South Park is an
American animated
sitcom created by
Trey Parker and
Matt
Stone for the
Comedy Central
television network. Intended for
mature audiences, the show has become infamous for its crude,
surreal,
satirical,
and
dark humor that lampoons
a wide range of topics.
The
ongoing narrative revolves around four children—Stan Marsh, Kyle
Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and
Kenny McCormick—and their bizarre
adventures in and around the fictional and titular Colorado
town.
Parker and Stone developed the show from two
animated shorts they created in 1992 and 1995.
The latter became one of the first Internet
viral videos, which ultimately led to its
production as a series.
South Park debuted on August 13,
1997 with great success, consistently earning the highest ratings
of any basic cable program. Subsequent ratings have varied, but the
show remains Comedy Central's highest-rated and longest-running
program. A total of
195
episodes have been broadcast, and the
thirteenth season concluded on
November 18, 2009. Parker and Stone, who continue to do most of the
writing,
directing, and
voice acting, are under contract to produce 14
new episodes a year through 2011. Their staff creates each episode
with
computer software that
emulates the show's distinct
cutout
animation style.
Following the early success of the series, the feature-length
musical film South Park: Bigger,
Longer & Uncut had a widespread theatrical release in
June 1999.
South Park has also received numerous media
awards, including four
Primetime
Emmy Awards. The show has also garnered a
Peabody Award for Comedy Central.
Premise
Characters and setting
The show
mostly follows a group of four boys—Stan
Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick—and the adventures they
share in South Park, a fictional small town located within the
real-life South Park
basin in the Rocky Mountains of
central Colorado. The
town, sometimes described within the show as "a pissant white-bread
mountain town", is also home to an assortment of frequent
characters such as
students,
families,
elementary school
staff, and other
various residents.
Prominent settings on
the show include the local elementary school, bus stop, various
neighborhoods and the surrounding snowy landscape, and the shops
and businesses along the town's main street, all of which are based
on the appearance of similar locations in the town of Fairplay,
Colorado
.
Stan is portrayed as the
everyman of the
group, as the show's official website describes him as "a normal,
average, American, mixed-up kid". Kyle is the lone Jew among the
group, and his portrayal in this role is often dealt with
satirically. Stan is modeled after Parker, while Kyle is modeled
after Stone. Stan and Kyle are best friends, and their
relationship, which is intended to reflect the real-life friendship
between Parker and Stone, is a common topic throughout the series.
Cartman—loud, obnoxious, racist and obese—is often portrayed as an
antagonist whose anti-Semitic attitude
has resulted in an ever-progressing rivalry with Kyle. Kenny, who
comes from a poor family, wears his parka hood so tightly that it
covers most of his face and muffles his speech. During the show's
first five seasons, Kenny
would
die in nearly each episode before returning in the next with
little or no definitive explanation given. During the show's first
58 episodes, the boys were in the
third
grade. In the
season four
episode "
4th Grade" (2000),
they—along with the other main child characters—entered the
fourth grade, where they have remained
ever since.
Plots are often set in motion by events, ranging from the fairly
typical to the supernatural and extraordinary, which frequently
happen upon the town. The boys often act as the voice of reason
when these events cause panic or incongruous behavior among the
adult populace, who are customarily depicted as irrational,
gullible, and prone to vociferation. The boys are also frequently
confused by the contradictory and hypocritical behavior of their
parents and other adults, and often perceive them as having
distorted views on morality and society.
Themes and style
Each episode opens with a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer:
All characters and events in this show—even those based
on real people—are entirely fictional.
All celebrity voices are
impersonated.....poorly.
The following program contains coarse language and due
to its content it should not be viewed by anyone.
South Park was the first weekly program to be assigned the
TV-MA rating, and is
generally intended for adult audiences. The boys and most other
child characters use strong profanity, with only the most taboo
words being bleeped by censors during a typical broadcast. The use
of such language serves as a means for Parker and Stone to display
how they claim young boys really talk when they are alone.
South Park commonly makes use of
carnivalesque and
absurdist techniques, numerous running
gags, violence, sexual content, offhand pop-cultural references,
and satirical portrayal of celebrities.The early episodes tended to
be
shock value-oriented and featured
more slapstick-style humor. While social
satire had been used on the show occasionally earlier
on, it became more prevalent as the series progressed, with the
show retaining some of its focus on the boys' fondness of
scatological humor in an attempt to remind adult viewers "what it
was like to be eight years old". Parker and Stone also began
further developing other characters by giving them larger roles in
certain storylines, and began writing plots as parables based
around religion, politics, and numerous other topics. This provided
the opportunity for the show to spoof both extreme sides of
contentious issues, while lampooning both
liberal and
conservative points of view. Parker and Stone
describe themselves as "equal opportunity offenders", whose main
agenda is to "be funny" and "make people laugh", while stating that
no particular topic or group of people be spared the expense of
being subject to mockery and satire.
The two insist that the show is still more about "kids being kids"
and "what it's like to be in [elementary school] in America",
stating that the introduction of a more satirical element to the
series was the result of the two adding more of a "moral center" to
the show so that it would rely less on simply being crude and
shocking in an attempt to maintain an audience. While profane, and
with a tendency to sometimes be cynical, Parker notes that there is
still an "underlying sweetness" aspect to the child characters, and
Time described the boys as
"sometimes cruel but with a core of innocence". Usually, the boys
and/or other characters ponder over what has transpired during an
episode and convey the important lesson taken from it with a short
monologue. During earlier seasons, this speech would commonly begin
with a variation of the phrase "You know what? I've learned
something today...".
Origins and creation
Soon after
meeting in film class at the University of
Colorado
in 1992, Parker and Stone created an animated short entitled "The Spirit of Christmas". The
film, referred to as "Jesus vs. Frosty" by fans, was created by
animating construction paper cutouts with
stop motion, and features
prototypes of the main characters of
South
Park, including a character resembling Cartman but named
"Kenny", an unnamed character resembling what is today Kenny, and
two near-identical unnamed characters who resemble Stan and Kyle.
Brian Graden,
Fox network executive and mutual
friend, commissioned Parker and Stone to create a second short film
as a video
Christmas card. Created in
1995, the second "The Spirit of Christmas" short (referred to by
fans as "Jesus vs. Santa") resembled the style of the later series
more closely. Graden sent copies of the video to several of his
friends, and from there it was copied and distributed, including
among the
Internet, where it became one of
the first
viral videos.
As the short became more popular, Parker and Stone began talks of
developing the short into a television series. Fox refused to pick
up the series, not wanting to air a show that included the
character
Mr.
Hankey, a talking piece of feces. The two then entered
negotiations with both
MTV and Comedy Central.
Parker preferred the show be produced by Comedy Central, fearing
that MTV would turn it into a kids show. When Comedy Central
executive
Doug Herzog watched the short,
he commissioned for it to be developed into a series.
Parker and Stone assembled a small staff and spent three months
creating the
pilot episode
"
Cartman Gets an Anal
Probe".
South Park was in danger of being canceled
before it even aired when the show tested poorly with test
audiences, particularly with women. However, the shorts were still
gaining more popularity over the Internet, and Comedy Central
agreed to order a run of six episodes.
South Park debuted
with "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" on August 13, 1997.
Production
Except for the pilot episode, which was produced using
cutout animation, all episodes of
South
Park are created with the use of computer software.
As opposed
to the pilot, which took three months to complete, and other
animated sitcoms, which are traditionally hand-drawn by companies in South Korea
in a process that takes roughly eight-to-nine
months, individual episodes of South Park take
significantly less time to produce. Using computers as an
animation method, the show's production staff were able to generate
an episode in about three weeks during the first seasons. Now, with
a staff of about 70 people, episodes are typically completed in one
week, with some in as little as three to four days.
