Abstract
This Independent Study aims to define and critically interrogate the phenomenon of satirized religion found in both British and American cultures within the works of Monty Python and South Park. Through audience research and content analysis, this study identifies the subtle yet important differences in how satire is conceived and received in each western culture. Mikhail Bakhtin’s Theory of the Grotesque, Henri Bergson’s Theory of Humor, Conrad Ostwalt’s Secularization Theory, Jean Baudrillard’s concept of Hyperreality, and Marshall McLuhan’s Theory of the Medium in Media provide an effective theoretical framework to analyze satirized religion within each franchise. Ultimately, this study’s analysis of satirized religion reveals the phenomena that American audiences are more likely to be offended by the content of religious satire, while British audiences are more likely to be offended by the form through which that satire is delivered.
Advisor
Graham, Mark
Second Advisor
Tierney, Thomas
Department
Religious Studies; Sociology and Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Montgomery, Susannah, "Profane or Profound?: An Examination of Satirized Religion in British and American Culture through the works of South Park and Monty Python" (2015). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 6598.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/6598
Disciplines
American Film Studies | American Popular Culture | Digital Humanities | Other Arts and Humanities | Other Religion | Other Theatre and Performance Studies | Television | Visual Studies
Keywords
religion, satire, South Park, Monty Python, American Culture, British Culture
Publication Date
2015
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2015 Susannah Montgomery