South Park Brutally Mocks Disney and Google’s Business Dealings with China
South Park took on China and Western companies who will do anything to tap into the Chinese market, in the second episode of the 23rd season, Wednesday.
Google, Disney, and the NBA are all called out by the show for their willingness to compromise moral integrity for Chinese money.
In the episode, Randy Marsh comes up with the idea of selling his “Tegridy” branded marijuana to China in an effort to make more money, noting, “It turns out there’s a lot of people in China. If we can get like two percent of that market to buy our weed, we’d make millions of millions of dollars.”
When he gets on the plane, however, Randy realizes that everyone else is also trying to enter the Chinese market and fight for a piece of the pie.
“I’m working for Google now, overseeing the expansions into the Chinese user base,” declares one passenger, while another proclaims, “I’m still with the NBA, doing some press with the players to try to get more Chinese viewers.”
After Randy asks, “Who else wants to go to China and get some of their money?” an assortment of Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar characters board the flight.
Upon arrival in China, Randy gets arrested for attempting to bring marijuana into the country, and is forced to make dolls in a prison sweatshop and read communist literature.
In prison, Randy also meets Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, who were given up by Mickie Mouse for criticizing the Chinese government, and Randy is ultimately made to kill Pooh so that his business deal with the Chinese government can be made.
At the end of the episode, Randy, covered in blood and with a pile of money outside of his house, eats breakfast and declares, “I for one think the world will be a better and safer place now that China finally has Tegridy.”
Randy’s son Stan concludes with a different message after experiencing his own issues with China: “Anyone who would betray their ideals just to make money in China isn’t worth a lick of spit.”
Last week’s episode of South Park took aim at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and portrayed crying children being rounded up and locked away in detention camps.
