Andrew Kolvet, an executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show” and a close friend of the slain conservative activist, said Charlie Kirk “loved that he was featured in ‘South Park‘” and would have wanted the episode satirizing him to continue airing.
The Aug. 6 episode of “South Park,” titled “Got a Nut,” saw Cartman imitate Kirk’s hairstyle and set up a table to debate students on politics. After Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a university on Sept. 10, Comedy Central pulled the episode from its linear rotation, while the episode remained available to stream on Paramount+.
“As someone who can speak with some authority on this, Charlie loved that he was featured in ‘South Park,’” Kolvet wrote on X. “He told me many times. He would want the episode back up.”
When “South Park” first dropped a teaser of the episode in July, Kirk reacted positively to being mocked on the series. “Honestly, my first reaction was that I kinda laughed,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital, saying that he used to watch “South Park” in high school and calling the show an “equal opportunity offender.” “It’s kinda funny, and it kinda goes to show the cultural impact and the resonance that our movement has been able to achieve. I look at this as a badge of honor.”
The Turning Point USA founder added, “We as conservatives need to be able to take a joke. We shouldn’t take ourselves so seriously. That’s something that the left has always done, to great detriment to themselves and the movement. Look, they’re professional comedians. They’re probably going to roast me, and I think that’s fine. That’s what it’s all about, being in public life and making a difference.”
At the time, Kirk even changed the profile picture for “The Charlie Kirk Show” on both Instagram and TikTok to a screengrab of Cartman impersonating him. Those profile photos remain on the social media accounts.