Released on = November 2, 2006, 3:48 pm

Press Release Author = E. Keys-The Media News Group

Industry = Entertainment

Press Release Summary = South Park and Philosophy- New Book Takes A Critical Look at
Popular TV Series.

Press Release Body =



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW BOOK "SOUTH PARK AND PHILOSOPHY: YOU KNOW I LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY"

SHOWS HOW AMERICAN CULTURE ISN'T

MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE TV SERIES
NEW YORK, NY - (November 3, 2006) - "You Can't Get Married, You're
Faggots: Mrs. Garrison and the Gay Marriage Debate" (chapter 13) and
"They Satirized My Prophet....Those Bastards: South Park and
Blasphemy" (chapter 12) are just two of the 22 funny essays written
by noted American Philosophers in Blackwell Publishing's new book
"South Park and Philosophy: You Know I Learned Something Today",
Editor, Robert Arp, December 15, 2006.

As the show celebrates its tenth season, the book recognizes the fact that South
Park is really a philosophical show that deals with all kinds of important issues in
American Pop Culture.

."This book celebrates Free Speech," says Robert Arp, a visiting
professor at Florida State University and Editor of the book, "The
book is also a mirror of our culture, and 'South Park' is willing to
say offensive things in a hyper-politically correct society."

"It's time to take the show seriously," says Bill Irwin, Co-Editor
of Blackwell Publishing's Philosophy and Pop Culture Series and
associate professor at Kings College. "The book tries to take
people from South Park to philosophy, which isn't hard to do."

"Vote or Die, Bitch: the Myth That Every Vote Counts and the
Pitfalls of a Two-Party System" (chapter 11) is one of the more
political essays written by noted American philosophers in the book.


The book covers all five branches of philosophy including
Metaphysics, Epistemology, Logic, Social and Ethics. For example,
Catherine Yu takes a look at ethics in her essay, "Is It Okay to
Laugh at South Park?"(Chapter 2) In it, she looks at when it is
fitting to laugh at something and when it is morally wrong to laugh
at something. "Might there be something morally perverse about
laughing at cripple fights and Starvin' Marvin's starving family?
Or, is it all just moral prudishness to even suggest that it might
be so?" writes Yu.

Additionally, writer Jacob Held holds to the principles of Social
philosophy as he takes on the hot button of gay marriage in his
essay, "You Can't Get Married; You're Faggots; Mrs. Garrison and the
Gay Marriage Debate." Held says, about the arguments, "They usually
miss the point, are entirely irrelevant, or are just bad arguments."


Arp notes that the book shows the common thread between "South Park"
and philosophy - both are concerned with extremist fanatical views
and the damage these views can do to a society's way of thinking.

Other contributing philosophers in "South Park and Philosophy: You
Know I Learned Something Today" address hard-hitting questions like
"Is Dan Rather real?", "Should big Gay Al be allowed to marry Mr.
Slave?" and "What does philosophy have to do with flatulence?"

"Believe it or not, the goal of both South Park and philosophy is to
discover truth and make the world a better place to live. The
difference is that philosophy usually takes a less shocking approach
in getting people to think critically about themselves, their
beliefs and reality," said Arp.

About Blackwell Publishing

Blackwell Publishing is the world's leading society publisher, partnering with 665
medical, academic, and professional societies. Blackwell publishes over 800 journals
and has over 6,000 books in print. The company remains independent with over 1,000
staff members in offices in the US, UK, Australia, China, Singapore, Denmark,
Germany, and Japan. Blackwell's mission as an expert publisher is to create
long-term partnerships with our clients that enhance learning, disseminate research,
and improve the quality of professional practice. For more information on Blackwell
Publishing, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com or www.blackwell-synergy.com.



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Contact Details = E.Keys
The Media News Group
(201) 313-3794
EK6017@aol.com