Nearly the entire
production of an episode is accomplished within one set of offices,
which were originally at a complex in Westwood,
California
, and are now part of South Park Studios in Culver City,
California
. Parker and Stone have been the show's
executive producers throughout its entire history, while Anne
Garefino has served as
South Park's co-executive producer
since the latter part of the first season.{{cite
web|url=http://bcm.bc.edu/issues/fall_2006/works/the-wrangler.html
|title=The wrangler|date=Fall,
2006|publisher=bcm.bc.edu|accessdate=2009-06-25|last=Mantell|first=Suzanne
}} [[20th Century Fox]] Senior Production Executive [[Debbie
Liebling]] also served as an executive producer during the show's
first five seasons, coordinating the show's production efforts
between South Park Studios and Comedy Central's headquarters in
[[New York City]].{{cite web
|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002584.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
|title=Fox folding Atomic label|date=2009-04-19
|publisher=variety.com|accessdate=2009-08-11|last=Fleming|first=Michael}}
{{cite web
|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117864962.html?categoryid=18&cs=1&query=%22%22Deborah+Liebling%22%22
|title=Liebling ankles her Comedy
post|date=2002-04-02|publisher=www.variety.com|accessdate=2009-06-25
|last=Grego|first=Melissa}} Scripts are not written before a season
begins.{{cite news | author = Jesse McKinley | title = Norman Lear
Discovers Soul Mates in 'South Park' | work = The New York Times|
date = 2003-04-10| url =
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/10/movies/norman-lear-discovers-soul-mates-in-south-park.html|
accessdate = 2009-05-09}} Production of an episode begins on a
Thursday, with the show's writing consultants [[brainstorming]]
with Parker and Stone. Former staff writers include [[Pam Brady]],
who has since written scripts for the films ''[[Hot Rod (film)|Hot
Rod]]'' and ''[[Hamlet 2]]'', and [[Nancy Pimental]], who served as
co-host of ''[[Win Ben Stein's Money]]'' and wrote the film ''[[The
Sweetest Thing]]'' after her tenure with the show during its first
three seasons.{{cite
web|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/weather/orl-hamlet-2-movie-review-roger-moore,1,3124350.story|title=Movie
Review: 'Hamlet 2' - 3 stars out of 5 - Los Angeles
Times|date=2008-08-20
|publisher=www.latimes.com|accessdate=2009-06-25|last=Moore|first=Roger}}{{cite
web|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/man-at-his-best/ESQ0602-JUN_OPENER?click=main_sr
|title=A Fun Woman: Nancy
Pimental|2002-06-01|publisher=www.esquire.com|accessdate=2009-06-25
|last=Sellers|first=John}} Television producer and writer [[Norman
Lear]], an idol of both Parker and Stone, served as a guest writing
consultant for the [[South Park (season 7)|season seven]] (2003)
episodes "[[Cancelled (South Park)|Cancelled]]" and "[[I'm a Little
Bit Country]]".{{cite web
|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2003-03-17-south-park_x.htm
|title=TV icon Norman Lear is goin' down to 'South
Park'|date=2003-03-17
|publisher=www.usatoday.com|accessdate=2009-05-22|last=Keveney|first=Bill}}{{cite
web|url=http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=8210&dir=1
|title=South Park Boys Hit 100 Episodes; Norman Lear To Collaborate
On New Season|date=2003-03-13
|publisher=news.awn.com|accessdate=2009-06-25}} During the last two
seasons, ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' actor and writer [[Bill
Hader]] has served as a [[creative consultant]] and
co-producer.{{cite
news|url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/Scene/article.aspx?subjectid=283&articleid=20091016_283_D2_Cnrtlt351746|title=Hader
and Harjo: Tulsa talents keep on making must-sees
|last=Smith|first=Michael|date=2009-10-16|publisher=Tulsa
World|accessdate=2009-10-21}}{{cite
news|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/04/03/bill-hader-adve/|title=Bill
Hader: The EW Pop Culture Personality
Test|last=Bierly|first=Mandi|date=2009-04-03|publisher=Entertainment
Weekly|accessdate=2009-10-21}}{{cite
news|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2009/09/thursdays_riffs_5.html|title=The
'Riffs Interview: 'SNL's' Bill Hader Embraces His Inner Nerd for
'Cloudy With a Chance of
Meatballs'|last=Cavna|first=Michael|date=September
2009|publisher=Washington Post|accessdate=2009-10-21}} After
exchanging ideas, Parker will write a script, and from there the
entire team of animators, editors, technicians, and sound engineers
will each typically work 100–120 hours in the ensuing week.{{cite
web |url = http://www.apple.com/pro/profiles/southpark/index.html
|title = South Park Studios: No Walk in the Park |accessdate =
2008-12-21 |author = Driver, Dustin |publisher = [[Apple Inc.]] }}
Since the show's [[South Park (season 4)|fourth season]] (2000),
Parker has assumed most of the show's directorial duties, while
Stone relinquished his share of the directing to focus on handling
the coordination and business aspects of the production.{{cite
web|url=http://www.macleans.ca/culture/entertainment/article.jsp?content=20070423_104250_104250
|title=South Park has a silent partner | Macleans.ca - Culture -
Entertainment|date=2007-04-23
|publisher=macleans.ca|accessdate=2009-06-24|last=Weinman|first=Jaime
J.}} On Wednesday, a completed episode is sent to Comedy Central's
headquarters via satellite uplink, sometimes in just a few hours
before its air time of 10 PM [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern
Time]].{{cite web | title = 40 Questions| url =
http://treyparker.info/archives_spstudios.htm| date = 2001-10-04|
publisher = South Park Studios | accessdate = 2009-01-30 }} Parker
and Stone state that subjecting themselves to a one-week deadline
creates more spontaneity amongst themselves in the creative
process, which they feel results a funnier show. The schedule also
allows ''South Park'' to both stay more topical and respond more
quickly to specific current events than other satiric animated
shows.{{cite web| author=Jake Trapper and Dan Morris| title=Secrets
of 'South Park'| publisher=[[ABC News]]| date=2006-09-22|
url=http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Entertainment/Story?id=2479197&page=3|
accessdate=2009-04-18}} One of the earliest examples of this was in
the [[South Park (season 4)|season four]] (2000) episode
"[[Quintuplets 2000]]", which references the [[United States Border
Patrol]]'s raid of a house during the [[Elian Gonzalez affair]], an
event which occurred only four days before the episode originally
aired.{{cite
web|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,617720,00.html|title='South
Park' Salutes Elian|author=Stephen M.
Silverman|date=2000|publisher=www.people.com|accessdate=2009-03-26}}
The [[South Park (season 9)|season nine]] (2005) episode "[[Best
Friends Forever]]" references the [[Terri Schiavo case]], and
originally aired in the midst of the controversy and less than 12
hours before she died.{{cite news | author = Kate Aurthur | title =
'South Park' Echoes the Schiavo Case | work = The New York Times|
date = 2005-04-02| url =
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501EFDA113FF931A35757C0A9639C8B63|
accessdate = 2009-05-05}} A scene in the [[South Park (season
7)|season seven]] (2003) finale "[[It's Christmas in Canada]]"
references the discovery of dictator [[Saddam Hussein]] in a
"spider hole" and his subsequent [[Operation Red Dawn|capture]],
which happened a mere three days prior to the episode airing.{{cite
web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=12&year=2003
|title = FAQ: December 2003 |accessdate = 2008-10-19 |date =
2003-12-19 |publisher = southparkstudios.com }} The [[South Park
(season 12)|season 12]] (2008) episode "[[About Last Night...
