Comedy Central quietly pulled a controversial “South Park” episode from its cable lineup within the wake of conservative media persona Charlie Kirk’s tragic demise. The episode in query, Season 27’s “Acquired A Nut,” featured Eric Cartman imitating Kirk as a podcaster. Followers who tuned in for a rerun this week as a substitute discovered the episode had been swapped for Season 27, Episode 1. The choice comes simply hours after Charlie Kirk was killed in an obvious focused capturing throughout an outside occasion at Utah Valley College.

The now-pulled episode, Season 27, Episode 2, follows faculty counselor Mr. Mackey taking a job with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after funds cuts price him his place. Alongside raids with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Cartman launches a parody podcast the place he imitates Kirk, taking calls and delivering his signature inflammatory commentary.

Regardless of the satirical jab, Kirk himself had embraced the parody when it first aired. Days earlier than the episode’s debut, he referred to as it a “badge of honor” throughout an look on Fox Information and even up to date his X (previously Twitter) profile image to the Cartman caricature sporting a black T-shirt.

Whereas Comedy Central has pulled the rerun from its on-air rotation, “South Park” followers can nonetheless stream “Acquired A Nut” in full with a Paramount+ subscription.

Charlie Kirk personified the pugnacious, populist conservatism that has reshaped the Republican Celebration within the Trump period. In 2012, he launched Turning Level USA, concentrating on youthful voters and constructing a status for bringing conservative activism to liberal-leaning school campuses the place many GOP figures have been reluctant to tread. An in depth ally of President Donald Trump, Kirk turned some of the outstanding faces of the conservative youth motion.

Utah authorities say the gunman wore darkish clothes and fired from a rooftop on campus, putting Kirk from a distance. The brazen assault shocked attendees and reignited issues about escalating violence towards political figures. Earlier within the day, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on social media {that a} “topic” had been taken into custody, however later clarified the person had been launched after questioning. Investigators at the moment are looking for a brand new individual of curiosity, although no arrests have been made.

Investigators say the gunman who killed Charlie Kirk was in a position to cross unnoticed amongst college students, with officers describing the suspect as showing to be of faculty age. Utah Division of Public Security Commissioner Jess L. Mason revealed the shooter was caught on surveillance footage leaping from a rooftop earlier than escaping the Utah Valley College campus.

“We do have good video footage of this particular person. We aren’t going to launch that presently,” Mason confirmed, explaining that authorities are counting on know-how to assist pin down the suspect’s id.

Decided to deliver the perpetrator to justice, Mason added, “We’re investing the whole lot we’ve got into this, and we are going to catch this particular person.”

Disturbing video of Charlie Kirk’s deadly capturing started circulating quickly throughout social media platforms, typically showing in feeds with none advance warning.

The rise of violent, graphic content material on-line has made logging into social platforms really feel more and more dangerous, exposing customers to surprising imagery they by no means supposed to see. In keeping with USA In the present day, consultants in psychological well being and media warn that repeated publicity to those sorts of movies can take a critical toll, stressing that it isn’t essential to observe such footage to grasp the tragedy or to indicate compassion for the victims.