Why did I write about feminism through South Park?
Because sometimes the best way to expose sexist nonsense, is with even louder nonsense.

The history of Feminism has always been a topic I didn’t explore much. I know that it’s important for some people to try and understand the injustice that women face on a daily basis. But having an older sister and mother whom I’m close with telling me about their lives growing up, I often didn’t feel the need to. Starting this project, right away we were subject to lectures, and reading material on the history of feminism as a whole, presented in 4/5 different waves. I was immediately surprised by how far back the movement went, starting in the mid 19th century with the early Suffrage Movement. I was less surprised however, by how it’s still going on today. Seeing news on social media about current movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp gaining lots of support. 

Around this time, we started to read the autobiography Becoming by Michelle Obama, scheduling weekly meetings where we’d discuss aspects of the book in small groups. At this time, we were also tasked with starting to generate ideas for our final produc. Which would be an essay about.. anything?.. but had to discuss feminism in some way. The book was presented as a potential source for our essays, but I had already started focusing on a topic, and Michelle Obama’s autobiography wouldn’t fit as a source. Having a love for the animated show South Park, I thought It would be interesting to revisit some of their episodes that discuss themes of feminism. I set this as kind of a starting point, and after watching and taking notes on many of the episodes that discuss aspects of feminism, I decided on a focused topic. With my essay, I wanted to explore how the series uses powerful satire to challenge harmful representations of women in media, expose the dangers of glorifying shallow celebrity culture, and confront feminist double standards. Primarily through episode 12 of season 8 titled “Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset”. 

Circling back to the Socratic Seminars. Like I said, each week or so we’d meet up in small groups to discuss parts of the book. In these meetings, we’d each come prepared with a couple thought provoking questions to generate more discussion. This is where I’d often do the best during these Socratic Seminars. I’d usually have 3 or so questions I could use for each discussion, all of which would more often than not lead to deeper discussion amongst group members. Having taken lots of fleeting notes—I was able to keep discussions flowing, pulling off of aspects of the book. 

Throughout the drafting process, my essay underwent several changes as I expanded my research and refined my argument. My initial draft primarily relied on plot summary and my own analysis of the episode. In my second draft, I incorporated insights from the DVD commentary, which provided valuable context on the creators’ intent and the satirical choices they made. I also added the quote I got during the discussion I recorded with my mom. Thee definelty added depth to my discussion. By my third and final draft, I integrated data from Google Trends to examine public reactions to the episode over time, showing how conversations around feminism and media representation have shifted.

https://zach-veitch.craft.me/1onwwCXYgZDxkp

Looking back on this project, I realize how much my understanding of feminism has grown. South Park may be an unconventional lens for exploring these themes, but its ability to challenge societal norms through humor proved to be a compelling subject of analysis. This project not only deepened my appreciation for the complexities of feminism, but also reinforced the importance of questioning and critically engaging with the media we consume. 

Paris Hilton was a real nut case.