Episode 712: South Park, Ridicule, and the Cultural Construction of Religious Rivalry

Using a recent episode of the adult cartoon South Park, this essay explores the function of ridicule in the cultural construction of religious rivalry. Principally, this essay argues that ridicule is not a product of derision, but of the social relationships that make derision meaningful. Functional...

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Bibliographic Details
Subtitles:Episode seven hundred twelve
Main Author: Cowan, Douglas E. 1958- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: University of Saskatchewan [2005]
In: Journal of religion and popular culture
Year: 2005, Volume: 10, Issue: 1
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Summary:Using a recent episode of the adult cartoon South Park, this essay explores the function of ridicule in the cultural construction of religious rivalry. Principally, this essay argues that ridicule is not a product of derision, but of the social relationships that make derision meaningful. Functionally, ridicule serves two purposes: (1) stabilization, that is, it preempts or reduces deviance within both the aggressor group and the aggressor audience; and (2) hierarchization, that is, it reflects and reinforces a dynamic of status ascription within a given domain of social interaction.
ISSN:1703-289X
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and popular culture
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.3138/jrpc.10.1.001