South Park

I've been watching South Park since I was a teenager when it first came out and I can safely say it's been absolutely hilarious the whole time. It's one of the rare shows where I actually laugh out loud when watching by myself. Like any show some seasons are better than others but none are considered bad and lately it's been as funny as it's ever been. South Park is definitely not for children and written for adults. Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Cartman and the rest of these hilarious characters have been around for 25+ years and it doesn't seem like they're going anywhere anytime soon and I for one will be here watching and laughing as long as they're on.

South Park is probably the most misunderstood show in TV history.

Sure, it does have fart jokes but what it has really involved into is a show that depicts a wide range of current events, pop cultures references, social problems through the lenses of a group of 10 year olds and all the wacky characters that surround them.

The fact that the drawings are fairly simple also makes a lot of people shy away from it, but actually this show has a completely unique approach to several divisive or thought-provoking subjects. To name a few:

• 'The Hobbit" looks at how photoshopped photos makes society expectations of a woman's body hard to reach and the amount of pressure it may put on little girls (whilst taking hilarious jabs at Kanye West and Kim Kardashian)

• "You're getting old" takes you over the nightmare that is feeling like you might be mentally older than you friends and that may make left out

• Console Wars episodes dive into the consumerism involving Black Friday, video games and the world's obsession with Game of Thrones

These are all great episodes and I think the show if anything has aged well with time.

The other brilliant thing about South Park is that because each episode gets produced in the span of week, it can be more up to date than any scripted show - just this season it referenced Kavanaugh nomination controversy in an episode even before he was eventually confirmed.

Second 10/10 I have given on IMDb and South Park is well deserving of it.

South Park is and has been one of the funniest shows on television. It's my second favorite animated series to Family Guy and like Family Guy, this show is not afraid to say anything about anyone. Actually, I'd go as far as to say South Park goes even further than Family Guy. It's at its funniest when it's making fun of our political system right now because that's all we can do without going completely mad from it. This show shows equal opportunity when it comes to making fun of all political parties. Like any good show or movie about satire, the more you know what's going on in the world or in pop culture then the funnier this show will be to you.

Still going strong after more than two decades, South Park remains one of the boldest, funniest, and most relevant animated shows on television. It's irreverent, fearless, and weirdly insightful. Even when it's completely ridiculous.

🎬 Series Summary

Set in the fictional small town of South Park, Colorado, the show follows four foul-mouthed boys as they navigate bizarre situations. Aliens, celebrities, pandemics, political disasters, internet culture, you name it. Each episode takes on topical issues and satirizes them in the most unfiltered way possible.

What began as shock-value humor has grown into an incisive commentary machine that tears into everything: politics, social movements, pop culture, religion, and even the show's own audience.

✅ What Worked

1. Groundbreaking, fast-turnaround animation to tackle current events

2. Fearless approach to taboo and controversial topics

3. Iconic characters and running gags

4. Surprising emotional depth (e.g., "You're Getting Old," "Raisins")

5. Evolution from shock humor to sharp social commentary

6. Memorable songs and movie spin-offs

❌ What Didn't Work

1. Humor isn't for everyone: crude, offensive, and often deliberately provocative

2. Some seasons are uneven or era-specific

3. Not all political arcs land with clarity or balance

4. Can feel repetitive if binge-watched all at once

🔥 Legendary Episodes & Arcs

1. "Scott Tenorman Must Die" (S5)

2. "Make Love, Not Warcraft" (S10)

3. "Imaginationland Trilogy"

4. "The Pandemic Special / Vaccine Special"

5. "Member Berries" and the Season 19-20 serialized narrative

6. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999 film)

💬 Favorite Quotes / Moments

"Respect my authoritah!" - Cartman

"Oh my God, they killed Kenny!" - Stan/Kyle

"I'm not fat. I'm big-boned." - Cartman

Randy Marsh becoming Lorde, the whole Tegridy Farms arc, and Cartman feeding someone their own parents in a chili cook-off: the show has range.

✨ Fun Facts

1. Trey Parker and Matt Stone initially created South Park with paper stop-motion animation.

2. The show is produced in just 6 days per episode. Allowing it to stay incredibly topical.

3. Kanye West, the Church of Scientology, and China have all been publicly roasted to iconic degrees.

4. South Park has won 5 Emmys despite being constantly criticized.

5. There's an exclusive deal with Paramount+ to release yearly specials until at least 2027.

👀 If You Liked This, You Might Also Enjoy

1. Rick and Morty

2. BoJack Horseman

3. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

4. Futurama

5. Robot Chicken

6. The Simpsons (early seasons)

🎯 Final Thoughts

South Park isn't just a cartoon. It's a cultural phenomenon that's held up a warped mirror to society for nearly 30 years. Whether you love it or hate it, it has undeniably reshaped comedy, censorship, and what's possible in television.

⭐ 8/10. A savage, smart, and delightfully dumb masterclass in satire.

Initially was not sure as to whether 'South Park' would be my cup of tea at all, despite being a huge fan of animation for all my life (and still very much am). But there have been many instances of films and shows that gave me conflicted feelings before watching, but turned out far better than expected and actually being very good or more.

Such is the case with 'South Park'. As of now, it is one of the highest rated shows on IMDb and was a huge ratings success when first aired, and no wonder. At its best, it's absolutely brilliant and one of the best and funniest shows there is to me. Thought that would never be said about a show known for dividing people with its controversial and "offensive" content, was not sure whether I would like it let alone love it and it ended up a favourite. Is it as good as it was? No, it's not as witty, daring or inventive now, but is still very funny and intelligent. That is only being said though because the earlier seasons are so good.

To me, 'South Park' is much better than other popular shows like 'The Simpsons' (originally fantastic, now has declined rapidly) and 'Family Guy' and Seth Macfarlane's other shows, which never did anything for me.

Can actually see though why some dislike it. A lot of the content is very controversial and not for the easily offended. The show is crude, extremely rude (possibly the rudest animated show ever), naughty, at times juvenile and less than subtle in its treatment of taboo subjects. At the same time, 'South Park' is hilarious, smart, witty and daring but also clever, sharp, irreverent and intelligent. The satirical humour is subversive and there are not many animated shows this daring, completely contradicting the tired and incredibly annoying cliché spouted constantly that animation is only for children (often by parents defending a panned family film).

Often one is shocked at how much 'South Park' gets away with, everything. Every subject and every everyday issues is covered and satirised it seems, nothing escapes the writers. While subtlety completely goes out the window, so much of what 'South Park' says has a huge amount of truth and relevance (both when it first aired and still very much so now). Like good satire should it does it in a daring and perhaps divisive fashion, not holding back and taking no prisoners. This should sound like a recipe for disaster, but actually to me it was why the show is so loved and admired.

There's more to 'South Park' than just the humour. The stories are very inventive, smartly constructed, cohesive, honest and relevant. The characters are some of the most memorable and iconic in recent animation, especially Cartman. Trey Parker and Matt Stone's voice work is a practical tour-De-force for both, both bringing so much individuality and personality to these characters and their writing.

Not everybody seems to like the animation, personally liked the quirkiness of it myself and there are not many shows with visuals like 'South Park's'. The music is energetic and catchy.

Overall, brilliant show that surprisingly became right up my street, even with the controversial content. 9/10 Bethany Cox