The creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, issued a fake apology to China Monday, after the communist country banned the Comedy Central show after its most recent episode called out the nation’s censorship.
“Like the NBA,” the faux apology began, “we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts. 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?”
The satirical tweet comes on the heels of reports that China took action against the show after last week’s episode took Hollywood to task for allowing China to censor all its movies, music, and TV shows.
Last week’s episode, “Band in China,” features jokes about China’s crackdown on Winnie the Pooh, as well as skewering Hollywood for bending to censorship.
In the episode, Stan Marsh is approached by a Chinese film company when his heavy metal rock band begins turning heads. The Chinese filmmakers say that they think his group is the next big thing in music, and they want to make a biopic about the band’s beginning. But soon, the kids find the Chinese overlords striking down their story, especially when it comes to describing the United States as a land of freedom.
“You got to lower your ideals of freedom if you want to suck on the warm teat of China,” the American director working for the Chinese film company tells Stan and his crew.
When Stan complains about being forced to rewrite the story the kids are trying to tell, the director takes aim at Hollywood for allowing China to censor everything without complaints.
“Come on, guys,” the film producer says to the boys. “Everyone else is fine with China approving our entertainment. Even the PC Babies don’t seem to mind. And PC Babies cry about everything!”
Eventually, Stan quits the film because he can’t stand the censorship.
But in the end, it appears that China was not amused and decided to quit South Park.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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