“Guys, my worst fears have been realized. I’ve been referenced by a ‘South Park’ episode. I’m so scared. I’m gonna blind duet to it right now.”
Thus begins Lizzo’s TikTok post, which she also shared on Instagram, on Saturday, in which she watches the “South Park” clip from the “End of Obesity” episode that was released Friday, May 24 on Paramount+. In the special, all of South Park is trying to get their hands on weight loss drugs, with varying results.
As with everything “South Park,” anyone and everyone is fair game for satire. There’s the American healthcare system, which proves too Byzantine for the boys to navigate when trying to obtain medical help for their friend Cartman. Meanwhile many of South Park’s adult residents seem to have gamed the system or received the drugs illegally, and are now holding weight loss parties where crop tops appear mandatory. A few like Stan’s mom Sharon, however, are out of luck. Her insurance won’t cover the drugs since she doesn’t have diabetes, so she instead has turned to an alternative.
“Now there’s a whole new obesity drug for those of us who can’t afford Ozempic and Mounjaro,” Sharon tells Kyle’s mom Sheila. “I controlled all of my cravings to be thinner with Lizzo.”
Cue the fake commercial, as Lizzo reacts live, eyes wide with a hand over her mouth. The ad reveals Lizzo to be an appetite suppressor, packaged in a red and white box. “This is a prescription used along with listening to her songs and watching her music videos to become happy with how you look,” reads the fine print.
An announcer says, “Lizzo makes you feel good about your weight, and it costs 90% less than Ozempic . . . In case studies, 70% of patients on Lizzo no longer care how much they weigh.”
Meanwhile, this information is interspersed with Sharon’s own first-person testimonials. “I’ve lowered my standards and my expectations,” she squeals whilst buying art and riding in bumper cars. “I don’t give two s**ts!”
The body positivity isn’t the only message though. It appears that the “South Park” creators also had something to say about the artist’s music.
“Lizzo helps you eat everything you want and keep physical activity to a minimum,” continues the ad. “Some patients report constipation while listening to Lizzo. Stop listening to Lizzo if you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts. Serious side effects may include pancreatitis, hypothermia, s**tting out of your ears.”
Lizzo, however, appeared unfazed by that criticism, instead taking the more positive aspects of the messaging to heart.
“That’s crazy. I just feel like, damn, I’m really that b***h,” she says in her post. “I really showed the world how to love yourself and not give a f**k to the point where these men in Colorado know who the f**k I am and put it on their cartoon that’s been around for 25 years. I’m really that b***h and showed y’all how to not give a f**k and I’m gonna keep on showing you how not to give a f**k. Oh, oh, oh, Lizzooooo, b***h!
While Lizzo is known for her body positivity, last year she was sued by former backup dancers who alleged that she fostered a toxic work environment that engaged in racial harassment, religious harassment, disability discrimination and fat-shaming.
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