10 Most Controversial South Park Episodes

For close to three decades, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s “South Park” has been a source of laughter for many, with no signs of slowing down. However, due to its bold satire that often targets a wide range of subjects, it’s inevitable that an episode may offend someone from any background. At times, the question arises whether the biting humor in certain episodes justifies the potential backlash. This is particularly true when “South Park” addresses religious figures such as the prophet Muhammad, which they have done not once but five times. But it’s important to note that this isn’t the only controversial topic that has landed the series in hot water.

Of course, the movie “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut” wasn’t taken into account, and it undoubtedly frustrated those who were already displeased by the relatively tame early seasons of the series. Additionally, the Paramount+ specials like the one centered around OnlyFans, titled “South Park (Not Suitable for Children)“, were also not considered.

“Super Best Friends” — Season 5, Episode 3

In “South Park’s” Season 5, the prophet Muhammad was introduced for the first time in the episode titled “Super Best Friends.” This is the only instance where he has appeared on screen within the series, and it can be viewed by those who have the Season 5 DVD collection.

To be honest, it’s not accurate to claim that Muhammad is satirized in “Super Best Friends.” Similar figures like Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Joseph Smith, Krishna, Laozi, and the “Sea Man” are included in the group that ultimately challenge David Blaine, who is the main focus of the episode. However, you cannot access “Super Best Friends” as it’s not available for streaming.

“All About Mormons” — Season 7, Episode 12

Two years following his role in the takedown of David Blaine, who is known as the founder of the Mormon religion, Joseph Smith, became the subject of satire by Parker and Stone themselves. Predictably, members of the Mormon faith found this unappealing. It’s worth noting that their production, “All About Mormons,” made reference to them as being ‘dumb,’ on approximately 147 occasions.

As an observer, I can’t help but appreciate this episode, which seems to have struck a chord with some members of the Mormon community, finding it amusing and endearing, as Parker suggests. However, the episode doesn’t exactly portray the religion as mere nonsense. Instead, it subtly emphasizes that the essence lies not in the label but in the impact on its followers. The depicted believers are individuals who invest time in their families and extend a helping hand to those in need, thereby underscoring the positive changes brought about by their faith.

“Ginger Kids” — Season 9, Episode 11

One outstanding episode from Season 9, titled “Ginger Kids,” unintentionally sparked a series of regrettable and intolerable real-life incidents. Ed Sheeran humorously suggested that the episode had a negative impact on his life, but he was relatively fortunate compared to others. The episode, unfortunately, led certain individuals to engage in violent acts against redheads, which became known as “International Redhead Hate Day.

The irony lies in the fact that, similar to many other episodes led by Cartman, the main theme is that he’s both prejudiced and foolish. Surprisingly, numerous people in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Ireland seem to have missed this obvious message. It’s astonishing that hate crimes occurred not just once (in 2008), but three times (incidents in 2013 and 2015). This is truly perplexing. The episode remains strong and humorous, and it’s clear that Parker and Stone never intended for their work to encourage harm against real-life individuals.

“Trapped in the Closet” — Season 9, Episode 12

As an observer, I can’t help but reflect on the intriguing backstory of the “Trapped in the Closet” episode from South Park. This tale, if not the most infamous, certainly ranks high among the series’ memorable incidents. The episode’s main subject, Mr. Tom Cruise, was said to have strongly disliked it and reportedly made a bold move: threatening to withdraw his promotion for Mission: Impossible III if Comedy Central ever rebroadcast the episode again.

Watching that episode left me with a clear understanding of why Cruise might have been upset, as it strikingly exposed the illogical nature of Scientology – something many viewers had little insight into beforehand. After all, they hadn’t invested substantial sums of money to uncover this “truth.

“Bloody Mary” — Season 9, Episode 14

Even the infamous show “South Park” isn’t immune to backlash when they satirize the Catholic Church. Following the broadcast of the controversial episode “Bloody Mary,” the Catholic League voiced their disapproval and demanded an apology. Interestingly, they remained silent during instances where “South Park” made fun of other religions in its first eight years, which is worth noting.

