H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Overtakes South Park

It's official: H.P. Lovecraft is well into mainstream territory, or at least overtaking the most popular animated shows with force. Close on the heels of a Scooby Doo appearance, South Park has now aired a multi-part story arc with Great Cthulhu released by an oil drilling mishap. Clearly inspired by the recent British Petroleum fiasco, South Park blends Lovecraftian imagery with sardonic political commentary. Knowledge man was never meant to know has never seemed so ominous, all joking aside. Cthulhu, Shoggoths, and a score of other exotic monstrosities with eyes, tentacles, and teeth galore are released for a cartoon rampage, drawing in familiar characters from the series to combat them.

The creep of Lovecraft's entities into two iconic TV series proves HPL's fortification in American pop culture. Denials from those who have sought to keep Lovecraft the best kept secret in literary horror will only look desperate. While Lovecraftian themes, creatures, and story lines continue to exhibit a mostly humor bent, the fact that they are increasingly prominent in the public sphere is undeniable. At this rate, Lovecraft stands to surpass Edgar Allan Poe in fluid media (television, internet, etc.). Who really sees frequent references to "The Raven" in comedies and cartoons anymore?

However, Lovecraft may well share a symbolic trajectory with Poe. While his predecessor is forever bound to the image of a dour black bird, Lovecraft's name seems inescapably linked with Cthulhu, and the elder horror is always his chief representative in these popular appearances. It should be noted that South Park shows off other nightmares that arrive on Cthulhu's coat tails: Shoggoths, Mi-Go, and star-headed beasts resembling Elder Things. This may offer a glint of hope that Cthulhu won't be the only element to conjure Lovecraft's name for millions of non-weird fiction readers.

Unfortunately, the present widespread outburst of Lovecraftiana draws primarily on only two stories he wrote. "The Call of Cthulhu" and "At the Mountains of Madness" are at the vanguard of what "Lovecraftian" means for those who come to him through second hand media sources. Mentioning tales like "The Color Out of Space" or "The Music of Erich Zann" to viewrs who just saw the tentacled pseudo-god on South Park is almost certain to reap blank stares. This is an irritating challenge for Lovecraft enthusiasts steeped in a broader knowledge of weird fiction. Yet, Lovecraft's burgeoning cultural empire still offers hope to seasoned fans who fear his philosophical pessimism and more abstract works will be eclipsed by Cthulhu's Cyclopean shadow.

At some point, statistics come into play. If even 1% of South Park viewers end up reading a story collection or two, then thousands more are exposed to Lovecraft, almost all of whom wouldn't have encountered him at all in a different context. This poses a potential, but far from guaranteed, influx of people who might find weird fiction's mysterious call for the first time. For some, the first time certainly won't be the last. There's little to fear in Lovecraft's cultural boost, and much to gain, like a more robust genre that can only enrich all weird aficionados.

-Grim Blogger