Satire is one of a way tackle a difficult topic and such was used by the writers of South Park in their episode, Whale Whore. Set to cast light on whaling issue and the anti-whaling activists in the States, the episode made fun of the extremist on both side of the argument. While it shows how bad the whaling situation is, it also ridicule the activist’s ‘will do anything just as long as it serve the cause’ attitude.
The episode opens with the Japanese shouting incoherently, impaling dolphins and whales all over US water parks. The barbaric nature of the killing brought the little girl in Denver Aquarium into tears as the dolphins float belly-up in bloody water and caught the nation’s attention showing their futile effort to “keep the Japanese away”.
The whole situation was made to be funny by the over exaggeration and absurd ways the Japanese goes to kill the cataceans. It is really hard not to laugh when the show goes on to show the slaughtering of Miami Dolphin on the pitch just for their namesake! But the unnecessary amount of violence and gore clearly shows how horrible the whole whaling industry is.
But instead of going down the road making fun of the whole industry, the shows goes on the other way depicting the ways the American does to put a stop on the whole situation. A parody on the show Whale Wars the episode shows Paul Watson and his crew of badasses aboard the Sea Shepherd ridiculous methods to stop the Japanese. Depicted as an “incompetent media whore” who thought that it is alright to lie as long it served his cause, Paul is ridiculed for his ineffective and conniving methods to push up the rating of his show. The show questioned his motive as an activist by showing how Cartman and Kenny willing to join the cause because the show is “popular” even though they did not care initially.
The ending if anything is an injustice to the whole story. Made as a satirical twist on the whole situation the writer turned the table to the American showing how closed minded they are by changing the culprit on Enola Gay, the plane responsible for Hiroshima bombing, to chicken and cow instead of the “doctored” dolphin and whale. But the abrupt ending does not really show the whole whaling industry as it is instead it shows the American take on it, how it is not normal to kill the whales. This really put the situation into question when whaling is still prevalent in some parts of US especially Alaska!
As a running theme in South Park episodes, the writers take on a difficult topic and question it honestly and attack it on every possible side while making it interesting and relevant to mainstream society. The whole situation regarding whaling industry boils down to two simple things: the whalers and the activist.
The shows echoes Kyle’s view on the whaler; how it is impossible to change how a whole nation thinks and that it is how it is in the world. Whaling industry has been going on for centuries and it is difficult to a stop on something that has grown into a part of culture. Although the show ends with how the Japanese end up killing the chicken and cow the underlying reason for the killing is still there; as an act of revenge on Hiroshima bombing albeit with different culprits.
The show also questions the acts of the activist, showing how they are willing to do anything to put across their message to the world even to go as far as lying about the whole situation. It really shows how the producer and writer of such shows pull on the heart of the viewer just to serve their own purpose and when Stan took charge of the situation it is thought as wrong as he does it in an unconventional way; going through without the approval of the show.
On top of that they show also shows how the American who fights to save the dolphin and whale as hypocrite for eating cows and chicken. The idea of norm by the characters of South Park clearly shows how closed minded the American are to the way the whole world function because basically the whole situation is about killing for food no matter what creature it is.
Ultimately, despite the attempts on black humor and satirical take on the whole event, the episode managed to spark conversation and create awareness to those unfamiliar with the cause. Although the killing persist and the “war” still goes on, in a little over twenty minutes, South Park managed to if not instill a new rigor to understand the situation better it creates and awareness about the whaling industry at large. The hope is that not for the killing to stop entirely but for the world be a little aware and from that awareness understanding and knowledge on how to compromise on the whole situation.
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