(South Park)|About Last Night...]]" revolves around [[Barack
Obama]]'s victory in the [[United States presidential election,
2008|2008 presidential election]], and aired less than 24 hours
after Obama was declared the winner, using segments of dialogue
from Obama's real victory speech.{{cite
web|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/928/928073p1.html|title= How
South Park Pulled off "About Last
Night..."|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=2008-11-06|author=Fickett,
Travis|accessdate=2008-11-17}} ===Animation=== [[File:South Park
production comparison.png|thumb|right|Montage showing the stages of
an animation process: On top, a simple black and white sketch of a
male child in a rocket kiddie-ride, while another young boy stands
next to the ride and reluctantly holds the rider's hand. In the
middle, stock animation characters reflecting the sketch shown at
top, sans background characters. At bottom, a screenshot of a
fully-animated frame showing the same event, complete with
characters and arcade games in the background|The various stages of
production (from top to bottom): the storyboard sketch, the
CorelDraw props with stock character models, and a frame from the
fully-rendered episode.]] The show's style of animation is inspired
by the paper cut-out cartoons made by [[Terry Gilliam]] for
''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'', of which Parker and Stone
have been lifelong fans.{{cite news | author = Jeffrey Ressner and
James Collins| title = Gross And Grosser | work = [[Time
(magazine)|Time]] | date = 1998-03-23 | url =
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988028-3,00.html |
accessdate = 2009-04-28}}{{cite web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=4&year=2001
|title = FAQ: April 2001 |accessdate = 2008-12-21 |date =
2001-03-18 |publisher = southparkstudios.com }} [[Construction
paper]] and traditional [[stop motion]] [[cutout animation]]
techniques were used in the original animated shorts and in the
pilot episode. Subsequent episodes have been produced by [[computer
animation]], providing a similar look to the originals while
requiring a fraction of the time to produce. Before computer
artists begin animating an episode, a series of [[Traditional
animation|animatics]] drawn with [[Adobe Photoshop]] are provided
by the show's storyboard artists.{{cite
web|url=http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/228729 |title=Part 2:
Storyboard|date=Spring
2009|publisher=www.southparkstudios.com|accessdate=2009-06-25
}}Video interview with show storyboard artist Keo Thongkham The
characters and objects are composed of simple geometrical shapes
and [[primary color]]s. Most child characters are the same size and
shape, and are distinguished by their distinctive clothing and head
wear. Characters are mostly presented two-dimensionally and from
only one angle. Their movements are animated in an intentionally
jerky fashion, as they are purposely not offered the same free
range of motion associated with hand-drawn characters.{{cite news |
author = Abbie Bernstein| title = South Park - Volume 2 | publisher
= AVRev.com| date = 1998-10-27| url =
http://www.avrev.com/dvd-movie-disc-reviews/tv-shows/south-park-volume-2.html|
accessdate = 2008-04-30}} Occasionally, some non-fictional
characters are depicted with photographic cutouts of their actual
head and face in lieu of a face reminiscent of the show's
traditional style. Canadians on the show are often portrayed in an
even more minimalist fashion; they have simple beady eyes, and the
top halves of their heads simply flap up and down when the
characters speak. Once the show began using computers, characters
began to be shown in profile. When the show began utilizing
computers, the cardboard cutouts were scanned and re-drawn with
[[CorelDRAW]], then imported into [[PowerAnimator]], which was used
with [[Silicon Graphics|SGI]] workstations to animate the
characters. The workstations were linked to a 54-processor [[render
farm]] that could render 10 to 15 [[Shot (filmmaking)|shot]]s an
hour. Beginning with [[South Park (season 5)|season five]], the
animators began using [[Autodesk Maya|Maya]] instead of
PowerAnimator.{{cite web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=5&year=2001
|title = FAQ: May 2001 |accessdate = 2008-12-19 |date = 2001-05-14
|publisher = southparkstudios.com }} The studio now runs a
120-processor render farm that can produce 30 or more shots an
hour. PowerAnimator and Maya are high-end programs mainly used for
[[3D computer graphics]], while co-producer and former animation
director, [[Eric Stough]], notes that PowerAnimator was initially
chosen because its features helped animators retain the show's
"homemade" look. PowerAnimator was also used for making some of the
show's special effects, which are now created using [[Motion
(software)|Motion]], a newer graphics program created by [[Apple,
Inc.]] for their [[Mac OS X]] [[operating system]]. The show's
visual quality has improved in recent seasons, though several other
techniques are used to intentionally preserve the cheap cutout
animation look.{{cite web |url =
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/1997/09/6558 |title =
It Ain't Easy Making South Park Cheesy |accessdate = 2008-12-15
|author = Tanner, Mike |date = 1997-09-03 |publisher = ''[[Wired
(magazine)|Wired]]'' }}{{cite web |url =
http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/sp-interview.ars/3 |title =
The Ars Technica South Park interview: Let's talk hardware and
software |accessdate = 2008-12-21 |author = Dr. Evil |date =
1999-07-26 |publisher = [[Ars Technica]] }} A few episodes feature
sections of [[live-action]] footage, while others have incorporated
other styles of animation. Portions of the [[South Park (season
8)|season eight]] (2004) premiere "[[Good Times with Weapons]]" are
done in [[anime]] style, while the [[South Park (season 10)|season
10]] episode "[[Make Love, Not Warcraft]]" is done partly in
[[machinima]].{{cite web |url =
http://www.machinima.com/article/view&id=459 |title = "Make
Love, Not Warcraft": Q&A with Frank Agnone, J.J. Franzen, and
Eric Stough. |accessdate = 2008-12-19 |date = 2006-11-15 |publisher
= [[Machinima.com]] }} The [[South Park (season 12)|season 12]]
episode "[[Major Boobage]]", a homage to the 1981 animated film
''[[Heavy Metal (film)|Heavy Metal]]'', implements scenes
accomplished with [[rotoscoping]].{{cite web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/1203/making_boobage/ |title =
Major Boobage: Behind The Scenes |accessdate = 2009-05-23 |author =
|date = December 2008 |publisher = South Park Studios }} Since the
beginning of [[List of South Park episodes#Season 13: 2009|season
13]] (2009) the show has been broadcast in [[High-definition
video|high definition]], and [[List of South Park episodes#Season
12: 2008|season 12]] was released in high definition on [[Blu-ray
Disc]] format.{{cite
web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/944/944487p1.html| title=South
Park Now in HD|accessdate=
2009-03-06|last=Goldman|first=Eric|date=2009-01-13|publisher=[[IGN]]}}
===Voice cast=== Parker and Stone voice most of the male ''South
Park'' characters.{{cite web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=4&year=2002
|title = FAQ: April 2002 |accessdate = 2008-10-19 |date =
2002-04-23 |publisher = southparkstudios.com }} [[Mary Kay
Bergman]] voiced the majority of the female characters until her
[[suicide]] on November 11, 1999. [[Mona Marshall]] and [[Eliza
Schneider]] succeeded Bergman, with Schneider leaving the show
after its [[South Park (season 7)|seventh season]] (2003). She was
replaced by [[April Stewart]], who, along with Marshall, continues
to voice most of the female characters. Bergman was originally
listed in the credits under the alias Shannen Cassidy to protect
her reputation as the voice of several [[The Walt Disney
Company|Disney]] and other kid-friendly characters.{{cite
web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,84813,00.html|title=A Voice
Silenced |date=1999-11-22|work=[[Entertainment
Weekly]]|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=Bonin|first=Liane}} Stewart was
originally credited under the name Gracie Lazar,{{cite
web|url=http://www.aprilstewart.com/page6.html|title=April Stewart
- ABOUT |publisher=www.aprilstewart.com|accessdate=2009-05-23}}
while Schneider was sometimes credited under her [[rock opera]]
performance [[pseudonym]] Blue Girl.{{cite web
|url=http://www.elizaschneider.com/bio.html|title=MY BIO:::: Eliza
Jane |publisher=www.elizaschneider.com|accessdate=2009-05-23}}
Other voice actors and members of ''South Park'''s production staff
have voiced minor characters for various episodes, while a few
staff members voice recurring characters; supervising producer
[[Jennifer Howell]] voices student [[List of students at South Park
Elementary#Bebe Stevens|Bebe Stevens]], co-producer and storyboard
artist [[Adrien Beard]] voices the school's only black student,
[[List of students at South Park Elementary#Token Black|Token
Black]],{{cite web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=4&year=2001
|title = FAQ: April 2001 |accessdate = 2008-10-19 |date =
2001-04-30 |publisher = southparkstudios.com }} writing consultant
[[Vernon Chatman]] voices an [[anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]]
towel named [[List of other South Park residents#Towelie|Towelie]],
and production supervisor [[John 'Nancy' Hansen|John Hansen]]
voices [[List of staff at South Park Elementary#Mr. Slave|Mr.
