Last week’s shooting massacre at French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo’s headquarters over a history of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad has left people struggling to understand what led to such a targeted and violent attack. For many Americans, the killings thrust France’s religious and cultural divides into focus for the first time. Part of coming to understand the entire picture comes from placing Charlie Hebdo within France’s media landscape.

While many people have been quick to suggest the Onion as Charlie Hebdo’s stateside equivalent, perhaps there are more apt comparisons. Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman likened the magazine to the animated TV series "South Park," saying:

"South Park" is closer to the spirit of Charlie Hebdo than anything else in American culture. ... To say that they’re provocative is to say their mission statement … "South Park" is one of the places that did try to show the Prophet Muhammad right after the problems that came from the Danish cartoons. But they did it because they were told not to. This is like the great adolescent impulse. It’s not a sophisticated dialectic about freedom of speech.

Here’s a list of five times "South Park" has been just as offensive as -- if not more offensive than -- Charlie Hebdo. When advocating for freedom of speech, it’s important to remember not only that "Je suis Charlie," but also "Je suis South Park," and Glenn Beck, and Stephen Colbert, and Eminem. "Je suis Cartman," even.

1. That Time An Abraham Lincoln Statue Slapped Down Muhammad

Not only did the show depict the Prophet Muhammad -- with the power of flight and pyrokinesis, no less -- but he gets swatted out of the air like an August mosquito by the animated statue at the Lincoln Memorial. This episode, titled "The Super Best Friends," incited little public outcry.

2. That Time A Statue Of The Virgin Mary Sprayed The Pope In The Face With Menstrual Blood

In the episode “Bloody Mary,” a statue of the Virgin Mary begins to bleed. South Park residents are convinced the blood is from the statue’s anus, but the pope, after being sprayed in the face, declares the source is its vagina. Catholics were not pleased.

3. That Time Buddha Did A Line Of Coke

We're not convinced this wasn’t just for shock value.

4. That Time Jesus Cut The Pope In Half

OK, so it’s actually Bill Donohue who has just taken the papacy by force. Surprisingly, the Catholic League president was amused by the episode and advised anyone who was offended to publicly laugh it off.

5. That Time They Didn’t Show Muhammad For Most Of An Episode, And Then Showed Him Wearing A Bear Suit

In the episode titled “200,” a small army of celebrities that have been ridiculed by "South Park" threaten to sue. With Tom Cruise at their forefront, they agree to back off if Stan can help them meet Muhammad, who they want to drain of his “goo” so that they too can become un-ridiculable. High jinks ensue, and by the time Muhammad is revealed, the residents of South Park have put him in a bear mascot suit -- perhaps a foreshadowing of Miley Cyrus performances to come.

And there you have it. As always, freedom of speech guarantees "South Park" fans the right to tell us how f------ wrong we are.