Why was South Park allowed to say the "S" word 161 times in one episode?

Question

I was watching South Park last night, cracking my a*s up the whole time. They said sh*t 161 times. How can they do this? I thought it was not allowed. The show was on Comedy Central at 8:30 pm last night.

Answer 1

One thing South Park does best is mock the stupidity of cultures, traditions, religions, businesses, and politics. In the episode you mention (It Hits the Fan), the show is demonstrating how stupid it is that people would want to watch a TV program just because they expect to hear something rude or vulgar. Also, it demonstrates how words that used to be considered rude or shocking lose their intended effect (e.g. do not seem offensive anymore) when they are used too often. A third point that it is trying to make is how television channel directors and managers try to increase their audience numbers by employing cheap ploys such as increasing the level of vulgar language in their programs. The show ends by concluding that using vulgar language (called curse words because they are cursed) is neither clever nor necessary. I personally find it funnier when they bleep over the curse words on South Park. But this specific episode just had to have the bleeps removed or the points it was trying to make would have been lost. This bit was also funny:


Randy: You know that word is gettin' kinda old. It's not really funny anymore.

Unidentified: Yeah! They're gonna have to come up with a new swear word soon.

Mr Garrison: Well, they can't use f*g, because you can't say f*g unless you're a homosexual.

Randy: Really? So we can't say ?

Mr Garrison: No! See, you got beeped.

Unidentified: You mean you have to be a to say ?

Mr Garrison: That's right.

Jimbo: Well, that's not fair. I should be able to say f*g.

Randy: Hey, you didn't get beeped.

Jimbo: Uh oh!

Mr Garrison: Well, well, well! Guess we learned something new about you Jimbo, you friggin' f*g! You wanna make out or somethin'?

Answer 2

Actually it was 162 times and they can do what ever they want. It is probably the highest grossing show ever in the network's history. So,they aren't going to tell them they can't do something and risk the makers stopping production. Did you see the Critter Christmans Special from 2004, far more risque than saying the "S" word 162 times, it had the antichrist, blood orgies, and Santa blowing away satanic woodland critters. And I'm sure they will find some way to shock the pants off us again!

Answer 3

The FCC allowed the word to be said once on a police drama called NYPD Blue. Since they allowed it to be used once, there was no legal way to stop South Park from using it too. To illustrate that the word really doesn't belong on TV, South Park took it to an extreme that could not be ignored.

Answer 4

South Park **** Episode

Answer 5

I think that is an episode from a while back. They finally got the s-word to be said on tv unsensored or something, so they took advantage of it. :P There was a counter on the bottom right??

Answer 6

would they be able to say the word "The" 161 times?

what is the difference, itis just a word

Answer 7

Wow, thank you! just what I was looking for. I tried looking for the answers on the internet but I couldn't find them.

Answer 8

It's on cable...they don't have the same censorship requirements as does over the air TV

Answer 9

s h it I dont know why they can say s h i t , .s h i t happens .all over the world people are sayin sh i t , s h i t aint that bad of a word, everybody has to s h i t .

Answer 10

They got a censorship pass for that episode-it was awesome.