”…  Alongside the message on the website were photos of Van Gogh, dead on an Amsterdam street. He was killed by an Islamic militant in 2004, while riding his bike unarmed.  Mr. van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker, had produced a documentary film called Submission with the topic of violence and abuse against Muslim Women.

Gave links to studios and homes of Trey Parker and Matt Stone. ~creators of South Park  The Comedy Central television network and parent company Viacom didn’t want trouble and bleeped our portions of part 2 of the episode a week later.  Both companies didn’t allow South Park to stream the episode on its website, the customary courtesy on the day after airing.South Park

 Primary  The creators of South Park  The Islamic people who watch South Park  The Comedy Central television network  Viacom  Secondary  Islamic societies/organizations/groups  Any Islamic person

South Park’s disrespectful treatment of religion and other traditionally sacred objects has been justified under freedom of speech according to the creators.  But is laughter at a neighbor’s expense morally justifiable?  Do television producers have any moral obligations to respect audiences’ worldviews?  Should there be ethical limits to free speech in entertainment?

 Aristotle’s Mean “moral virtue is a middle state determined by practical wisdom”  Something is only bad if it is practiced or done in excess or extreme… balance, fairness and equal time are recognized  Islam’s Divine Commands (Justice, human dignity, and truth are unconditional duties)  The second major principle in Islam is a respect for all human dignity that is rooted in the sacredness of human nature.  Mill’s Principle of Utility “seek the greatest happiness for the aggregate whole”  Right is what will yield the best consequences for the welfare of human beings.  Preventing pain and promoting pleasures were the only desirable ends.  Rawl’s Veil of Ignorance “Justice emerges when negotiating without social differentiation”  Put yourself in the other person’s shoes, taking your views out of it and look at the case from a hidden point of view.

 Research     “Media Ethics” Cases and Moral Reasoning. Ninth Edition. Christians, Clifford G. et al. Pearson Education, Inc Pg   Pictures of South Park’s 200 th   Videos  deo&playnext=1&list=PLE6401A4EE9F359BF deo&playnext=1&list=PLE6401A4EE9F359BF  deo&playnext=1&list=PLE6401A4EE9F359BF deo&playnext=1&list=PLE6401A4EE9F359BF