Is It Too Soon For CNN To Make A Steve Irwin Joke?

Earlier this week, South Park aired an episode so outrageous, so controversial that I didn't even hear about it until just now when I accidentally stumbled upon this tiny–but chockful of outrage–article on CNN.com. (Read it here).

Apparently, the episode featured Steve Irwin, dressed in a bloody shirt, with a stingray still attached to his chest, being turned away from a formal-attire-only party thrown by Satan in hell. Naturally, this depiction of Irwin incensed some guy from some organization with a "watch" at the end of its name:

John Beyer of UK TV watchdog Mediawatch said: "This is such bad taste and the makers of 'South Park' should review their decision to show it. Steve's family are still grieving."

"To lampoon somebody's death like that is unacceptable and so soon after the event is grossly insensitive."

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I didn't see the episode, (and let's face it, I probably never will) so I can't say whether the joke was in bad taste or not. I mean, it probably was––bad taste is often what South Park does best–but the taste level doesn't really matter if the joke is funny. You should be able to make a joke about anything, as long as the joke works.

But that's just my opinion. And, evidently it's CNN.com's opinion, too, because alongside the story they posted this picture:

with this caption:

"Crikey! Steve Irwin gets the "South Park" treatment."

which is a slightly more journalistic way of saying:

"Throw another shrimp on the barbie, mate! The Croc Hunter visits cartoon-land."