Slave]], the former gay lover of [[Herbert Garrison|Mr.
Garrison]].{{cite web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=11&year=2003
|title = FAQ: November 2003 |accessdate = 2008-10-13 |date =
2003-11-21 |publisher = southparkstudios.com }} Throughout the
show's run, the voices for toddler and kindergarten characters have
been provided by various small children of the show's production
staff.{{cite web|
url=http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?id=224|
title=Ike FAQ Archives| publisher=South Park Studios|
accessdate=2009-02-04}} When voicing child characters, the voice
actors speak within their normal vocal range while adding a
child-like inflection. The recorded audio is then edited with [[Pro
Tools]], and the pitch is altered to make the voice sound more like
that of a fourth grader.{{cite web | author = Stephanie Jorgl|
title = South Park: Where The Sound Ain't No Joke!| publisher =
Digizine | date = 2005|
url=http://www.audiohead.net/interviews/digizine/stories/sp2.pdf |
accessdate = 2009-04-30}}{{cite web | title = South Park FAQ |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=2&year=2009|
date = 2009-02-10 | publisher = South Park Studios | accessdate =
2009-04-30}} [[Isaac Hayes]] voiced the character of [[Chef (South
Park)|Chef]], a black, [[Soul music|soul-singing]] cafeteria worker
who was one of the few adults the boys consistently trusted.{{cite
web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=6&year=2001
|title = FAQ: June 2001 |accessdate = 2008-10-13 |date = 2001-06-28
|publisher = southparkstudios.com }} Hayes agreed to voice the
character after being among Parker and Stone's ideal candidates
which also included [[Lou Rawls]] and [[Barry White]].{{cite video
| people=Trey Parker, Matt Stone|year=|title=Goin' Down to South
Park |medium=Television documentary|publisher=Comedy Central}}
Hayes, who lived and hosted a radio show in New York during his
tenure with ''South Park'', would record his dialogue on a digital
audio tape while a respective episode's director would give
directions over the phone, then the tape would be shipped to the
show's production studio in California. After Hayes left the show
in early 2006, the character of Chef was [[Chef (South Park)#Death
of Chef|killed off]] in the [[South Park (season 10)|season 10]]
(2006) premiere "[[The Return of Chef]]". ==== Guest stars ====
Celebrities who appear on the show are usually impersonated, though
some celebrities lend their voice to their characters. Celebrities
who have voiced themselves include [[Michael Buffer]],{{cite
web|url=http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Dhb/Dhb052507.htm|title=Buffer
'rumbles' his way to the top|date=2007-05-25
|publisher=www.doghouseboxing.com|accessdate=2009-05-26|last=Richmond|first=Ray}}{{cite
web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/1998/02/04/1998-02-04__south_park__on_religion__un.html|title='SOUTH
PARK' ON RELIGION: UNBELIEVABLY TASTELESS - &
FUNNY|date=1998-02-04
|publisher=www.nydailynews.com|accessdate=2009-08-11|last=Mink|first=Eric}}
[[Brent Musburger]],{{cite
web|url=http://www.marinij.com/sports/ci_5357606 |title=Lavin
enjoying work with legendary
broadcaster|date=2007-03-04|publisher=www.marinij.com
|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=Albee|first=Dave}} [[Jay Leno]],{{cite
web
|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5018386/Jay-Leno-profile-When-Big-Ears-met-Big-Chin.html|title=Jay
Leno profile: When Big Ears met Big Chin
|date=2009-03-20|publisher=telegraph.co.uk|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=Leonard|first=Tom}}
[[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]], and the bands
[[Radiohead]] and [[Korn]].{{cite
web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1423639.stm
|title=Radiohead drawn into South
Park|date=2001-07-05|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk
|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=|first=}}{{cite
web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1430968/19991011/korn.jhtml|title=Korn
To Premiere New Track During "South Park"
Special|date=1999-10-11|publisher=www.mtv.com|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=Basham|first=David}}
Comedy team [[Cheech & Chong]] voiced characters representing
similar likenesses to themselves for the [[South Park (season
4)|season four]] (2000) episode "[[Cherokee Hair Tampons]]", which
was the duo's first collaborative effort in 20 years.{{cite web
|url=http://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=7767|title=Cheech
and Chong Will Make Another
Movie|date=2009-03-05|publisher=www.undercover.com.au|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=Cashmere
|first=Paul}} [[Malcolm McDowell]] appears in live-action sequences
as the narrator of the [[South Park (season 4)|season four]]
episode "[[Pip (South Park)|Pip]]".{{cite web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=11&year=2008
|title = FAQ: November 2008 |accessdate = 2008-12-19 |date =
2008-11-12 |publisher = southparkstudios.com }} [[Jennifer
Aniston]],{{cite web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=4&year=2001
|title = FAQ: April 2001 |accessdate = 2008-10-19 |date =
2001-04-20 |publisher = southparkstudios.com }} [[Richard
Belzer]],{{cite web
|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2000/04/05/2000-04-05__south_park__rules_but_sched.html|title='SOUTH
PARK' RULES BUT SCHEDULE BITES
|date=2000-04-05|publisher=www.nydailynews.com|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=Mink|first=Eric}}
[[Natasha Henstridge]] (billed in the opening credits as "The chick
from ''[[Species (film)|Species]]''"),{{cite
web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/1998/01/20/1998-01-20__park__won_t_mess_with_excess.html|title='PARK'
WON'T MESS WITH EXCESS
|date=1998-01-20|publisher=www.nydailynews.com|accessdate=2009-05-22|last=Williams|first=Scott
}} [[Norman Lear]],{{cite
web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/arts/television/14lear.html?ref=us|title=Getting
Out the Vote, Keeping Up With Youth|date=2008-08-13
|publisher=www.nytimes.com|accessdate=2009-05-24|last=Barnes|first=Brooks|last2=Cathcart
|first2=Rebecca}} and [[Peter Serafinowicz]]{{cite web
|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/my-secret-life-peter-serafinowicz-actor-and-comedian-age-36-912006.html|title=My
Secret Life: Peter Serafinowicz, Actor and comedian, age 36
|date=2008-08-30|publisher=www.independent.co.uk|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=Philby|first=Charlotte
}} have guest starred as other speaking characters. During ''South
Park'''s earliest seasons, several high-profile celebrities
inquired about guest-starring on the show. As a joke, Parker and
Stone responded by offering low-profile, non-speaking roles, most
of which were accepted; [[George Clooney]] provided the barks for
Stan's dog Sparky in the [[South Park (season 1)|season one]]
(1997) episode "[[Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride]]",{{cite web |url
=
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=10&year=2001
|title = FAQ: October 2001 |accessdate = 2008-10-19 |date =
2001-10-27 |publisher = southparkstudios.com }} Leno provided the
meows for Cartman's cat in the season one finale "[[Cartman's Mom
Is a Dirty Slut]]", and [[Henry Winkler]] voiced the various growls
and grunts of a kid-eating monster in the [[South Park (season
2)|season two]] (1998) episode "[[City on the Edge of
Forever]]".{{cite
web|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/9877|title=Exclusive:
Henry Winkler Talks Sit Down, Shut
Up|date=2009-04-13|publisher=www.animationmagazine.net|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=Milligan|first=Mercedes}}
[[Jerry Seinfeld]] offered to lend his voice for the
[[Thanksgiving]] episode "[[Starvin' Marvin (South Park)|Starvin'
Marvin]]", but declined to appear when he was only offered a role
as "Turkey #2".{{cite
web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/where-seinfelds-a-turkey-1165153.html|title=Where
Seinfeld's a
turkey|date=1998-06-15|publisher=www.independent.co.uk|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=Reed|first=Jasper}}
===Music=== [[Image:Isaac hayes 1973.jpg|thumb|right|165px|alt=An
adult male with sunglasses plays a piano under a spotlight on a
darkened stage, 1973|[[Chef (South Park)|Chef]] would often sing in
a style reminiscent of that of his voice actor, [[Isaac
Hayes]]]]Parker says that the varying uses of music is of utmost
importance to ''South Park''.Arp and Broman, pp. 236-249 Several
characters often play or sing songs in order to change or influence
a group's behavior, or to educate, motivate, or indoctrinate
others. The show also frequently features scenes in which its
characters have disapproving reactions to the performances of
certain popular musicians. [[Adam Berry]], the show's original
score composer, used [[sound synthesis]] to simulate a small
orchestra, and frequently alluded to existing famous pieces of
music. Berry also used signature acoustic guitar and mandolin cues
as [[leitmotif]]s for the show's establishing shots.{{cite
web|url=http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=7|title=Eating
Cheesy Poofs with Adam
Berry|date=1998-12-05|publisher=www.soundtrack.net|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=Goldwasser|first=Dan}}
After Berry left in 2001, Jamie Dunlap and Scott Nickoley of the
