South Park iPhone Application Gets Rejected
"Potentially Offensive" Add-on Rejected by Apple
Feb 19, 2009
Those waiting with baited breath to watch the classic adventures of four foul-mouthed 8-year old boys (who at some point over the last 12 years turned 9) from small-town Colorado on their iPhones have just been disappointed worse than when Will Smith moved to South Park looking for some peace and quiet.
The application, which would have granted iPhone users the ability to stream clips of the show as well as play South Park games and use South Park-related themes and wallpaper, has been under development since last October.
After two attempts to get the app approved, Apple ultimately rejected the application as being "potentially offensive." Sending the message that South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker must 'respect its authori-tay'.
Who would have ever thought that an iPhone application based on a show made famous for sticking its middle finger at every possible cultural taboo would be "potentially offensive?" Apparently it was news to the folks at Apple's iPhone applications store and nobody else.
According to boingboing, one of their "friends at South Park" wrote in to say, "at this point, we are sad to say, the app is dead in the water."
All Hope Is Not Lost
In explaining why the application was rejected, Apple noted that when iTunes was first launched that it refused to offer music with explicit lyrics, suggesting that their presently puritanical standards will eventually evolve. Since the app was going to feature video streaming, Apple's eventual acceptance is likely to coincide with the release of iTunes' rumoured video-streaming service.
An ironic twist that displays the full erratic nature of Apple's censorship strategy is that fans are still free to download hundreds of full-length episodes directly to their iPhones via iTunes. Also available for download is the R-rated feature film "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut."
In other words, Apple has no problem with letting iPhone users watch Cartman carry out a plan to turn the parents of a 9th grader who sold him pubic hair for $16.12 into chilli (and then feeding the chilli to said 9th grader), or with letting them watch Saddam Hussein depicted as the homosexual lover of Satan (the Prince of Darkness).
But letting them have Mr. Garrison (or Mrs. Garrison, depending on the era) as their iPhone's wallpaper is going too far.
iPhone and Park fans will probably get their long desired combination soon: Apple can't stay a hypocrite for much longer.
