- 2 days ago
Satire at its finest! Join us as we count down the most outrageous times South Park transformed serious headlines into comedy gold. From immigration and AI to climate change and presidential politics, Matt Stone and Trey Parker have never shied away from current events. Brace yourself for the irreverent brilliance that's kept audiences laughing (and thinking) for decades!
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00:00You really want to end up like Colbert? You guys gotta stop being stupid.
00:05We can't understand you.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most hilarious times
00:11the South Park writers didn't shy away from covering serious news stories.
00:15Welcome children, my name is Jeff.
00:18Hola niños, me llamo Jeff.
00:22Number 10. Immigration.
00:24One year after the CBP was formed, South Park delivered a satire of illegal immigration
00:29that's still incredibly relevant.
00:31The immigrants in this episode travel from a bleak future,
00:33where the world has become overpopulated and destitute.
00:36Hey, Stanley, you need to understand something.
00:38Those people from the future have had a hard life.
00:41Where they come from is dirty and overpopulated and poor.
00:44You can't even imagine the kind of depression they come from.
00:46By venturing back to the 21st century,
00:48people are able to make enough money to provide for their families in the 4th millennium.
00:52Looks as if the job at Wendy's did work for the original immigrant.
00:55This second-arrivey claims that man's family is now much better off
00:58and wishes the same for his family.
01:00Modern workers, however, argue that this is taking away their jobs.
01:04Or jerbs, as some might say.
01:06They took our jobs!
01:08Yeah, they did!
01:09They did!
01:10As funny as the episode is,
01:12it's also harrowing to think that so little has changed since 2004.
01:16For all we know, this could still be a serious issue by the time we get to 3045.
01:21After all, satire may be our greatest window into the future.
01:25Number 9. Artificial Intelligence.
01:27Artificial intelligence has existed in various forms for several years,
01:32but with the release of tools like ChatGPT,
01:34the use of AI has grown exponentially.
01:37This is a real app?
01:38It'll completely change your life, bro.
01:40South Park did an entire episode around the boys making use of AI
01:43in both their personal relationships and school assignments.
01:46Much of what is going on is quite entertaining,
01:48but it does manage to provide some social commentary around the use of AI in our lives.
01:53Even more so, when the credits roll,
01:55we see that Trey Parker shares a writing credit with ChatGPT.
01:59To see the show embrace AI that way is interesting, to say the least.
02:03Dude, how did you pull all that off?
02:06ChatGPT, dude.
02:08Number 8. Diversity in Media.
02:10Few would argue against the fact that, for a long time,
02:22various minority and ethnic groups did not see much valuable representation in film and television.
02:27In recent years, there's been a big push to change this.
02:30However, according to South Park,
02:31there's a fine line between diversity in media and pandering.
02:35That's actually the best explanation I've heard as to why Disney movies all suck now.
02:39Joining the Panderverse was a direct attack on some of the measures that film studios have taken,
02:44such as rebooting properties with more diverse casts
02:47instead of telling new stories that naturally include a diverse set of characters.
02:51The episode features an all-female, non-Caucasian version of the four main characters
02:55to drive their argument home.
02:58Number 7. Trump's Second Term.
03:00All the people here in South Park want some goddamn answers.
03:03All right, then I'm going to sue your whole town.
03:06You got that?
03:07Five billion dollars.
03:08Ha ha ha ha ha ha.
03:10Prior to the premiere of season 27,
03:12Matt Stone and Trey Parker stated they would refrain from covering the 47th presidential administration,
03:17saying they, quote,
03:18don't know what more we could possibly say about Trump.
03:21However, when the season premiered,
03:22it seemed like Stone and Parker actually had a lot more to say about Trump.
03:26The episode is notable for being the first time Trump is actually depicted,
03:30rather than Garrison portraying the role.
03:31Hey, Satan!
03:33I don't want to right now.
03:36What?
03:36Hey, relax!
03:38Come on, Satan!
03:38I've been working hard all day!
03:40Throughout the episode,
03:41the president is depicted in bed with Satan,
03:43threatening to sue nearly everybody,
03:45and deepfaked in the nude in the middle of the desert.
03:47The Trump administration was so upset with how the president was depicted, in fact,
03:51they responded shortly after to condemn the episode.
03:54The fact that Stone and Parker were able to get this episode greenlit
03:57in the midst of negotiating a new deal with Paramount is nothing short of genius.
