SOUTH PARK...It's Always Been Brilliant

South Park is one of the most important, influential, and consistently brilliant television shows of all time. It’s been around for 27 years and, despite what some people might think, it never went anywhere, never lost its bite, and never stopped being relevant.

Some folks are just noticing it again because Season 27 came roaring out of the gate like a flamethrower aimed directly at Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, ICE, and the general state of American politics and culture.

The first couple of episodes have been news events in themselves, satirical bombs so potent they got an actual reaction from the White House. Not bad for an “old” cartoon.

This all comes after Trey Parker and Matt Stone signed an unprecedented, over-a-billion-dollar deal with Paramount. And what did they do after cashing that gigantic check? They made some of the most brutal, fearless satire of their entire careers. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

This sudden cultural stir has pulled in new viewers, brought back people who haven’t watched since the early 2000s, and shocked others who assumed the show had disappeared into the background years ago. Well, surprise: it hasn’t. It’s been firing on all cylinders the whole time.

From its debut in 1997, born out of two crudely animated, hilariously profane shorts (The Spirit of Christmas in 1992 and 1995, the second of which became one of the first viral Internet sensations), South Park has been doing exactly what it set out to do: attack everything and everyone with equal opportunity offense.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, working right up until literal hours before air, keep it so current and topical that episodes feel ripped straight from the headlines. There have been documentaries about how they pull this off, and watching that creative chaos in action just proves how razor-sharp and committed they are to the craft of satire.

Let’s be honest, the genius here is Trey Parker. He writes and directs the majority of episodes, voices most of the characters, writes almost every song, and has an ear for parody and timing that is unmatched.

Matt Stone is his partner in crime, his best friend, and yes, maybe one of the luckiest guys alive... because his best friend happens to be one of the smartest satirical minds on the planet. Together, they’ve kept South Park edgy, funny, and fearless for nearly three decades. And they do it without compromise.

And for anyone thinking the show “fell off”? Wrong. Sure, over 27 seasons there have been a handful of weaker episodes or a storyline that didn’t quite land (that’s inevitable with any long-running show) but the overwhelming majority of South Park has been sharp, hilarious, and important.

If you want to understand what’s going on in politics, pop culture, religion, celebrity, or the absurdities of American life, you can’t do much better than South Park. It’s scatological, it’s vulgar, it’s offensive, it’s rule-free, and that’s exactly why it works.

The best satire offends, takes risks, and doesn’t care if it makes you uncomfortable. Parker and Stone don’t care if you’re laughing, cringing, or furious, as long as you’re feeling something.

Outside the show, they’ve given us the brilliant action movie satire Team America: World Police, the hysterically filthy superhero-porn comedy Orgazmo, and, in my opinion, the greatest movie musical of all time: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. That’s right, greatest movie musical ever made.

Loaded with unforgettable songs, gut-punch satire, and wall-to-wall laughs, it’s a masterpiece. And of course, they co-created The Book of Mormon, one of the funniest and most brilliant Broadway musicals in history. These guys love musicals almost as much as they love pushing buttons.

So now, with Season 27 making headlines and everyone suddenly talking about South Park again, I thought it was the perfect time to give you my personal list of the Top 10 Favorite South Park Episodes of all time.

Narrowing this down was brutal because there are dozens upon dozens of episodes that deserve a place here, but I’ve ranked them in order of my preference, from number 10 to my absolute favorite.

These are the ones that, for me, capture everything that makes South Park great: the absurdity, the filth, the intelligence, the fearlessness, and the perfect comedic timing.

Here we go…

MY TOP 10 FAVORITE EPISODES OF SOUTH PARK (in order of preference):

1. YOU'RE GETTING OLD

2011 – Season 15, Episode 7

This is my favorite South Park episode of all time. Absolutely heartbreaking. Beautiful. A very serious story about Stan realizing he’s getting older and maturing faster than his friends. After his birthday, he’s depressed, cynical, and sees the whole world as… well, shit. Literally.

Trailers for movies his friends are laughing at look like garbage to him, and even the duck who becomes president in one of them spews crap from its beak. His parents are separating, his world is falling apart, and then comes that montage at the end, set to Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide," that perfectly captures what it’s like to lose innocence and step reluctantly into adulthood. It stunned me when it first aired. I watched it three times in a row.

