Reply #147: Yes, satire.

[ErisFiveFingers]

Taking a vehement, public, anti-war, anti-violence figure, and making him pro-war, and pro-violence, is satire.

As far as the "beef" goes.... two words: Andy Kaufman.

Putting MM in TA was a cynical swipe towards the bizarre "with us or against us" mindset, that is, unless MM was pro war, he *must* be a terrorist.

Let's go over the first season of SP:
101: Alien Conspiracies
102: Orin Hatch's protection of "supplements" in spite of science.
103: Ignorance of endangered species, and geology
104: Gay bashing
105: Genetics science (stem cells, etc.)
106: Death
107: Pinkeye, and zombies
108: Damien, RW fear of "the devil"
109: Starvin Marvin: Lip-service diplomacy
110: Mr. Hankey: Christian idolotry
111: Tom's Rhinoplasty: Crushes, and feminity programming
112: Mecha Streisand: Mockery of big-monster thinking
113: Cartmans' mom is a dirty slut: mockery of 'single parenthood' demonization.

So, in one season alone, they mocked RW talking points about:
Supplements, Endangered species, the EPA, Science, Gay bashing, Genetics, Religious fear, Private (faith based?) Charity, the "sacredness" of Christmas idols, screwed up perceptions about femininity, fear-mongering monsters (bird flu terra alerts, anyone?), and the myth that single mothers are "bad" (every man in the town was implicated).

That being said, their humor is not for everyone. They don't carry water, so unless you want to see your own beliefs mocked, as well as the beliefs of others, don't watch it.

edit: typo, clarification