South Park is a better show than you give it credit. They frequently explore serious issues in earnest and I have often felt the gravity of the message outweighs the humor in its presentation.

They've done bits that I have liked, a lot that I didn't care for but can just respectfully not be a fan of, but if this episode is really as described above (link won't let me watch it) it sounds kind of sick.

Which description are you referring to? I don't think anyone described that bit as humor. In the show it was used to portray how vile commercial sabotage can be, even to the consumer. The grave realization is that while the chosen situation seems hyperbolistic, it isn't—it's a real concrete possibility.

> In the show it was used to portray how vile commercial sabotage can be, even to the consumer.

Regardless about how you feel about Uber or its competitors, I do not believe they actually endorse rape or are capable of hatching a plot to plan a real life rape to occur as a publicity stunt. This is what was described in this thread. And I found it disgusting, even if it were satire.

But I guess some folks on HN don't really take this kind of thing seriously.

You've lost me. Nobody described the South Park episode that way. Honestly I think you just want to be mad about something and you found a trigger.

The part I quoted says exactly that. I think you're just not very used to finding overt references to sexual assault offensive, since this site is full of 22 year old kids etc. with very little life experience. I hope you have a daughter some day.