Episode 712: South Park , Ridicule, and the Cultural Construction of Religious Rivalry. From: Journal of Religion and Popular Culture | Date: June 22, 2005 | COPYRIGHT 2005 Journal of Religion and Popular Culture. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Douglas E. Cowan

Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Sociology

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Abstract

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 p...

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