South Park has commented on current affairs for over 25 years. Partially due to its tight production schedule, the long-running series by Trey Parker and Matt Stone have managed to comment on said affairs with biting accuracy and effective resolution. This approach has earned them a heaping of controversy, but one cannot deny its influence, especially regarding their depictions of celebrities.
Some are fair and balanced depictions, while others go completely off the wall with how they represent the likes of actors, musicians, and political figures. Nevertheless, they often help make some of the show’s best episodes and help to remind people why South Park is one of the best adult animated shows on TV.
10 ‘Fish Sticks’ — Kanye West
Season 13, Episode 5 (2009)
Jimmy makes a joke involving fish sticks one day, much to Cartman’s amusement. Soon the joke becomes immensely popular, and everybody can’t stop laughing. Everybody except for rapper Kanye West. He does not understand its meaning, and his massive ego doesn’t let anybody explain it to him.
Soon his inability to understand a simple joke gets so severe he begins killing people and threatens Cartman and Jimmy’s lives. By the end, he seems to have finally understood the joke — as a means of discovering his identity and love for fish.
9 ‘The Passion of the Jew’ — Mel Gibson
Season 8, Episode 3 (2004)
The Passion of the Christ has come to a theater near South Park. While Cartman sees it as a chance to form an anti-Semitic army, Kyle is horrified by its violent content, making him feel guilty for being Jewish. Meanwhile, Stan and Kenny hated it and decided to get their money back. To get their cash, they go all the way to the home of the film’s director — Mel Gibson.
Gibson is depicted as a Daffy Duck-esque nutbag who loves torturing himself and refuses to give the boys their money back. He ends up chasing them in a Mad Max-style truck, wearing Braveheart, facepaint, and destroying the theater where The Passion is playing.
8 ‘Raising the Bar’ — Honey Boo Boo & James Cameron
Season 16, Episode 9 (2012)
While dealing with Cartman getting a mobility scooter, Kyle watches Here Comes Honey Boo Boo for the first time. The program utterly appalls him, especially with Honey Boo Boo flaunting her heart attacks. When Cartman learns that Token has created a similar program around him, he challenges Honey Boo Boo to a fight on the White House Lawn.
Meanwhile, beloved film director James Cameron embarks on an expedition to the bottom of the ocean to raise the bar – even getting his own theme song. By the time he accomplishes this task, people watching the fight begin to realize how low their standards for entertainment have gotten.
7 ‘The Jeffersons’ — Michael Jackson
Season 8, Episode 6 (2004)
The boys meet a new kid named Blanket, who introduces them to his father, Michael Jefferson. While Cartman adores Mr. Jefferson’s childish lifestyle, Stan and Kyle are put off by his neglectful parenting and eccentric demeanor.
As the episode continues, it becomes apparent that Mr. Jefferson is shy around adults, unwilling to grow up, and addicted to plastic surgery. It should be no surprise that this character is a parody of the late singer/songwriter Michael Jackson. It’s such a blatant metaphor that the only attempt to separate the two is to give a different name and a fake mustache.
6 ‘The New Terrance and Phillip Movie Trailer’ — Russell Crowe
Season 6, Episode 5 (2002)
The trailer for the latest Terrance and Phillip movie is airing on TV tonight, and the boys can’t wait. But they must find a working TV somewhere in town to watch it during a commercial break for a show called Fightin’ Round the World With Russell Crowe.
The show itself involves Crowe and his sentient tugboat Tuggy sailing across the globe and beating the snot out of random people. A cross between Popeye and Steve Irwin, Crowe even goes as far as beating up his show’s editor and playing music terrible enough to drive poor Tuggy to self-harm.
5 ‘Trapped in the Closet’ — Tom Cruise
Season 9, Episode 12 (2005)
Stan gets tested at a Scientology center, and his results are so high that several Scientologists believe he is the direct reincarnation of their founder L. Ron Hubbard. Soon he becomes a sensation, getting attention from Mission: Impossible and Top Gun star Tom Cruise.
Upon hearing Stan’s disapproval of his acting, he locks himself in Stan’s closet and refuses to come out. Everybody, including Nicole Kidman and John Travolta, keeps trying to get Cruise to “come out of the closet” while he stubbornly refuses. Cruise would later become the villain in the infamous two-parter for South Park’s 200th episode.
4 ‘Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset’ — Paris Hilton
Season 8, Episode 12 (2004)
Paris Hilton has come to South Park, and everyone is excited about her arrival. Unfortunately, the girls in school all want to emulate her, much to Wendy’s disappointment. After Paris’ dog shoots herself to escape her controlling behavior, she chooses Butters as her next pet.
While Butters is horrified at the prospect of being her pet, especially wearing a little bear suit, his parents are excited by the financial gain. Eventually, Paris ends up facing a challenge against Mr. Garrison’s lover Mr. Slave, ending in a rather disgusting display.
3 ‘Mecha-Streisand’ — Barbra Streisand
Season 1, Episode 12 (1998)
While out on a field trip, Cartman and Kyle discover an ancient triangle stone. Unfortunately, this news attracts the attention of Broadway and film superstar Barbra Streisand. It turns out the diamond is the last piece she needs to transform into a giant robot and take over the world.
The only thing able to stop her is the combined forces of Leonard Maltin, Sidney Poitier, and Robert Smith. Needless to say, the real Streisand was not amused, and the South Park team would continue mocking her for the next few years.
2 ‘More Crap’ — Bono
Season 11, Episode 9 (2007)
After several weeks of being constipated, Randy ends up producing the largest turd in the world. However, his record is seemingly beaten by an unusual rival — rock star, U2 vocalist, and Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark songwriter Bono. Randy becomes determined to win the record, while Bono stubbornly refuses to be “number two” at anything he does.
It all comes to a head when Stan discovers that Bono didn’t break the record; he IS the record. It’s an episode packed with poop jokes that ties it all together by mocking one of the world’s most prominent musicians.
1 ‘The Worldwide Privacy Tour’ — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Season 26, Episode 2 (2023)
South Park has used the land of Canada as their base of mockery for the British Royal Family before, but “The Worldwide Privacy Tour” is their biggest parody of the monarchy yet. Loosely modeled after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the prince and princess of Canada are going on a book tour and end up in South Park.
They move across the street from Kyle, announcing and reiterating that the number one thing they are after is privacy — even though their activities seem to demand attention. In the end, Kyle convinces the prince that he and his wife are trying to control their brand rather than allowing themselves to be free.