Apart from attempting to ban the episode’s reruns, they also expressed their disapproval by advocating against its release on DVD. However, after approximately a year, the episode was broadcast again on Comedy Central.

“Cartoon Wars” — Season 10, Episodes 3 & 4

Originally planned as Season 10’s premiere, “Cartoon Wars” was later extended into a two-part series due to prolonged disputes between Parker and Stone and Comedy Central regarding the portrayal of Muhammad in the episode. It’s surprising that these references to Muhammad caused such a strong reaction from Comedy Central, as it pales in comparison to the explicit content in the later “200” episodes. Interestingly, Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy, found the episode to be both funny and accurate, which is unexpected considering the potential offense.

Alternative Expression for ‘Cartoon Wars Part II’ Incident”

In the second installment of Cartoon Wars, there arose an issue when Comedy Central, as large companies often do, placed a black title card over a sequence featuring Muhammad. This was an unfortunate demonstration of censorship, though it pales in comparison to the cowardice displayed in “201.” In essence, the Cartoon Wars series served as a reminder that not every topic might be suitable for parody within South Park, even when dealing with the most controversial subjects, which should ideally remain fair game.

“Hell on Earth 2006” — Season 10, Episode 11

Generally speaking, the majority of Season 10’s “Hell on Earth 2006” is more humorous than serious. However, there’s one particular scene that caused discomfort for many viewers. This scene was a joke involving Steve Irwin, who had tragically passed away due to a stingray attack about two months before the episode’s broadcast date.

At his costume party, Satan confronts someone dressed as Irwin, expressing disapproval for the timing of the costume given Irwin’s recent passing. The man then reveals he is indeed Irwin, still carrying a stingray. This shocking revelation left many guests, especially Irwin’s family, deeply upset. Given Steve’s gentle nature and widespread admiration, some argue this could have been an inappropriate scene that might have been better omitted from the party altogether.

“The China Probrem” — Season 12, Episode 8

In simpler terms, “The China Problem” from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull might resemble a South Park reference, but it’s quite distant from their best ones. The reason for this is that it’s unusually offensive even for South Park standards. Adding the fact that the main storyline involving Cartman and Butters was both uninteresting and repetitive, “The China Problem” doesn’t rank high among South Park’s more impressive 22-minute episodes.

Instead of what was most offensive, it was the B-plot’s violent assault scenes that outdid the A-plot’s racially insensitive portrayals in terms of upsetting people. Is it reasonable to argue that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull tarnished its own intellectual property? Absolutely. However, was it appropriate to reenact sexual assault scenes from films like Deliverance and The Accused to make this point? That’s a more debatable question.

“200” & “201” — Season 14, Episodes 5 & 6

Among all episodes, “201” stands out as the one most adversely affected by censorship. The episode “200” sets the stage delightfully and humorously, with Tom Cruise portraying a character that satirizes every celebrity who has been parodied in this town’s lawsuits. To settle the lawsuit, his character demands the appearance of a prophet, specifically Muhammad, for a public gathering.

A radical Islamic group called Revolution Muslim issued a clear threat of death towards Parker and Stone. This led Comedy Central to heavily censor the episode “201,” with any mention of Muhammad’s name being muted. Unfortunately, this makes watching the episode quite frustrating. However, it’s even more ironic that Kyle’s speech, which discusses companies giving in due to intimidation and fear, is entirely covered by a long beep. Similarly to “Super Best Friends” and the two “Cartoon Wars” episodes, “200” and “201” remain unavailable for streaming as of today.

“Band in China” — Season 23, Episode 2

Season 23’s “Band in China” explores the issue of media censorship in China and suggests that U.S. studios may be bending to these restrictions for financial gain. Essentially, this episode implies that such studios should not sacrifice their principles to make more money abroad. However, China’s response was to ban the entire series, “South Park”.

It’s no surprise, and even a bit ironic, that China acted in exactly the way the episode criticized them for, considering the Winnie-the-Pooh reference they made. It’s regrettable that Chinese citizens have missed out on the brilliance of Parker and Stone due to this episode’s subject matter, but it was always a possible outcome.

2025-01-24 06:40