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June 10, 2012 3:32 PM

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Creating "South Park": Laughs on a deadline

By: Overtime Staff
Topics: Overtime Original

"Rude, crude, and blasphemous" is how "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft describes the Broadway hit musical "The Book of Mormon." This week on "60 Minutes," Kroft profiles the creators of the Tony Award-winning musical, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are both famous and infamous for their animated cable TV series "South Park," which could best be described as, well, rude, crude and blasphemous.

View Steve Kroft's full "60 Minutes" report here.

As you'll see in Steve Kroft's report, produced by Graham Messick, Parker and Stone have developed a unique chemistry over 20 years of collaboration. They can complete each other's sentences, and can speak in such shorthand that it often sounds like code.

On "60 Minutes Overtime," we dig into that partnership a bit more, showing how Parker and Stone accomplish the feat of creating a new South Park episode every six days.

The show airs on Wednesday, which means that on Thursday morning, the team starts with a clean slate, and through the sheer power of brainstorming and bathroom humor, they are ready for air less than a week later.

Parker and Stone tell Kroft that they make changes right up to the final moment in order to make it better, a work habit that Kroft says he can identify with. "We work exactly the same way" at "60 Minutes," Kroft tells them.

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by 07281974 June 15, 2012 5:14 PM EDT

I never watched an espisode of South Park and never will. 1 week preparation by Parker and Stone is probably not very well planned and thought out!! Which makes me think who the heck pushed these 2 guys up or who do they know! I would not say this is talent but rudness at its best! I would not make my kids watch this junk when they were younger! I call it "JUNK PARK", (can you actually get paid for doing this) and be a success!!

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Anthony Joseph Lucchese

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by Soiga February 5, 2013 12:06 PM EST: There are three words describing <South Park>,according Kroft ,but you just can see one word "rude" inside. Yep ,there are many rude elements in the series ,but should 'n t we just don't be too serious about them?They somehow provide relaxation for us.Besides ,I can say ,there is always a moral in every episode , as the characters usually say "Guys,I have learnt something today"etc. and you can actually learn something that the episode suggesting at the end of it ,maybe it is about free-speech ,respect the wildlife etc. or just about the absurdities and fun,or so in the episode.I think highly of the <south park> ,it isn't like the big work ,it just offers fun to us and slow down our swift daily life a bit more.


by parisdakar June 11, 2012 9:21 AM EDT: I'll never forget the Lemmiwinks & Mr. Slave episode. My jaw was on the floor, when I wasn't falling off the couch laughing. The Lemmiwinks song is still in my head.; Reply to this comment

by LokiLyesmyth June 10, 2012 11:44 PM EDT

I remember watching the first episode of South Park when I was in the 6th grade (my parents weren't too happy about it, but they knew I was mature enough to handle the crude content) and I have been watching it ever since then. I feel like I grew up with Stan, Kenny Kyle and Cartman; I've seen their characters mature and they have been making me laugh for 15 years now. I am proud to see the talents of Matt Stone and Trey Parker evolve and succeed for so long. Matt and Trey are truly amazing people and it's awe inspiring to see them tackle Broadway with record breaking results.

I LOVE MATT AND TREY!

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by Soiga February 5, 2013 12:10 PM EST: Approve


by LABrown69 June 10, 2012 11:03 PM EDT: Are we gonna avoid the Muslim censorship issue until our free speech is gone if a Moose-Limb is involved?; Reply to this comment

by buster34s June 10, 2012 8:28 PM EDT

Very shoddy journalism by CBS to suggest that there is no topic that the South Park writers will not touch. It is well known that they caved to threats surrounding their "Mohammed in a bear skit". Shame on 60 mintues

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by bunnasoo2 June 11, 2012 6:29 AM EDT: Not so. The writers DID touch it, they made 4 entire episodes about it (Two 2-parters). It was Comedy Central that censored it.


by buster34s June 14, 2012 8:13 PM EDT: To: bunnasoo2

You state that SP made 4 episodes satarizing Islam, but Comedy Central censored it. OK--if true I still say shoddy journalism by
CBS for not mentioning that critical part of the story.

by hypnotoad72 June 10, 2012 8:24 PM EDT

Yes, yes, a show featuring a kid doing something x-rated to a dog is really funny stuff.

