As a longtime fan of South Park, I must say that the episode “A Million Little Fibers” left me rather perplexed, much like a lost sheep in a field of identical sheep. It seemed as though the creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, had ventured off on their own tangent, straying far from the familiar South Park pastures we all know and love.
Initially airing in 1997, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s groundbreaking series, known as South Park, has remained on the air without interruption. Known for its biting wit and raw humor, the show’s edge has only grown sharper over time, although it occasionally misses the mark. The creators are open about their mistakes, and this list will focus on specific episodes rather than those that they later regretted due to perceived juvenile writing (as expressed by Cracked) or because the real-life character they were satirizing, Donald Trump, is already satirized daily by himself.
In some instances, certain episodes of a show may not hold up as well over time due to outdated perspectives on social issues, and the creators may have since expressed regret about these episodes’ viewpoints. However, this doesn’t mean that the episodes aren’t still funny; in fact, they often are. It’s just that their approach to a particular social issue might not be as accurate or appropriate today.
7 Jakovasaurs
Season 3, Episode 4
The “Jakovasaurs” episode of South Park, despite being universally disliked, doesn’t necessarily represent the best work from their early days. Looking back, it isn’t a complete disaster; there are some amusing parts. However, in their attempt to mock Jar Jar Binks, they ended up creating a character strikingly similar to Jar Jar Binks themselves. This is something they acknowledged not long after the episode was released, as evidenced by their comments in the DVD version of the episode.
Less So Emulation Than Replication
During the production of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut’s post-processing phase, Matt and Trey were simultaneously working on the projects. This included the remarkable Season 8 and Team America: World Police, which was a demanding process for them. Unfortunately, both projects didn’t turn out as they hoped. However, one of the productions, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, managed to succeed, depending on individual viewers’ opinions.
6 Butters’ Very Own Episode
Season 5, Episode 14
The first episode to center on Butters Stotch is hands down still one of the funniest. In fact, it might still be the funniest. “Butters Very Own Episode” is ridiculously grim, in a way that wasn’t matched until Season 9’s Pet Sematary-inspired “Marjorine.” But there’s one element that hasn’t aged particularly well: Chris Stotch’s speech at the end.
Exoneration & Regret
Following events that appear to involve their son’s death and subsequent concealment, Butters’ parents found acceptance within a club resembling a secret society, which includes O.J. Simpson, John and Patricia Ramsey, and politician Gary Condit. The district attorney in the Ramsey case declined to indict them, while a single witness in the Condit case was caught on tape confessing to fabricating testimony. Although neither case has been definitively solved, it seems questionable that these individuals should have been admitted to the club. In a 2011 interview, Trey and Matt expressed regret for involving the three in suspicion, but they did not mention O.J. Simpson, who died without revealing his supposed secret.
5 South Park Is Gay!
Season 7, Episode 8
The team titled this episode as one of their least preferred, primarily because they disliked the conclusion involving the crab-like characters. In their DVD commentary, they referred to it as “our most regrettable idea.” Moreover, in “Quest for Ratings” from Season 8, Cartman proposes reviving the concept of crab people, to which Stan responds: “I believe we can come up with something more appealing than crab people.“
Still a Fan-Favorite Ending
Despite being unexpected and out-of-the-ordinary, the crab characters have become iconic. There’s something about their portrayal that seems offbeat yet effective. Perhaps it was a creative decision made in the heat of storytelling, but it manages to work remarkably well.
4 A Million Little Fibers
Season 10, Episode 3
“An Unusual Episode of South Park”
Widely Deemed a Flop
Regarding Stone, he found it “strange layered with strange at its core. Frankly, I believe this program could be divided into two separate shows. However, when combined, it seems more like, ‘What on earth is this junk? Why am I watching this?’ I turned on the TV to enjoy South Park, not to watch a conversation between Oprah’s private parts and a towel.”
3 ManBearPig
Season 10, Episode 6
In episodes “Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow” from Season 9 and “ManBearPig” in Season 10, Trey and Matt were quite vocal about their previous skepticism regarding global warming, treating it as a myth. However, over time, they’ve changed their perspective on this issue, which is fortunate. In fact, among all political topics they’ve publicly discussed, global warming is one that has seen the most significant shift in their views.
Still Amazing (As is Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow)
In Season 22, the episodes titled “Time to Get Cereal” and “Nobody Got Cereal?” featured a significant change in direction for the show, and it’s not far-fetched to say that they accurately portrayed former Vice President Al Gore as someone who might use serious issues to draw attention. Moreover, the scene of him with fake fur attached, saying “Gwwoan! Gwwoan!” is one for the history books. The episodes are quite entertaining, I must add.
2 Make Love, Not Warcraft
Season 10, Episode 8
The episode titled “Make Love, Not Warcraft” showcased one of South Park’s top characters who appeared in just a single installment. Interestingly, this was the episode that helped the animated series secure its second Emmy Award. However, before its airing, Trey Parker was quite anxious, admitting to the producers: “I’ve lost my touch. I don’t know how to handle this anymore.”
Trey Came Around
In 2015, Trey and Matt ranked “Make Love, Not Warcraft” as their third-best episode ever. However, before its release, Trey was hesitant about the quality of the episode, expressing his concerns to Executive Producer Anne Garefino, saying that it could potentially harm the reputation of South Park due to its perceived poor quality, according to The Independent.
1 Insheeption
Season 14, Episode 10
The 14th series of South Park is considered by some to be the start of a downward trend, and this isn’t without reason. For instance, it featured Cartman in a Coon costume, acting like a cat while giving Cthulhu a back scratch. Additionally, it included the mostly humorless “Insheeption” episode, which at times feels more unlike South Park than even the mentioned Cthulhu scene.
Very Unusual for Trey and Matt
When it comes to “Insheeption,” you might not always get the feel of a typical South Park episode, because Trey Parker and Matt Stone borrowed certain elements and dialogues from a CollegeHumor parody video titled “Inception Characters Don’t Understand Inception.” Later on, Matt acknowledged this by apologizing, explaining that they didn’t have the actual movie to refer to while creating the episode, so they relied on the internet, including the CollegeHumor video.
As a long-time fan of movies and television shows, I appreciate the effort that goes into creating them, especially when it comes to intricate plots like “Inception.” However, as a fellow creator who has worked under tight deadlines, I can empathize with the situation that led to the mistake made by the writers. In my own experience, working on a tight schedule and having limited time to perfect every detail can sometimes lead to honest mistakes. It’s important to remember that even the best of us make errors from time to time. In this case, I think the apology was genuine, and it’s understandable that they had to call and apologize for any confusion caused by the oversight. I hope they continue to create great content in the future, learning from their experiences and striving for excellence.
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2024-08-12 00:01