Damien (South Park) - Themes

Themes

"Everybody puts their trust in Satan and ends up getting screwed. There is a bigger message -- all in all, a pretty wholesome message. That's why South Park works. Sometimes we have a message."

Journalists have described "Damien" as a satire on religion, faith and the nature of good and evil, as well as a commentary on commercialism and the cult of celebrity in American culture. Parker said the writers sought to satirize the speed and ease at which the followers of Jesus lose faith in him and bet against him. Religious writer Michel Clasquin said the abandonment of Jesus demonstrates, "Like many people in the real world, the faith of the town's people cannot withstand the hard times." Parker said, "Everybody puts their trust in Satan and ends up getting screwed. There is a bigger message -- all in all, a pretty wholesome message. That's why South Park works. Sometimes we have a message."

Parker also said he and Stone purposely wrote the episode to present Jesus as the hero from a "humanist approach"; Clasquin said this is demonstrated by the fact that Jesus becomes caught up in people's expectations for the fight and becomes offended when people bet against him: "This satirical gesture beautifully draws attention to the sheer humanity of Jesus. He really is a man, just as we are men and women. He is open to fear and uncertainty." Several writers said the episode also lampooned the way Americans can turn anything, even a religious situation, into a commercially hyped event. Matt Zoller Seitz of Star-Ledger said: "They aren't making fun of organized religion (though they have in the past). They're making fun of those who would turn religion into entertainment and entertainment into a kind of religion." Seitz said the episode mocks "morality cops who misbehave in private" like Priest Maxi, who secretly bets the parish against Jesus even as he admonished congregation members for siding with Satan.

Religious writer Michel Clasquin said the episode also demonstrates the ease with which people blend their religious convictions with lessons from pop culture, particularly with Stan's confusion of a Star Trek quote with a lesson from Jesus Christ. Additionally, Clasquin said the fact that even Priest Maxi recognizes Jesus as "that guy from the public access show" demonstrates that even the supposedly most religious people are not always the most open to genuine religious experiences. Clasquin also said elements of the Crucifixion of Jesus are alluded to in the boxing match with Satan.

In addition to the religious themes, the cruel way in which Damien is treated by the other children is a satire on the tendency of schoolchildren to relentlessly pick on new students. Stone said of this aspect of the episode, "The whole basis of South Park was that kids are little shitheads and civilization and society controls them. Instead of what a lot of hippies and Democrats think, which is we're born innocent and pure and society corrupts us. We believe the first way, that society controls you and makes you a better person, ultimately, because when you're little, you're just a little asshole."