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The American animated series South Park is known for its irreverent humor and biting social commentary. In one of its special episodes set to be aired on October 27, 2023, the series has targeted the contentious issue of diversity in Disney live-action remakes. The episode in question takes a direct jab at Rachel Zegler, the actor cast as Snow White in the live-action remake of the 1937 animated classic.
The live-action remake of Disney's Snow White, set to be released in March 2024, stars Rachel Zegler, a Hispanic actress, as the leading princess. This casting choice has upset right-wing commentators who have labeled this film and others including The Little Mermaid, Elemental, and Barbie as "woke" for their diverse casts and feminist themes.
The upcoming episode of South Park censures the broader Disney strategy of pandering to diversity. While the episode will also touch upon other Hollywood studios that support gender-swapping and race-swapping, the mockery is mainly aimed at Disney.
South Park mocks Disney for "pandering" diversity
The animated show doesn’t shy away from speaking about controversial topics and is renowned for its balanced commentary for both right and left wings. Its upcoming special episode on the Snow White race-swap proves this. The episode ridicules the notion that a simple ethnicity change in a character counts as real diversity.
It highlights the superficial and one-dimensional outcomes when diversity serves as a checkbox, not as an integral part of storytelling. The episode also mercilessly mocks this casting. While the mockery doesn't target Rachel Zegler personally, it critiques Disney's approach to diversity. The show implies that Disney cares more about how diversity looks than about crafting a rich, layered story.
The show charges Disney, and indirectly Zegler, with reducing intricate representation issues to mere "pandering." The episode employs the word "pandering" to summarize its critique of Disney's diversity tactics.
It contends that choices like casting Zegler focus less on true representation and more on marketing tricks that aim to attract a specific demographic. South Park believes this type of pandering harms both the actors and audiences seeking genuine stories.
South Park special: What is it about?
Paramount+ just dropped a trailer and logline for their new special, South Park: Joining the Panderverse. The special will premiere in the US on October 27, 2023, while Canada will get access to the episode a day later. The company will announce other international release dates soon.
The episode centers on Cartman and his unsettling dreams. These dreams hint at a life-altering change for him. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence starts to shake up the lives of South Park's adults. A clip from the special reveals a new look for Cartman, Stan, Butters, and Kenny who appear as adult women. Cartman and Butters also take on roles as people of color while Kyle stays the same, without any change.
The upcoming special marks the fifth collaboration between creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker and Paramount+. They released the first two specials, Post COVID and Post COVID: The Return of COVID, in 2021.
In 2022, they followed up with The Streaming Wars and The Streaming Wars Part 2. Stone and Parker have committed to delivering 14 exclusive specials to Paramount+. They've also extended the South Park series to run through its 30th season on Comedy Central.
