Israeli vaccines save the town of South Park in the newest episode of the iconic tv series
By Nosson Shulman: Licensed Tour Guide of VIP Israel Tours & Authentic Virtual Tours (click here to check out his free trailer videos)
For the second time in a month, a longstanding TV series has referenced Israel in their latest episode. Unlike last month’s Saturday Night Live (SNL) skit deemed by many to be anti-Semitic, where Israel was falsely accused of vaccinating only its Jewish population at the expense of its Arab citizens, this time the reference was made in a positive light!
Israel is currently the undisputed world leader in vaccinating its citizens. According to data released by the Ministry of Health, 5.1 million (or 55%) of Israelis have received at least their first shot, with 44.5% having received both. This success has allowed Israel to begin opening up its economy at a time where other first world countries like those in western Europe or Canada struggle to contain the disease and economic fallout.
Now in season 24, the second episode of the popular cartoon series, based in the small town of “South Park” Colorado, deals with Covid 19, the vaccine and restrictions. In one scene, mask wearing, town residents wait in a long line to receive their shot. When two men are prevented from entering by a security guard, the first claims “It’s ridiculous we can’t get in” and the other adds “In Israel, they vaccinate everyone, Israel is way cooler than this lame place”. When the security guard replies “So go to Israel”, the man responds “I tried, I couldn’t get in”.
In a tweet praising South Park, Ambassador Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to both the UN and US, lampoon’s SNL’s anti-Semitic clip by writing: “Hey nbcsnl: this is how you do pandemic humor when it comes to Israel. Watch and learn from SouthPark
Later in the episode, the town is saved by a shipment of vaccines from Israel. In a tweet with the video clip, Prime Minister Netanyahu writes “Even in South Park they already know – in Israel they are coming back to life!”
South Park, ranked by TV guide in 2013 as the tenth greatest cartoon of all time, has a history of satirizing taboo political issues of the day. The creators of the show (Matt Stone and Trey Parker) have made it their mission to poke fun at political correctness and cancel culture, without necessarily being dismissive of it.
Nosson Shulman is a journalist and Licensed Tour Guide in Israel specializing in Biblical tours. To allow tourists to experience Israel during the Corona era, he created the new hit Israel tour video series which brings Israel to the home of viewers by simulating actual tours. To check out his free sneak preview tour videos, click here.
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