It’s funny, scatological, outrageous, but ultimately deeply emotional and honest. The best episode they’ve ever done.

2. MEMBER BERRIES

2016 – Season 20, Episode 1

This one has become part of the cultural lexicon. “Member Berries” is a brilliant, hilarious, and scathing takedown of nostalgia culture: the endless reboots, legacy sequels, and the death of originality in entertainment.

The berries themselves are hilarious, whispering sweet “remember when” nothings, all while the 2016 presidential election plotline ramps up with Mr. Garrison morphing into a Trump-inspired figure. It’s satire on the comfort of the past and the stupidity of overindulgence in it. Even more relevant now than when it aired, given the current glut of recycled pop culture.

3. DEAD KIDS

2018 – Season 22, Episode 1

One of the darkest and most controversial episodes they’ve ever made, tackling the epidemic of school shootings in America and how frighteningly routine they’ve become.

Cartman, Kyle, Stan, Kenny, they are all navigating a reality where dodging bullets is just part of daily life. The laughs are there, but the weight of the satire is heavy. It’s about violence in media, in schools, in everything. Uncompromising, uncomfortable, and essential viewing.

4. FISHSTICKS

2009 – Season 13, Episode 5

A hilarious satire on viral comedy, internet culture, and the fight over who gets credit for jokes. Features an absolutely ridiculous and pitch-perfect parody of Kanye West that was so good it genuinely pissed him off in real life.

The original “Fishsticks” song is one of the best musical gags in South Park history. Also, fun fact: SNL alum Bill Hader co-wrote this one. Brilliant, silly, biting. And Kanye had it coming.

5. THE TALE OF SCROTIE MCBOOGERBALLS

2010 – Season 14, Episode 2

A vulgar, absurd, and sharp send-up of literary criticism and the arbitrary nature of “required reading” in schools. The boys try to write the most disgusting book ever to rebel against reading Catcher in the Rye again… and it’s hailed as a masterpiece.

Butters gets the credit, is declared a genius, and the whole thing skewers pretension in criticism and the ridiculousness of overinterpretation. Highbrow meets lowbrow in one of Trey Parker’s funniest satires.

6. CARTOON WARS (Parts 1 & 2)

2006 – Season 10, Episodes 3 & 4

These are hard to find now, but they’re absolute must watches. A brutal takedown of Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane, and their cutaway gag style. Sparked by controversy over Family Guy’s jokes about Muslims, it dives into censorship and lazy writing.

The depiction of Family Guy’s writing process (manatees picking idea balls) is comedy gold. Caused real tension between Parker/Stone and MacFarlane, which only makes it funnier.

7. TRAPPED IN THE CLOSET

2005 – Season 9, Episode 12

One of the most outrageous episodes ever, targeting R. Kelly’s bizarre “Trapped in the Closet” music video, Tom Cruise, Scientology, and the rumors around Cruise’s personal life.

Caused huge controversy, especially with Isaac Hayes (Chef), a Scientologist, who quit the show over it. Tom Cruise reportedly hated it, which is basically the highest compliment. Fearless, filthy, and savage.

8. ALL ABOUT MORMONS

2003 – Season 7, Episode 12

The Mormon Church was not pleased with this one. A new Mormon family moves to town, Kyle learns the bizarre origin story of the religion, and it’s as absurd and hilarious as you’d expect.

This episode would plant the seeds for The Book of Mormon musical, which became a Broadway phenomenon. Controversial, smart, and classic South Park.

9. SCOTT TENORMAN MUST DIE

2001 – Season 5, Episode 5

Dark, dark, dark. Cartman enacts an elaborate revenge plot on a bully, and it goes to shocking places.

Even for Cartman, this is next level, cementing him as one of TV’s greatest villains while still making you laugh. A landmark episode in showing just how far South Park will go.

10. THE RETURN OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING TO THE TWO TOWERS

2002 – Season 6, Episode 13

One of the all-time great “kids playing pretend” episodes. A Lord of the Rings parody mixed with an exploration of pop culture obsession and fandom hypocrisy.

Loaded with rapid-fire references, character moments, and absurd humor. Pure, joyous, geeky fun executed with South Park’s signature bite.

So, that's my list. Did I leave any of your favorites out? Let me know by sending me an email at nick@nickdigilio.com.

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