"What qualifies as sensitive or insensitive commentary about Charlie Kirk is a question that is dividing the internet right now. Prior to his death on September 10, the conservative pundit and founder of Turning Point USA, who was killed by a gunshot wound to the neck during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University, had been courting backlash for years by making incendiary statements about vulnerable populations."
"Vulture can confirm that the network's parent company, Paramount, has pulled an episode of South Park referencing Charlie Kirk ("Got a Nut") from its linear broadcast schedule, though it remains available on Paramount+ and Comedy Central On-Demand. A source close to the situation said the choice was guided by concerns that viewers casually channel-surfing might stumble upon the episode, which initially aired August 6, 2025, without context."
"In the episode, an edgelord character named Clyde Donovan invites students of South Park Elementary to debate him on a range of controversial positions, a reference to a signature stunt of Kirk's. An envious Cartman tries to emulate Donovan by debating people in an outfit and haircut intentionally designed to evoke Kirk's appearance. Later, the episode stops playing it coy and references Kirk directly; Clyde is given an award titled the "Charlie Kirk Award for Young Master Debaters.""
"Kirk, for his part, was a professed fan of the episode. He even used an image of Cartman in Kirk cosplay as the TikTok avatar for his official podcast, The Charlie Kirk Show. So, if Comedy Central wants to honor his memory, perhaps the best way to do so would be to rerun the episode over and over rather than pull it from rotation."
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was killed by a gunshot to the neck during a September 10 speaking engagement at Utah Valley University. He had long courted backlash for incendiary statements about vulnerable populations. Online reactions to his death vary, with some critics pausing negative commentary and others continuing. Paramount pulled a South Park episode referencing Kirk ("Got a Nut") from Comedy Central's linear broadcast schedule while keeping it on Paramount+ and Comedy Central On-Demand. The removal was driven by concerns that casual channel-surfers might encounter the episode without context. The episode parodies Kirk and includes a direct award reference; Kirk had embraced the parody and used a Cartman-in-Kirk-cosplay image as a social avatar.
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