Update 11:57 a.m.: A Yelp spokesperson says the company isn't actually suing South Park and Comedy Central, and reports of the news came from a hoax site, which Google News briefly attributed to NBC. "We have no interest in legal action against the fantastic team that makes the South Park magic happen," the spokesperson told Eater. Our original article appears below.
Yelp is not happy about the recent South Park episode, "You're Not Yelping," which compares the website's reviewers to ISIS. The company is so unhappy, in fact, that it has filed a $10 million lawsuit against South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker and Comedy Central on Wednesday.
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Our company, along with its millions of users, take Yelp very seriously. The South Park episode was in extremely bad taste and not funny whatsoever. To say our critics are out there trying to get free food and using racist slurs on little Mexican children is beyond ridiculous. To compare users of Yelp to terrorists is not only cruel, but the definition of libel and slander. I believe any reasonable court in America will agree with the lawsuit and rule in favor. [NBC]
Stone and Parker disagreed, however, and had this to say in response:
We've taken a hard look at the information presented to us, and after reviewing it, we have given Yelp and their lawsuit only one star. Their lawyers delivered us legal documents in a very unprofessional manner; not bothering to smile or even a quick handshake. The writing on the envelope was barely legible and in two different colors. It is our personal opinion that Yelp could do a much better job by not suing us for ten million dollars. [NBC]
A Harvard law professor agrees that Yelp will likely lose the lawsuit.
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