Ask John: Is South Park Lolicon?
|Question:
Is South Park considered loli and ecchi? A lot of people are embarrassed to admit they watch shows like Mitsudomoe because people might label them as pedos. But South Park is more graphically sexual than a lot of so called loli anime shows. The South Park kids are in 3rd grade. Both shows are simply comedies, aren’t they?
Answer:
In American discussion, Japanese terms like “loli” and “ecchi” are only applied to Japanese animation. English language has its own native terms that are deemed standard for application to American programs. However, in order to address the question, even the concepts that the terms “loli” and “ecchi” describe do not apply to South Park because South Park does not exhibit the characteristics associated with those Japanese terms. “Loli,” the Japanese abbreviation of the name “Lolita,” specifically refers to attractive pre-adolescent girls that evoke a sexual response. South Park does not include any young girl characters that provoke a sexual attraction from viewers. The Japanese term “ecchi” means “mildly lewd” or “risqué.” Something ecchi exhibits playful, teasing sexuality. South Park is most often perceived as grossly offensive, gratuitous, and obscene. South Park isn’t gently, teasingly sexy, so even if the Japanese term “ecchi” was applied to American media, it wouldn’t be accurately applied to South Park.
A noticeable difference does exist between South Park and “ecchi, loli” anime like Mitsudomoe, Kodomo no Jikan, and Moetan. The visual design of South Park is clearly not modeled on real life. Actual human children don’t look like squashed paper cut-outs. South Park is furthermore so blatant and exaggerated that it obviously exists solely as satire. Anime like Mitsudomoe, however, depict young female characters that do exhibit the same proportions and pudgy baby fat plumpness of actual preadolescent human children. Furthermore, the behaviors and interpersonal interaction of young girls in anime like Mitsudomoe are more naturalistic and less satirically exaggerated than the actions and personalities of South Park characters, making them less apparently fictional constructs. Most viewers have no anxiety over admitting an affection for South Park because South Park doesn’t resemble a fictionalized depiction of reality; it’s obviously pure exaggerated fiction. No remotely rational person is likely to presume that watching South Park is representative of a fetishistic sexual attraction to real human children. The same cannot be said of “ecchi, loli” anime. Shows like Mitsudomoe are undeniably also gratuitously fetishistic in their depiction of human-like girls. Despite both being foremost comedies, there are intrinsic and significant differences between the content and intent of South Park and Japanese “ecchi Lolita” anime.
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South Park in itself may not be lolicon, but there was a Paris Hilton spoof where the little girls on the show dress and act like sluts which sadly reminded me of moe in retrospect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupid_Spoiled_Whore_Video_Playset
Wow, I never thought of South Park like this, but this is a relavant discussion. True, Southpark is far less realistic than the anime mentioned, but both are still fictional animation. Regardless of the realism, both are completely fake and any rational person would not mistake either for reality. Sadly, most folks aren’t rational.
Isn’t odd that most people don’t mind a show where third graders frequently die (this is not mentioning hordes of other offensive content), yet sexuallity, that’s where we draw the line? This is the problem with just about every bit of media, not just animation, but sexuality (which is for the most part natural and positive, but nessisary for continued life) is demonized while violence (which harms/destroys life) is glorified. I’m assuming most people operate on the “life is good” platform, so it doesn’t make any sense. Look no further than Hot Coffee to see that odd theory in practice.
Another good talking point is Family Guy. Meg (and underage teenager, not loli status, but still) has found herself in the occasional sexual situation, and Herbert the pedophile pretty much seals the deal. How does this show fare in the arguement?
I’m fine with South Park and other American or international animation that pushes the envelope. These are fictional works and don’t involve real people, so their offensive doesn’t bother me personally, and on the very rare occasions it does, I just don’t watch. I’m not going to condemn the show as illegitmate in the scheme of commerical art.
In summation, lighten up, America. Those drawings aren’t going to hurt you.
Calling Mitsudomoe a lolicon show is another symptom of the paranoid hysteria that makes people call *anything* involving precocious kids “child porn”. Mitsudomoe, IMO, is closer in spirit to shows like Shin-chan or Makoto-chan. It purely plays the kids interest in sex for the laughs, and, like it or not, kids this age *are* interested in sex.
Kodomo no Jikan in contrast is an obvious lolicon show with all it’s fetishizing, lingering shots of panties and provocative poses. Even the slapped on melodrama regarding the main character feels little more than the same apologist mindf*ck a lot of pedos actually make up to legitimate their behavior.
In short, Kodomo no Jikan goes for sexual arousment, where else Mitsudomoe does not (not to mention South Park. Now *that*s a scary thought… :P)
I’m wondering why Simpsons and Family Guy don’t fall into the same demographic as well.
Simpsons had it where Bart was showing his naked behind off on television at the principle. It was suppose to be a “Hahaha” thing but there were plenty of times of bart running around with his pants down! Think later on the scenes of bart butt-flashing eased alot.
Then Family Guy where the father is naked and purposely hip-thrusts in-front of his daughter. And how old was Megan?? A teenager.
Now it’s all laughed off as comedy but family guy and simpsons have more realistic porportions and personalities then South-Park would