Latest news with #TurningPointUSA
The Independent
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Turning Point USA founder embraces upcoming South Park parody because conservatives ‘should be able to take a joke'
Charlie Kirk, a conservative pundit and the founder of Turning Point USA, has embraced South Park 's parody of him in the upcoming second of episode of the long-running show's 27th season. In a fresh teaser for the episode's release on August 6, South Park Studios aired a clip of iconic South Park character Eric Cartman having a heated spat with a classmate – a scene that bears a close resemblance to Kirk's takedown of a Cambridge student in May. 'You can just shut up, Bebe, because you hate America and you love abortion,' Cartman shouts at fellow student Bebe Stevens in the cartoon clip. Kirk, who is the founder of Turning Point USA – a conservative youth activist organization – has been on his 'American Comeback Tour' lobbying for President Trump across America's top universities since January. Speaking with Fox News, Kirk discussed the new South Park series: 'Honestly, my first reaction is that I kinda laughed.' The MAGA pundit said he had been a fan of the show 'his entire life,' and was a particularly big fan during his high school days. 'They're going to obviously make fun of me [...] but I think it's kind of funny and it kind of goes to show the cultural impact and the resonance that our movement has been able to achieve,' he added. Kirk said he couldn't believe the skit at first and thought it was 'an AI troll.' 'We as conservatives should be able to take a joke, we shouldn't take ourselves so seriously – that's something that the left has always done,' he said, calling it a 'great detriment to them and the movement.' Last week, the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, issued a sarcastic apology to Trump after he was left 'seething' over a cartoon that depicted him cosying up in bed with Satan. 'We're terribly sorry,' Parker said in a deadpan manner at the Comic-Con Comedy Central Animation panel on July 23. The White House issued a stark response to the episode, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers slamming the 'hypocrisy of the Left.' 'Just like the creators of South Park, the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows,' Rogers said. The animated comedy series kicked off its 27th season on July 23, just days after it signed $1.5 billion deal with Paramount. Despite its negative depiction of Trump, the satirical show has proved to be a hit with fans, even Kirk, who swapped his X profile picture with a screenshot of Cartman and told his 5 million followers, 'I'm so watching this.' In June, Kirk told a 14-year-old girl at his Young Women's Leadership Summit in Grapevine, Texas, that her main reason to attend college should be to find a husband. The high school freshman asked for his "pros and cons" on attending college, mentioning her aspiration for a career in political journalism. Kirk, who dropped out of community college in Chicago, encouraged her to go for an "MRS degree' – a slang term for someone who attends a university to find a spouse.
Fox News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Charlie Kirk embraces 'South Park' parody of him in upcoming episode as a 'badge of honor'
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk may have cemented himself as a pop culture figure as he appears to have been parodied by "South Park." In a teaser released Tuesday for its upcoming episode, Kirk's likeness was adopted by iconic "South Park" character Eric Cartman, who is seen with a hairstyle similar to the conservative firebrand and is in a heated spat with a classmate, mirroring Kirk's exchanges with students on college campuses. "You can just shut up, Bebe, because you hate America and you love abortion," Cartman shouts at fellow student Bebe Stevens. Kirk quickly embraced the parody, changing his X profile picture to a screenshot of Cartman and posting to his over 5 million followers, "I'm so watching this." Speaking with Fox News Digital, Kirk said he laughed when he first saw the teaser, saying multiple people sent him the clip. He initially thought it was "some sort of AI troll." "I think it's kind of funny and it kind of goes to show the cultural impact and the resonance that our movement has been able to achieve," Kirk told Fox News Digital. "So I look at this as a badge of honor." Kirk said he hasn't seen as much of "South Park" in recent years as he did in high school, but appreciated the long-running animated series being an "equal opportunity offender." While it's unclear what Cartman's Kirk-like persona does in the episode, which will air August 6, last week's season premiere may give a clue. In the previous episode, Cartman is demoralized after it is declared that "woke is dead," causing the foul-mouthed, offensive fourth-grader to have an identity crisis as everyone else in South Park sheds their cultural sensitivities. Meanwhile, controversy erupted in his hometown when South Park Elementary began injecting Christianity into school, even going so far as having Jesus Christ looming in the hallways. "I'm excited to watch it because, look, we as conservatives need to be able to take a joke, right? We shouldn't take ourselves so seriously," Kirk said. "That's something that the left has always done to great detriment to themselves and their movement." "They're professional comedians. They're probably gonna roast me, and I think that's fine. And that's what it's all about, being in public life and, you know, making a difference. And I'm gonna have a good spirit about it. I'll watch it. I'm going to laugh at it," Kirk continued. "From a religious standpoint, we're all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. Like from a more practical life standpoint, we're all broken people. Stop taking yourself so seriously. That's probably one of the problems that we've had in our politics is that people can't take a joke." "South Park," which airs on Comedy Central, held no punches against President Donald Trump after the network's parent company Paramount reached a major settlement with him earlier this month to resolve his "60 Minutes" lawsuit. In the 27th season premiere, Trump was repeatedly compared to the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein (who "South Park" had previously satirized during the Iraq War), depicted him as literally being in bed with Satan, and was lampooned for leveling lawsuit threats. The episode quickly went viral for showing a life-like graphic depiction of the president and his genitalia. "This show hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. "President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country's history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak." Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of "South Park," recently reached a whopping $1.5 billion streaming deal with Paramount.
Fox News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Charlie Kirk reacts to 'South Park' parody of him in upcoming episode
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk spoke with Fox News Digital about his thoughts of "South Park" parodying him in an upcoming episode, calling it a "badge of honor."
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Charlie Kirk explains the origins of the 'lost boys of the West'
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk addresses what is causing young men to 'exit' society on 'The Will Cain Show.'
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
'White couple' not the only ones hurt in Cincinnati attack? Claims of a third person surface
Violence broke out in downtown Cincinnati, amid the ongoing Cincinnati Music Festival, formerly known as the Cincinnati Jazz Fest, with videos showing a group beating a man and a woman. The incident in Cincinnati, where the man and woman were beaten, took place at the intersection of West Fourth Street and Elm Street. Image for representation(Pexels) While police have taken cognizance of the clips and said they are investigating the matter, which left two people injured, now a new video appears to show that there was a third victim. The incident, where the man and woman were beaten, took place at the intersection of West Fourth Street and Elm Street. What does the new video show? The new video, shared by Charlie Kirk – co founder of Turning Point USA – shows a man on the streets of what he claims to be Cincinnati. This man is attacked from behind by what appears to be another Black person. He is hit in the face and goes to ground immediately. He is then dragged by his legs and dropped in front of a vehicle on the road. The man then manages to get back on his feet. Sharing the video, Kirk, who is a conservative political activist, said 'I sure hope the police are in the process of arresting all of these criminals so the DA can throw the book at each and every one of them.' Again, the video does not show the events leading up to the altercation, and it remains unclear if this man is related to the other two white people who were on the receiving end of violence. What authorities said about the attack Speaking about the clips where the couple were shown getting beaten, Cincinnati police chief Terri Theetge told WLWT that the incident was in no way related to the music festival. Further, the police chief noted that a verbal altercation had broken out among some of the individuals seen on the video, which eventually escalated to outright violence. 'I am in complete disgust waking up to the viral video many of you have now seen. The behavior displayed is nothing short of cruel and absolutely unacceptable. Our investigative team is working diligently to identify every individual involved in causing harm,' the top cop said.