[[Los Angeles]]-based Mad City Production Studios provided the
show's original music for the next seven seasons. Since 2008,
Dunlap has been credited as the show's sole score composer.{{cite
web|url=http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/behind/cast.php|title=Cast
and Crew - South Park
Studios|publisher=www.southparkstudios.com|accessdate=2009-05-23|last=|first=}}
Dunlap's contributions to the show are one of the few that are not
achieved at the show's own production offices. Dunlap reads a
script, creates a score using digital audio software, and then
e-mails the audio file to South Park Studios, where it is edited to
fit with the completed episode. In addition to singing in an effort
to explain something to the children, Chef would also sing about
things relevant to what had transpired in the plot. These songs
were original compositions written by Parker, and performed by
Hayes in the same sexually suggestive [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]
style he had utilized during his own music career. The band [[DVDA
(band)|DVDA]], which consists of Parker and Stone, along with show
staff members Bruce Howell and D.A. Young, would perform the music
for these compositions, and, until the character's death on the
show, were listed as "Chef's Band" in the closing credits. [[Rick
James]], [[Elton John]], [[Meat Loaf]], [[Joe Strummer]], [[Ozzy
Osbourne]], [[Primus (band)|Primus]], [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]], and
[[Ween]] all guest starred and briefly performed in the [[South
Park (season 2)|season two]] (1998) episode "[[Chef Aid]]". Korn
debuted their single "[[Falling Away from Me]]" as guest stars on
the [[South Park (season 3)|season three]] (1998) episode "[[Korn's
Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery]]". ====Title sequence==== The show's
original theme song was a musical score performed by the band
[[Primus (band)|Primus]], while the lyrics are alternately sung by
the band's lead singer, [[Les Claypool]], and the show's four
central characters. Kenny's muffled lines are altered after every
few seasons.{{cite
web|url=http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=9&year=2001|title=South
Park Studios FAQ|date=September 2001|publisher=South Park
Studios|accessdate=2009-10-21}} The original composition was
originally slower but was sped up for the show, while an
instrumental version of the original composition is often played
during the show's closing credits.{{cite web |url =
http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?month=3&year=2002
|title = FAQ: March 2002 |accessdate = 2008-10-19 |date =
2002-03-27 |publisher = southparkstudios.com }} The opening theme
song has been remixed three times during the course of the series,
including a remix performed by [[Paul Robb]].{{cite
news|url=http://www.smmirror.com/MainPages/DisplayArticleDetails.asp?eid=7480|title=Paul
Robb: Leading a Double Life|last=Ohanesian|first=Liz|date=March
2008|publisher=Santa Monica Mirror|accessdate=2009-11-10}} In 2006,
the theme music was changed to "Whamola" by [[Colonel Les
Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade]], from the album
''[[Purple Onion]]''.{{cite
web|url=http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?id=72639|title=South
Park Studios FAQ|date=2008-08-18|publisher=South Park
Studios|accessdate=2009-11-10}} ==Distribution== {{See also|South
Park DVDs}} {{wikinews|South Park episodes available free online}}
Internationally, ''South Park'' is broadcast in [[India]], [[New
Zealand]], and several countries throughout [[Europe]] and [[Latin
America]] on channels that are divisions of Comedy Central and
[[MTV Networks]], both subsidiaries of Viacom.{{cite
web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Comedy--censored/457890/|title=Comedy,
censored|date=2009-05-12|publisher=www.indianexpress.com|accessdate=2009-05-27|last=Pillai|first=Pooja
}} In distribution deals with Comedy Central, other independent
networks also broadcast the series in other international markets.
In Australia, the show is broadcast on [[The Comedy Channel]],
[[Go! (Australian TV channel)|GO!]] and [[Special Broadcasting
Service|SBS]].{{cite
web|url=http://www.perthsites.com/web/design.cgi?website=1355-sbs-com-au|title=SBS
Special Broadcasting
Service|publisher=www.perthsites.com|accessdate=2009-05-27}} The
series is broadcast in Canada on [[Télétoon]], [[TQS]] {{cite news
|
url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2009/08/14/south-park-french.html
| title=South Park to air in French this fall | publisher=[[CBC
News]] | date=2009-08-14 | accessdate=2009-08-15}}{{cite news |
url=http://ft1.tqs.ca/tout-sur-tqs/communiques/2009/08/les-voix-de-south-park---karine-vanasse--xavier-dolan-et-alex-perron-721.php
| language=French | title=Les voix de South Park: Karine Vanasse,
Xavier Dolan et Alex Perron | date=2009-08-13 |
accessdate=2009-08-15 }} (both are french network but the first
broadcast the French European version and the second broadcast the
French Canadian version) and [[The Comedy Network]]{{cite
web|url=http://ctvmedia.ca/comedy/releases/release.asp?id=9735&yyyy=2007
|title=Only in Canada, You Say? |date=2007-09-12
|publisher=ctvmedia.ca|accessdate=2009-05-27}} (All three broadcast
the uncensored version of the cartoon). ''South Park'' also airs on
[[TG4]] in [[Ireland]],{{cite
web|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2007/10/07/story27183.asp|title=TG4
gives South Park early evening slot:
ThePost.ie|date=2007-10-07|publisher=archives.tcm.ie|accessdate=2009-05-27|last=
O’Mahony|first=Catherine|last2= Larragy|first2=Simon}} [[Bip
(channel)|Bip]] in [[Israel]],{{cite
web|url=http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,667899,00.html
|title=Comedy Central to Launch One Hour Nightly Programming Block
in Israel in Association With Mega
TV|date=2000-10-02|publisher=www.timewarner.com|accessdate=2009-05-27}}
[[SIC Radical]] in [[Portugal]],{{cite
web|url=http://sicradical.chilltime.com/?v=program&p=south-park&b=programas/south-park|title=South
Park | SIC
Radical|publisher=sicradical.chilltime.com|accessdate=2009-08-01}}
[[2×2 (TV channel)|2×2]] in [[Russia]],{{cite
web|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/09112008/tv/poop_tins_men_move_on_park_128508.htm
|title="South Park" banned in Russia? - New York
Post|date=2008-09-11|publisher=nypost.com|accessdate=2009-05-27 }}
[[STV]] in [[Scotland]],{{cite web
|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/tvandradioblog/2009/jun/22/stv-group-scottish-television
|title=Brace yourself Scotland: STV has some depressingly cliched
programme ideas
|publisher=guardian.co.uk|accessdate=2009-07-02|last=Graham|first=Jane}}
and [[B92]] in [[Serbia]].{{cite
web|url=http://www.c21media.net/news/detail.asp?area=1&article=49321|title=South
Park heads
north|date=2009-04-28|publisher=www.c21media.net|accessdate=2009-05-27|last=Waller|first=Ed}}
[[Broadcast syndication]] rights to ''South Park'' were acquired by
[[Debmar-Mercury]] and [[Tribune Entertainment]] in 2003 and 2004
respectively.{{cite
web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-03-2003/0002010600&EDATE=|title=Debmar
Studios Acquires Broadcast Syndication Rights To Comedy
Central's(R) 'South
Park'|publisher=www.prnewswire.com|accessdate=2009-05-27}}{{cite
web|url=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b47952_oh_my_god_south_park_syndicated.html|title=Oh
My God! "South Park" Syndicated
|date=2004-07-30|publisher=www.eonline.com|accessdate=2009-05-27|last=Grossberg|first=Josh}}
Episodes further edited for content began running in syndication on
September 19, 2005, and are aired in the United States with the
[[Television content rating systems#United States|TV-14]]
rating.{{cite
web|url=http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=tunein2005&nav=fall&content=article&articleID=VR1117928175|title=Sanitized
'Sex,' 'South Park' all
set|date=2005-08-28|publisher=www.variety.com|accessdate=2009-05-27|last=Frankel|first=Daniel}}
[[20th Television]] replaced Tribune as co-distributor in early
2008. The series is currently aired in syndication in 90 percent of
the television markets across the US and Canada, where it generates
an estimated US$25 million a year in advertising revenue.{{cite
web|url=http://www.snta.com/php/display.php?p=program&p_id=213|title=SNTA
- South Park|publisher=www.snta.com|accessdate=2009-05-27}}{{cite
web|url=http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0316/086_cash_for_trash.html?feed=rss_business|date=2009-02-25|title=Cash
for
Trash|publisher=www.forbes.com|accessdate=2009-05-27|last=Rose|first=Lacey|last2=Streib|first2=Lauren}}
The first twelve seasons of ''South Park'' are available in their
entirety on DVD. Several other themed DVD compilations have been
released by [[Rhino Entertainment]] and Comedy Central,{{cite
web|url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19990520&slug=2961828|title=Videos|date=1999-05-20|publisher=''[[The
Seattle
Times]]''|accessdate=2009-08-11|last=Hart|first=John|last2=McFadden
|first2=Kay |last3=Simanton |first3=Keith }} while the
three-episode ''[[Imaginationland Episode I#Imaginationland: The
Movie|Imaginationland]]'' [[story arc]] was reissued
[[direct-to-video|straight-to-DVD]] as a full-length feature in
2008.{{cite
web|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/trey-parker-matt-stone,14216/|date=2008-03-19
|title=Trey Parker & Matt Stone | TV | A.V.
