South Park has built its reputation on mocking celebrities. The show holds nothing sacred, and has spent the last two plus decades taking down everything from politics to organized religion. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the show's creators, have a knack for knowing when to focus on a given topic to elicit maximum comedy. They did it again with their latest special, "The End of Obesity." As one can infer from the title, South Park is taking aim at the recent Ozempic craze, and the body positivity promoted by artists like Lizzo.
In the special, all local women turn to Ozempic while claiming that they're exercising to lose weight. Cartman wants to get his hands on the drug, but since he can't afford it, he's prescribed Lizzo instead. Lizzo, in this context, is another way of saying "body positivity." The running joke throughout the special is that taking "Lizzo" allows you to eat and do whatever you want without feeling out of shape. "Lizzo" is something that allows you to think that you're beautiful just the way you are. As with most absurd ideas on South Park, things go south. There are side effects to taking "Lizzo," and they are predictably messy.
Lizzo Is A "Substitute" For Ozempic In "South Park"
Lizzo has had a difficult couple years in the public eye. The singer was once adored as a pop culture force, but allegations of disability discrimination, harassment, and body shaming from former backup dancers has shifted the public's perception. Multiple lawsuits were brought against the "Truth Hurts" singer. Some were dismissed, but others, most notably those pertaining to sexual harassment, were upheld by the court. Lizzo denied these allegations outright. She claimed they were "too outrageous" to ignore, though.
Lizzo defended her character in a statement uploaded to X. "With passion comes hard work and high standards," she explained. "Sometimes I have to make hard decisions. It’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team. I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be... There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world."
Lizzo experienced severe depression in the wake of these lawsuits. She recently hopped on Instagram to let her fans know that she's happier than she's been in months. "The strange thing about depression is you don’t know you’re in it until you’re out of it," she wrote. "I’m definitely not all the way as carefree as I used to be.. But the dark cloud that followed me every day is finally clearing up." It's unlikely the South Park special is going to help alleviate said cloud.
[via]