NOT.

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by MANIMALGODBEAST June 11, 2012 4:01 AM EDT: Holy Crap! As if someone still using the old "Not!" trope for comic effect knew anything about comedy!

"A not joke is a joke from the early to mid 90s that was told in many cases in grade school. Part of the reason they were discussed in 'Borat' is that anybody who was around then remembers that those jokes haven't been used much since then. (i.e.: 'Not jokes are funny. NOT')"

Maybe you should always stick to vanilla, retard.


by avannrok September 25, 2011 8:27 PM EDT: Funny how they say the Scientology episode was the most controversial but make no mention of them being in danger for including Mohammed in their show. I can only imagine if they made a Broadway show satirizing Islam as they have with the Morman faith....s-l-i-c-e! They would never dare and yet they say nothing is over the line, unless a Fatwa is put out on you. Free speech about all except Islam.; Reply to this comment

by Jim Burks September 25, 2011 8:25 PM EDT

I stopped caring about them when they pulled their punches and dropped the show that pictured Mohammed. Shame you didn't mention that.

They're fine with making fun of Jesus, the Book of Mormon, even Scientologists.

But, they draw the line and respect Mohammed.

Why?

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by ShadowSync September 25, 2011 10:14 PM EDT: I believe that was a decision by Comedy Central and not Matt & Trey. If I recall correctly they even had a post up on their website site 'South Park Studios' regarding this decision.

I am upset as well about that decision, however I do consider the fact that this is the only thing Comedy Central has pulled to win them back at least a few points.


by JeffreyHammonds September 26, 2011 12:53 AM EDT: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/22/south-park-mohammed-censo_n_547484.html

They had already shown Mohammed before, back in 2001 and nobody batted an eyelid.


by MarFulto September 29, 2011 12:15 PM EDT: In reply to the people that are going to say "No they don't, they take equal pot-shots at all religions". That is a huge lie. They take pot-shots at the religions that they aren't concerned will kill them (probably). They stepped on Islam's toes once, called themselves Brave for doing it, then ran away like little girls and haven't barked up that tree ever again. Yet all the other religions take it on the chin each and every week on their show. In short, they are a bunch of *******. If they want to prove us wrong, then don't do a Broadway play on Mormons (the most vanilla of all religions), do it on Islam. Go on, I dare you. They won't because ultimately they are the kings of *******. That doesn't mean I don't love me my S.P. though, watch it every week, it's hilarious!


by buster34s June 10, 2012 8:25 PM EDT: Shoddy, very shoddy journalism by 60 Minutes to duck the issue of the "Mohammed as a bear" incidenet on South Park. To make matters worse, they were willing to let the statement stand that there is not topic that South Park will not satarize. There is one---it is Islam! The detail of whether the bear skit was pulled by the writers or by comedy central is not relavant. A big missed opportunity by CBS to have done an honest, proding interview.


by flgirl4life September 25, 2011 8:04 PM EDT: So Stan's parents stay divorced.... I bet the editor for this video didn't realize that is a huge spoiler.; Reply to this comment

by LizzyBean76 September 25, 2011 8:01 PM EDT

While it was an interesting interview, I'm highly disappointed that "The Book of Mormon" got so little time. South Park has been on the air for well over a decade already...did we really need to hear so much about it?

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by eveldickfan September 25, 2011 8:22 PM EDT: Yes- the more, the better.


by HULUDicidal September 25, 2011 8:37 PM EDT: Yes, South Park deserves every bit of attention it gets.


by annmac38 September 29, 2011 11:27 AM EDT: Yes, HULUicidal--"South Park deserves every bit of attention it gets" So here's more attention--At its beginning, SP was funny and irreverent. As time went on, it became increasingly vulgar and disgusting. It stays that way. Since its viewers seem to thrive on smut, it will go on. To paraphrase, subtlety is the soul of wit--South Park overreaches and is offensive.

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