Club|publisher=www.avclub.com|accessdate=2009-08-14|last=Robinson|first=Tasha}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEPGrTUWVXBxUV
|title=South Park: Imaginationland Will Bring the Laughs on DVD on
March
11th|date=2008-01-17|publisher=www.movieweb.com|accessdate=2009-08-14}}{{cite
web |url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/dvdreviewsnews.php?id=42761
|title=DVD Roundup: 3.11.08 Blu-ray and DVD Review -
ComingSoon.net|date=2008-03-11|publisher=www.comingsoon.net
|accessdate=2009-08-14|last=Chitwood|first=Scott}} In March 2008,
Comedy Central made all ''South Park'' episodes available for
[[streaming media|legal streaming]] on the South Park Studios
website.{{cite
web|url=http://www.southparkstudios.com/news/?id=3405|title="South
Park" Creators Trey Parker And Matt Stone And Comedy Central Launch
The All-New
Southparkstudios.com|accessdate=2008-10-19|date=2008-03-25|
publisher=southparkstudios.com}} Within a week, the site served
more than a million streams of full episodes, and the number grew
to 55 million by October 2008.{{cite
web|url=http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/08/bb-exclusive-sneak-p.html|title=BB
Exclusive: Sneak Peek At South Park's Sweet, Yet-Unreleased iPhone
App|accessdate=2008-10-19|last=Jardin|first=Xeni|date=2008-10-08|publisher=[[Boing
Boing]] }} However, legal issues prevent episodes from being
accessible outside the US. In Canada, episodes are available for
streaming from The Comedy Network's website,{{cite
web|url=http://communities.canada.com/montrealgazette/blogs/insidethebox/archive/2008/03/27/south-park.aspx|title=South
Park: Now
streaming|date=2008-03-27|publisher=communities.canada.com
|accessdate=2009-08-01|last=Boshra|first=Basem}} and in September
2009, a South Park Studios website with streaming episodes was
launched in the UK.{{cite
web|http://www.southparkstudios.co.uk/news/?month=9&year=2009|title=SouthParkStudios.co.uk
Has Arrived |accessdate=2009-10-06|date=2009-09-26|
publisher=southparkstudios.co.uk}} ==Reception== ===Ratings=== When
''South Park'' debuted, it was a huge ratings success for [[Comedy
Central]] and is seen as being largely responsible for the success
of the channel, with Herzog crediting it for putting the network
"on the map".Johnson-Woods, pp. 6-8 The show's first episode,
"[[Cartman Gets an Anal Probe]]", earned a [[Nielsen
Ratings|Nielsen]] rating of 1.3 (980,000 viewers), considered high
for a [[Cable television in the United States|cable program]]. The
show instantly generated buzz among television viewers, and mass
viewing parties began assembling on college campuses. By the time
the eighth episode "[[Starvin' Marvin (South Park)|Starvin'
Marvin]]" aired three months after the show debuted, ratings and
viewership had tripled, and ''South Park'' was already the most
successful show in Comedy Central's history. When the tenth episode
"[[Damien (South Park)|Damien]]" aired the following February,
viewership increased another 33 percent. The episode earned a 6.4
rating, which at the time was over 10 times the average rating
earned by a cable show aired in [[prime time]]. The ratings peaked
with the second episode of [[South Park (season 2)|season two]],
"[[Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut]]", which aired on April 22,
1998. The episode earned an 8.2 rating (6.2 million viewers) and,
at the time, set a record as the highest-rated non-sports show in
basic cable history. During the spring of 1998, eight of the ten
highest-rated shows on basic cable were ''South Park'' episodes.
The success of ''South Park'' prompted more cable companies to
carry Comedy Central and led it to its becoming one of the
fastest-growing cable channels. The number of households that had
Comedy Central jumped from 9.1 million in 1997 to 50 million in
June 1998. When the show debuted, the most Comedy Central had
earned for a 30-second commercial was US$7,500. Within a year,
advertisers were paying an average of US$40,000 for 30 seconds of
advertising time during airings of ''South Park'' in its second
season, while some paid as much as US$80,000.{{cite news| author =
David Horowitz | title= Why Gore would censor "South Park"|
publisher = Salon.com| date= 1999-07-19|url =
http://www.salon.com/news/col/horo/1999/07/19/south_park/index2.html|
accessdate = 2009-05-12}} By the third season ([[1999 in
television|1999]]), the series' ratings began to decrease.{{cite
web|url=http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/1999/04/19339|title=Cartman
Goin' South?
|date=1999-04-27|publisher=wired.com|accessdate=2009-05-27}} The
third season premiere episode drew only 3.4 million viewers, a
dramatic drop from the 5.5 million of the previous season's
premiere. Stone and Parker attributed this drop in the show's
ratings to the media hype that surrounded the show in the previous
year, adding that the third season ratings reflected the show's
"true" fan base. The show's ratings dropped further in its fourth
season ([[2000 in television|2000]]), with episodes averaging just
above 1.5 million viewers. The ratings eventually increased, and
seasons five through nine consistently averaged about 3 million
viewers per episode. Though its viewership is lower than it was at
the height of its popularity in its earliest seasons, ''South
Park'' remains the highest-rated series on Comedy Central.
