Subversive, satirical, and sold out

Parker: South Park was where everyone growing up, all the stories would come where like, "Oh, did you hear they found another UFO? There's been all these cattle mutilations." It was like, "Where?" "South Park."

Their version of South Park would become a creative petri dish to examine and parody all the truly weird things going on in the adult world of America, as seen through the eyes of four elementary school boys, who try to make sense of it all.

Parker: We used to talk about "All in the Family." And we were big fans of "All in the Family." In the time of the early nineties we were kind of sitting there going, you know, a show like that couldn't be on the air right now. You couldn't do it because things are so PC. You couldn't have an Archie Bunker. And we used to talk about how, you know, if Archie Bunker was eight years old, I bet you could do it.

Mr. Garrison in "South Park": By the way children there's a walkout scheduled today to protest the war in Iraq. So if you're against the war, run along outside. And if you're for the war stay here and we'll do math problems.

Kids in unison: Yaay!!

A common device is to drop the kids in the middle of some explosive situation and surround them with extremes on all sides of an issue.

Mr. Mackey in "South Park": Oh, here you go boys. These'll help you protest.

Reporter: Tom Statsel, HBC News. Can you tell me why you kids marched out of school today?

Stan: Um... War?

Pro-war protestor: Hey all you un-American bastards. If you don't like America why don't you git out?!

The show regularly takes on race and and bigotry.

Pat Sajak in "South Park": OK. The category is "People Who Annoy You."

Randy: I know it but I don't think I should say it.

In this episode one of the boys' father makes an embarrassing appearance on "Wheel of Fortune."

Randy: Oh. Naggers. Of course.

And then there was this, on the financial crisis.

Banker: How can I help you young man?

Stan: I got a $100 check from my grandma and my dad says I have to put it in the bank so it can grow over the years.

Banker: Well that's fantastic, a really smart decision young man. We can put that check in a money market mutual fund, then we'll reinvest the earnings in a foreign currency account with compounding interest aaannd... it's gone.

Stan: Uh. What?

Banker: It's gone. It's all gone.

Stan: What's gone?

Banker: The money in your account. It didn't do too well. It's gone.

Stan: What do you mean? I have $100!

Banker: Not any more you don't. Poof!

It is worth reminding the uninitiated viewer that we are showing you sanitized scenes suitable for network television, not the cable, movie or DVD versions, in which the dialogue can be scatological as well as philosophical, and every bit as profane as it is profound. It is usually pitch-perfect to anyone who has spent any time around 10-year-olds aspiring to be adolescents.

Kroft: I bet if you eavesdropped on a bunch of fourth graders today, the language would be pretty close to what you hear on "South Park."

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[mollydtt]

I wonder if any of the disparaging comments have been posted by people that have actually seen the musical.
By the time you get to the last scene, you see everyone on the stage thanking God, and the audience is ready to sing along and dance in the aisles.

[anzianok]

I'm a life-long mormon who has only recently realized that it's a sham - but a well-meaning one. That's why I love this play. Parker and Stone play with some of the goofy aspect of mormonism, but don't touch on any of the truly damaging and vicious aspects, choosing rather to emphasize the good, and I admire that approach. It also keeps things lighthearted and funny. The LDS church can take it, as opposed to Islam that may shoot you in the face. Even faithful mormons who aren't put-off by language and blasphemy will actually enjoy this one. If it offends you, you really need to lighten up. It's a thought-provoking, sweet and funny take on religion. The characters responsible for the blasphemy grow, and are praising God by the end of the play.

[thistlerachelle]

Dear 60 Minutes; Last night I watched your new fall show. First you featured the huge new Anti-Terrorist team of the N.Y.P.D. Then you showed actors on Broadway lifting their hands to heaven and singing " F--- You God. " with crowds of people lining up to pay money to see this:..... Is it just me, or do you also see the irony in the juxtaposition of these two 60 Minutes features? i.e.blasphemy as entertainment and the need for more and more protection. That fancy new police brigade had better be really good. R. Avola, Minister of the Gospel , Surprise, Az.

[ALBrainTrust13]

Brave....Brave....Brave.....picking on the nice Mormons.....Try out a parady of Mohammed and The Koran and find out how evil those Mormons really are, by comparison to the radical Muslims.

[painterir]

Leaderless is right. The two creators lied last night. The episode with Jesus and Santa was suppose to be with Jesus and Mohamed, but they changed it.They will attack any religion but Islam. They can mock the Mormons or any other religion, but lay off of Islam, and the idiots that find them funny flock to their stupid play. I don't see anything funny about these two or there cartoon.

[Bionicman_Denton]

Hey, another person who has no idea what he's talking about. How do you guys always manage to find the South Park stories and rant about the same ignorant lie?

Trey and Matt made SEVERAL South Park episodes mocking the fact that some Muslims offer death threats to people who make fun of them or show their prophet. Their last two-parter about the subject was censored by Comedy Central without their permission, and they received death threats anyway. In fact, a would-be Muslim terrorist was sentenced to 25 years in the case just a few months ago.

Whoops.

[HorseFeathersM]

Mr. Parker and Mr. Stone have created years of hysterical and irreverent topical criticism via Southpark and other very funny projects. The piece on how the SP episodes are created was amazing....four days. I am in awe. Very few things I have watched have made me laugh out loud and as often as these guys work. I grew up with all my extended family of the LDS faith and the SP episode on "The Church," was one of the most memorable. I sincerely hope I get the chance to see the Broadway production. Kudos guys and thanks for the laughs.

[Leaderless]

Kroft: Are there lines that you won't cross?
Stone: No. I don't, yeah, we haven't found one yet.
----------------------------------------------------
Come on, trey and matt are scared to death of making fun of Allah and the Muslims extremist......

[vee-dub-luv]

nope - comedy central is scared to death & continues to add the censorship to the 'mohammed' episodes. interesting that only one religion is "off limits" according to the networks...