South Park creators zing China with fake apology after episode censorship
Not surprising, China took issue with the latest South Park episode that didn’t have nice things to say about China. Also not surprising, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone don’t care so much.
The duo behind the often provocative and controversial Comedy Central series couldn’t hide the mockery in their fake apology, which was issued on Monday after China’s censors virtually scrubbed all online traces of the episode “Band in China,” the second episode of season 23.
“We, too, love money more than freedom and democracy,” the statement read in part.
The half-hour installment proved critical of how Hollywood shapes its content as to not offend China’s censorship laws.
“Band in China” sees Hollywood coming to knock at Stan’s door to make a biopic about his rock band, but they have to alter certain things to comply with China’s censors. Meanwhile, Randy tries to sell marijuana in the country and, naturally, gets in trouble.
In one scene, figures that resemble Disney-owned movie characters — including Thor and Black Panther from the Avengers films, a Star Wars Stormtrooper, and Snow White — get on a flight to China as other passengers are talking about their companies wanting to get Chinese citizens as customers. Additional figures on the plane include lookalikes of NBA athletes.
“Like the NBA, we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts,” Parker and Stone said in a joint statement. “We, too, love money more than freedom and democracy. Xi doesn’t look just like Winnie the Pooh at all. Tune into our 300th episode this Wednesday at 10! Long live the Great Communist Party of China! May this autumn’s sorghum harvest be bountiful! We good now, China?”
Watch the full episode - https://t.co/oktKSJdI9i@THR article - https://t.co/nXrtmnwCJB pic.twitter.com/Xj5a1yE2eL
— South Park (@SouthPark) October 7, 2019
As first reported by Inkstone News, all clips and videos from the episode had seemingly been scrubbed from online platforms in China following its debut. The Hollywood Reporter also found no hints of the episode upon investigating.
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