===Recognitions and awards=== In 2007, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''
magazine included the show on its list of the "100 Best TV Shows of
All Time", proclaiming it as "America's best source of rapid-fire
satire for [the past] decade".{{cite web |url =
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1651341_1659196_1652729,00.html
|title = South Park — The 100 Best TV Shows Of All-Time
|accessdate = 2008-10-19 |author = Poniewozik, James |date =
2007-08-14 |publisher = ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''}} The same
year, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' declared it to be the funniest show on
television since its debut 10 years prior.{{cite
web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/south_park_still_sick_still_wrong/page/2|title=Still
Sick, Still
Wrong|date=2007-03-22|publisher=rollingstone.com|accessdate=2009-05-27
|last=Grigoriadis|first=Vanessa}} In 2008, ''South Park'' was named
the 12th-greatest TV show of the past 25 years by ''[[Entertainment
Weekly]]'',{{cite web |url =
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20207076_20207387_20207339,00.html
|title = The New Classics: TV |accessdate = 2008-10-19 |date =
2008-06-17 |publisher = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' }} while
[[AOL]] declared it as having the "most astute" characters of any
show in history when naming it the 16th-best television comedy
series of all time.{{cite
web|url=http://television.aol.com/insidetv/2008/04/01/best-tv-comedies/|title=50
Best TV Comedies – Ever - Inside TV Blog|date=April
2008|publisher=television.aol.com|accessdate=2009-05-27}} The
character of Cartman ranked 10th on [[TV Guide]]'s 2002 list of the
"Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters",{{cite
news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/30/cartoon.characters.list/|title=TV
Guide's 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time
|accessdate=2007-08-25|date=2002-07-30|publisher=[[CNN]]}} 198th on
[[VH1]]'s "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons",Mansour, p. 144 19th on
[[Bravo (US TV network)|Bravo]]'s "100 Greatest TV Characters"
television special in 2004,{{cite
web|url=http://www.bravoprofiles.com/The_100_Greatest_TV_Characters/index.shtml|title=The
100 Greatest TV Characters|publisher=[[Bravo (US TV
network)|Bravo]]|accessdate=2007-08-25}} and second on [[MSNBC]]'s
2005 list of TV's scariest characters.{{cite news| author = Brian
Bellmont| title = TV’s top 10 scariest characters| work =
[[MSNBC]]| date = 2005-11-01| url =
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9699636/| accessdate = 2009-05-09}} In
2006, Comedy Central received a [[Peabody Award]] for ''South
Park'''s "stringent social commentary" and "undeniably fearless
lampooning of all that is self-important and hypocritical in
American life". ''South Park'' won the [[CableACE Award]] for Best
Animated Series in 1997, the last year the awards were given
out.Basile, Nancy.
[http://animatedtv.about.com/library/weekly/aa092102b.htm South
Park Awards]. [[About.com]]. Last accessed August 15, 2007. In
1998, ''South Park'' was nominated for the [[Annie Award]] for
Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Primetime or Late Night
Television Program. It was also nominated for the 1998 [[GLAAD
Media Awards|GLAAD Award]] for Outstanding TV – Individual Episode
for "[[Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride]]". ''South Park'' has been
nominated for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated
Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)|Emmy Award for
Outstanding Animated Program]] eight times (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004,
2005, [[58th Primetime Emmy Awards#Outstanding Animated Program
(Less Than One Hour)|2006]], [[59th Primetime Emmy
Awards#Outstanding Animated Program (for programming less than one
hour)|2007]] and 2009.) The show has won the award for Outstanding
Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour) three times,
for the 2005 episode "[[Best Friends Forever]]",{{cite
web|url=http://animatedtv.about.com/cs/news/a/awards_2.htm|title=South
Park Awards|accessdate=2008-12-25|publisher=about.com}} the 2006
episode "[[Make Love, Not Warcraft]]",{{cite web |url =
http://www.emmys.org/awards/2007pt/nominations_crtv.php?action=search_db#1
|title = 59th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Nominees/Winners
|accessdate = 2008-10-19 |year = 2007 |publisher = [[Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences]] }} and the 2009 episode
"[[Margaritaville (South Park)|Margaritaville]]". The
[[Imaginationland Episode I|Imaginationland]] trilogy of episodes
won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For
Programming One Hour Or More) in 2008.{{cite web |url =
http://cdn.emmys.tv/downloads/2008/CTA08winners_pressrel.pdf
|format=PDF|title = 2008 Creative Arts Emmy winners |accessdate =
2008-09-13 |date = 2008-09-13 |publisher = [[Academy of Television
Arts & Sciences]] }} ===Criticism and controversy===
{{main|South Park controversies}} {{Wikinewspar2|Isaac Hayes quits
South Park over Scientology episode|35 South Park complaints not
upheld, New Zealand}} The show's frequent depiction of taboo
subject matter, general toilet humor, accessibility to children
viewers, disregard of decency standards, and portrayal of religion
for comic effect have been the main sources for generating
controversy and debate over the course of its run. As the series
first became popular, several schools barred its students from
wearing ''South Park''-related T-shirts, while several parent
councils in the United Kingdom expressed concern when eight and
nine-year-old children voted the ''South Park'' character Cartman
as their favorite personality in a 1999 poll.{{cite news | title =
Cartman top with kids| publisher = [[BBC]] | date = 1999-08-26 |
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/430977.stm |
accessdate = 2009-05-09}} Parker and Stone, who are not opposed to
allowing older children and teenagers watch the show, assert
however that the show is not meant to be viewed by young children,
and the show is certified with TV ratings that indicate its
intention for mature audiences.{{cite news | author = Lawrie
Mifflin | title = TV Stretches Limits of Taste, to Little Outcry|
work = The New York Times | date = 1998-04-06 | url =
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/06/arts/tv-stretches-limits-of-taste-to-little-outcry.html?pagewanted=2
| accessdate = 2009-05-09}} [[Parents Television Council]] founder
[[L. Brent Bozell III]] and [[Action for Children's Television]]
founder [[Peggy Charren]] have both condemned the show, with the
latter claiming it is "dangerous to the democracy".{{cite web| last
= Bozell | first = L. Brent III| authorlink = L. Brent Bozell III|
title = 'South Park' Reconsidered, Sort Of| work = [[Media Research
Center|MediaResearch.org]]| publisher = [[Creators Syndicate]]|
date = 1998-02-11| url =
http://www.mediaresearch.org/BozellColumns/entertainmentcolumn/1998/col19980211.asp|
accessdate = 2007-07-14 }}{{cite news | author = Frank Rich | title
= Conservatives ♥ 'South Park' | work = The New York Times | date =
2005-05-01 | url=
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/01/opinion/01rich.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1|
accessdate = 2009-05-03}} Several other activist groups have
protested the show's parodies of [[Christianity]] and portrayal of
[[Jesus|Jesus Christ]].{{cite
web|url=http://capalert.com/capreports/southpark.htm|title=ChildCare
Action Project (CAP) Media Analysis Report
|date=1999|publisher=capalert.com|accessdate=2009-05-22|last=Carder|first=Thomas}}
Stone claims that parents who disapprove of ''South Park'' for its
portrayal of how kids behave are upset because they "have an
idyllic vision of what kids are like", adding "[kids] don't have
any kind of social tact or etiquette, they're just complete little
raging bastards". The show further lampooned the controversy
surrounding its use of profanity, as well as the media attention
surrounding the network show ''[[Chicago Hope]]'''s singular use of
the word "
shit", with the
season five premiere "
It Hits the Fan", in which the word "shit"
is said 162 times without being bleeped for censorship purposes,
while also appearing uncensored in written form. In the days
following the show's original airing, 5,000 disapproving e-mails
were sent to Comedy Central. Despite its 43 uncensored uses of the
racial slur "
nigger", the
season 11 episode "
With Apologies to Jesse
Jackson" generated relatively little controversy, as most in
the black community and the
NAACP
praised the episode for its context and its comedic way of
conveying other races' perceptions of how black people must feel
when hearing the word.
Specific controversies regarding the show have included an
April Fools' Day prank played on its
viewers in 1998, its depiction of the
Virgin Mary in the
season nine (2005) finale "
Bloody Mary" which angered several
Roman Catholic, its depiction of
Steve Irwin with a
stingray barb stuck in his chest in an episode that
originally aired only three weeks after Irwin was killed in the
same fashion, and Comedy Central's censorship of the depiction of
Muhammad in the
season 10 episode "
Cartoon Wars Part II" in the wake of
the
Jyllands-Posten
Muhammad cartoons controversy.
