The little beach town of Hermosa Beach, on the south Santa Monica Bay in California, is having an image problem with their recreational facility known as “South Park.” The Women’s Club in HB offered to provide a new sign for the park, but tied a name change to the deal. It seems they are offended by the stigma attached to the name itself.
Is it just me or are these do-gooding stiffs just a little too insecure with themselves? I hope that Matt and Trey will offer an episode dedicated to these pinheads.
Oh, no! Are they killing South Park?
A Women’s Club letter suggests it’s time to give the Hermosa Beach recreational space a name that doesn’t evoke the crude TV show.
This move might finally really kill Kenny.
Hermosa Beach has decided to explore new names for South Park, its modest open space at Valley Drive and Fourth Street that happens to have the same handle as a popular television cartoon known for killing one of its main characters in almost every episode and treading heavily on delicate subjects.
Throughout 10 seasons of child abuse jokes, anti-Semitic comments and overall irreverent antics, “South Park” has endured the wrath of the Church of Scientology, both ends of the political spectrum and educators across the country.
And now the controversial cartoon’s bad language and crude humor has prickled the Hermosa Beach Women’s Club.
After more than 80 years do-gooding in town, the group recently offered to donate a sign for South Park, but also wanted to change the park’s name.
“The ladies feel that with the notoriety of the cartoon … the name is not appropriate,” stated a letter to the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.
Members offered up Centennial Park — a nod to the city’s upcoming 100th birthday — as an alternative, but instead the commission decided Wednesday to let a subcommittee look into new names as it develops a master plan for South Park, said Community Resources Director Lisa Lynn.
Diane Miller, the club’s treasurer, said the moniker modification was more of a request than a contingency.
“I guess most of the people feel if (the city) would allow us to do a sign, maybe we should come up with a different name rather than South Park,” she said.
And while Miller never noticed the park’s connection to the fictional Colorado hometown of Kyle, Cartman, Stan and Kenny, she said the club’s chief beef with the show is its rude language.
“I personally like the show ‘South Park,’ ” Miller said. “It is a filthy-mouth show. But it’s not as bad as Roseanne Barr or Eddie Murphy.”
Billy Meistrell, whose father cofounded Body Glove, asked the commission on Wednesday to consider an homage to the city’s place in surf culture history and Body Glove, which once donated part of its land to make the South Park’s parking lot.
“I would say my take is it doesn’t bother me because of the show at all,” he said. “It would be much more valuable to the city if they change it to a name that locks in the city’s history.”
Resident Maggie Gross, who took her daughter to the park to play Thursday, thought the city should stick to its roots, regardless of the coincidental namesake.
She doesn’t have to worry yet.
The City Council must first OK the commission’s initial decision to explore a change, and would later approve any selections, said Lynn, the community resources director.
Whether Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the Emmy and Peabody award-winning creators of “South Park,” would come to Hermosa Beach to weigh in on any decision was unclear Thursday.
The duo was working on another episode and unavailable for comment, a Comedy Central spokeswoman said.
At 67, Miller acknowledged she was probably out of the show’s target demographic, but appreciated the humor. She thought the city could compromise.
“Maybe they’ll pick a more common, nicer name,” Miller said. ” ‘South Park’ has become a very big show and it’s going to continue.”
Yeah at 67 shes way outta their demographic.
Way to much dead time. Someone needs a life.
Iran and North Korea nearing nuclear capabilities, people starving in parts of the world,
terrorists working diligently to kill us all, our public education system failing, our
military needs more open American public support and these ladies spend their time and energy
on changing the name of a park because it MIGHT be connected to a TV show in someone’s mind??
And we wonder why!?
tweadyv
You make the same points that the Damsel and I discuss all too often as we observe the world around us. It’s sad but we keep our hopes up.
A discussion often held in our home as well. We try to keep hopes up, but they are dashed on
a regular basis. However, I do not intend to go down without a fight!