Following the fatal shooting of right-wing political activist and debater Charlie Kirk, Comedy Central pulled an episode of South Park directly referencing him from its broadcast schedule, the New York Post reports.
Kirk, who was shot in the neck by a still-unidentified gunman at Utah Valley University on Wednesday (Sept. 10), was referenced in the second episode of the 27th season of South Park. Titled "Got a Nut," the episode follows Eric Cartman as he pursues a career as a right-wing podcaster and debater, challenging students on their liberal or "woke" beliefs. Cartman sports a haircut and fashion style that obviously references Kirk in the episode, which premiered on August 6.
After the episode premiered, Kirk briefly changed his profile picture to Cartman.
Kirk also shared a clip from the episode in which a ceremony was held for 'The Charlie Kirk Award for Young MasterDebaters.'
The episode was set to rerun on Comedy Central at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, but was removed at the last minute with no explanation provided. Despite being pulled from Comedy Central's broadcast schedule, the episode is still available to stream on Paramount+ and purchase on VOD platforms such as Prime Video.
When the trailer for the episode was released, Kirk expressed an appreciation for the show's willingness to make fun of him. "My first reaction is that I kinda laughed," he said, per The Independent. "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."
Kirk was shot in the neck one time during the first stop of his America Comeback Tour on Wednesday. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at age 31. When he was shot, he was answering a question about mass shootings in the United States. In the wake of his murder, many offered their condolences, including President Donald Trump, who called him "legendary" in a post on Truth Social.
Kirk has been a strong advocate for Second Amendment gun rights. Following the deaths of three children and three adults in a shooting at a Christian elementary school in Nashville in 2023, Kirk said gun deaths are the "cost" of gun rights. "You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won't have a single gun death," Kirk said at the time. "That is nonsense. It's drivel. But I am—I think it's worth it."
Other controversial views he has shared over the years include believing that abortion is "murder," believing that white privilege is a myth, suggesting that the "Great Replacement Theory" is actually "reality," and showing support for the anti-Muslim group ACT for America. He also opposed gay marriage, blamed DEI programs for the aviation issues across the country, and questioned why any New Yorkers would vote for a "Muslim Socialist" like Zohran Mamdani after 9/11.