The
season nine (2005) episode
"
Trapped in the
Closet" denounces
Scientology as
nothing more than "a big fat global scam", while freely divulging
church information that Scientology normally only reveals to
members who make significant monetary contributions to the church.
The episode also ambiguously parodies the rumors involving the
sexual orientation of Scientologist
Tom
Cruise, who allegedly demanded any further reruns of the
episode be canceled. Hayes, a Scientologist, defended the episode
shortly after it aired, only to allegedly quit
South Park
due to his objection to the episode a few months later, while some
news sources suggest he was pressured to leave the production
involuntarily by fellow Scientologists.
Impact
Cultural
Commentary made in episodes have been interpreted as statements
Parker and Stone are attempting to make to the viewing public, and
these opinions have been subject to much critical analysis in the
media and literary world within the framework of popular
philosophical, theological, social, and political concepts.
Since
South Park debuted, college students have written term
papers and doctoral theses analyzing the show, while Brooklyn
College
offers a course called "South Park and
Political Correctness".
Soon after one of Kenny's trademark deaths on the show, other
characters would typically shout "Oh my God, they killed Kenny!".
The exclamation quickly became a popular catchphrase, while the
running gag of Kenny's recurring deaths are one of the more
recognized hallmarks among viewers of modern television. Cartman's
exclamations of "Respect my authori-tah!" and "Screw you guys
...I'm going home!" became catchphrases as well, and during the
show's earlier seasons, were highly popular in the lexicon of
viewers. Cartman's eccentric annunciation of "Hey!" was included in
the 2002 edition of
The Oxford Dictionary of
Catchphrases.
In the
season two episode
"
Chef Aid", attorney
Johnnie Cochran uses what's called within
the show as the
Chewbacca defense,
which is a legal strategy that involves addressing plot holes
related to
Chewbacca in the film
Return of
the Jedi rather than discussing the trial at hand during a
closing argument in a deliberate attempt to confuse jurors into
thinking there is
reasonable doubt.
The term "Chewbacca defense" has been documented as being used by
criminologists, forensic scientists, and political commentators in
their various discussions of similar methods used in legal cases
and public forums.
Another season two episode, "
Gnomes", revolves around a group
of "underpants
gnomes" who, as their name
suggests, run a corporation stealing people's underpants. When
asked about their business model, various gnomes reply that theirs
is a three-step process: Phase 1 is "collect underpants". Phase 3
is "profit". However, the gnomes are unable to explain what is to
occur between the first and final steps, and "Phase 2" is
accompanied by a large question mark on their corporate flow chart.
Especially in the context of politics and economics, "underpants
gnomes" has been used by some commentators to characterize a
conspicuous gap of logic or planning.
When Sophie Rutschmann of the
University of Strasbourg discovered
a mutated gene that causes an adult
fruit fly to die within two days
after if it is infected with certain bacteria, she named the gene
"Kenny" in honor of the character.
Political
While many conservatives have condemned the show for its vulgarity,
a growing population of people who hold
center-right political beliefs, including
teenagers and young adults, have embraced the show for its tendency
to mock
liberal viewpoints and lampoon
liberal celebrities and icons.
Political
commentator Andrew Sullivan
dubbed the group as
South
Park Republican, or
South Park conservatives.
Sullivan classified the group as "extremely skeptical of political
correctness but also are socially liberal on many issues", though
he says the phrase applied to them is meant to be more of a casual
indication of beliefs than a strong partisan label.
Brian C. Anderson describes the group as "generally
characterized by holding strong libertarian beliefs and rejecting
more conservative social policy", and notes that although the show
makes "wicked fun of conservatives", it is "at the forefront of a
conservative revolt against liberal media".
Parker and Stone downplay the show's alignment with any particular
political affiliation, and deny having a political agenda when
creating an episode.The two claim the show's higher ratio of
instances lampooning liberal orthodoxies stems simply from their
preference to make fun of liberals more than conservatives. The duo
explains that they perceive liberals as having both delusions of
entitlement to remain free from satire, and a propensity to enforce
political correctness while patronizing the citizens of
middle America. Parker and Stone are
uncomfortable with the idea of themselves or
South Park
being applied with any kind of partisan classification, and both
reject the "
South Park Republican" and "
South
Park conservative" labels as a serious notion, feeling that
either tag implies that one only adheres to strictly conservative
or
libertarian viewpoints. Canadian
columnist Jaime J. Weinman observes that the most die-hard
conservatives who identified themselves as
South Park
Republicans began turning away from the political movement when the
show ridiculed Republicans in the
season nine (2005) episode "
Best Friends Forever".
Film
In 1999, less than two years after the series first aired, a
feature-length
film was released. The film, a comedy/musical, was directed by
Parker, who co-wrote the script with Stone and
Pam Brady. The film was generally well-received by
critics, and earned a combined US$83.1 million at the domestic and
foreign box office. The film satirizes the controversy surrounding
the show itself and gained a spot in the 2001 edition of
Guinness World
Records for "Most Swearing in an Animated Film". The song
"
Blame Canada" from
the film's
soundtrack earned song co-writers Parker and
Marc Shaiman an
Academy Award nomination for
Best Music, Original
Song.
Media and merchandise
As a tribute to the
Dead Parrot sketch,
a short that features Cartman attempting to return a dead Kenny to
a shop run by Kyle aired during a 1999 BBC television special
commemorating the 30th anniversary of
Monty Python's Flying
Circus.
South Park parodied
Scientology in a short that aired as part of the
2000 MTV Movie Awards. The
short was entitled "The Gauntlet" and also poked fun at
John Travolta, a Scientologist. The four main
characters were featured in the
documentary film The Aristocrats, listening to
Cartman tell his version of the film's titular joke. Short clips of
Cartman introducing the starting lineup for the
University of Colorado football team were
featured during
ABC's
coverage of the 2007 match up between the University of Colorado
and the
University of
Nebraska. In 2008, Parker, as Cartman, gave answers to a
Proust Questionnaire conducted
by
Julie
Rovner of
NPR.
Chef Aid: The South
Park Album, a compilation of original songs from the show,
characters performing cover songs, and tracks performed by guest
artists was released in 1998, while
Mr. Hankey's Christmas
Classics, a compilation of songs performed by the characters
in the
episode of the
same name as well as other Christmas-themed songs was released
in 1999, as was the
soundtrack
to the feature film. The song "
Chocolate Salty Balls" (performed by
Hayes as Chef) was released as a single in the UK in 1998 to
support the
Chef Aid: The South Park Album and became a
number one hit.
Several
video games based on the series
have been released.
South
Park, a
first-person
shooter, was released in by
Acclaim for the
PC,
Nintendo
64, and
PlayStation. This was
followed in 1999 by
South Park: Chef's Luv
Shack, a
party
video game featuring quizzes and mini-games, on the
Dreamcast, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and PC. In
2000,
South Park Rally, a
racing game, was released on the Dreamcast, PlayStation, Nintendo
64, and PC. Parker and Stone, who had little to do with the
development of these games, publicly criticized Acclaim and the
quality of each
South Park game they produced.
South Park
Let's Go Tower Defense Play!, a video game for the
Xbox Live Arcade on the
Xbox 360, was developed by Doublesix Games and was
released on October 7, 2009.
Merchandising related to the show is an industry which generates
several million dollars a year. A
South Park pinball machine was
released in 1999 by Sega Pinball. The companies Fun 4 All,
Mezco Toyz, and Mirage have all produced various
South Park action figures,
collectibles, and plush dolls. In 1998, the top-selling specialty
T-shirt in the United States was based on
South Park, and
US$30 million in T-shirt sales was reached during the show's first
season.
Notes
- Johnson-Woods, pp. 89-103
- Arp and Jacoby, p. 58
- Interview with Jay Leno
- Fallows and Weinstock, p. 227
- Transcript of "Paula Zahn Now" from March 8,
2007. CNN. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
- Isaac Hayes Quits 'South Park,'
- Fallows and Weinstock, p. 165
- Short that aired during the 2000 MTV
Movie Awards
References
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