04:01No matter how hot it gets,
04:04he's not afraid to fight for America!
04:08Number 6.
04:09The Treatment of Amazon Workers
04:11Few things are more satisfying than walking out onto your front doorstep to find a new Amazon package.
04:16Although it's the ultimate convenience for the consumer,
04:19many of the employees responsible for shipping and delivering those packages
04:22have expressed dissatisfaction with their working conditions.
04:25In this two-parter, an Amazon fulfillment center is set up in South Park.
04:30When one worker suffers a particularly bizarre accident, a strike erupts.
04:35I believe the working class needs to revolt against capitalism
04:37and bring about socioeconomic emancipation!
04:40Earlier that year, some called for an Amazon Prime Day boycott,
04:44and the Stop Bezos Act was initiated.
04:46Please! I'm trying to get everyone back to work!
04:49Portraying founder Jeff Bezos as an all-knowing overlord,
04:52the episodes also touch upon how the retail giant has overshadowed smaller businesses.
04:57Since the fulfillment center opened...
04:59Hold on a minute, you all stay here because you want to work?
05:03It is our purpose!
05:06Our purpose!
05:09Our purpose!
05:10In the end, the episodes demonstrate how instant gratification
05:13doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be left fulfilled in the long run.
05:18Number 5.
05:19ICE Detention Centers
05:20Even before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was formed in 2003,
05:25immigration detention was a major talking point.
05:27Opinions surrounding the issue became especially heated
05:30with the election of President Donald Trump,
05:32whose zero-tolerance policy has resulted in numerous children
05:35being separated from their families.
05:37So anyone can make an anonymous tip and you can round up families and send them away?
05:40Nobody told me about this! I thought everything sucked now!
05:43Do you have a card?
05:44Cartman being, well, Cartman,
05:46sees this as ample opportunity to get rid of Kyle.
05:49He he he, that's so sweet.
05:52You guys take the parents, we'll take the kids.
05:55ICE quickly realizes that Kyle sticks out like a sore thumb,
05:58and his Jewish heritage doesn't help their image.
06:01Yet that doesn't stop them from picking up Cartman later on.
06:04Jimmy pissed me off because he told the teacher I was texting in class,
06:06so I told Jimmy I'd have him sent to a migrant detention center.
06:08He didn't believe me, so I said, oh, I already did it to Kyle,
06:10and Stan heard that and got pissed off and had me sent to a migrant detention center.
06:12The episode depicts ICE as an incompetent agency
06:15that cares more about saving their own skin
06:17than the psychological ramifications detention centers have on children.
06:21Mexican Joker, I just want you to remember that I helped you, Jeff Corrigan.
06:25Remember, Jeff was your buddy.
06:27Now, come on, let's go, Mexican Joker!
06:28Number 4. George Zimmerman
06:30In 2013, George Zimmerman was found not guilty for his involvement in the death of Trayvon Martin,
06:37a 17-year-old African-American.
06:39The verdict enraged many around the country and remains contested even years later.
06:44In a World War Z parody, Cartman fears how Tolkien will react.
06:49Tolkien, we had nothing to do with it!
06:50I know you're pissed off, Tolkien, but be reasonable!
06:52It's Cartman who ends up taking extreme measures, though,
06:54all while making the situation about himself.
06:57This results in Cartman getting shot by Zimmerman,
07:00which isn't treated as a punishable offense
07:02until the authorities realize the victim is white.
07:05Wait, what?
07:06Guilty!
07:07There's a lot of gray territory in the Stand Your Ground law.
07:10Watching this episode, we see how it's often treated as a one-way street.
07:15While Cartman learns nothing,
07:17the audience can identify with the episode's representation of a flawed justice system.
07:22Number 3. Voting and Social Pressure
07:24Paralleling the 2004 U.S. presidential election,
07:28South Park Elementary is given two options for their new mascot,
07:31a giant douche or a turd sandwich.
07:34Cartman is for Team Turd,
07:35Kyle is a douchebacker,
07:37and Stan could not care less.
07:39Did you just say that voting is ridiculous?
07:42No, I think voting is great,
07:43but if I have to choose between a douche and a turd,
07:45I just don't see the point.
07:46Although he's pressured by the whole town,
07:48not to mention P. Diddy,
07:49Stan refuses to vote and is banished as a result.
07:53Dad, isn't this a little extreme?
07:54Jesus.
07:56I guess maybe you'll never understand how important voting is.
07:59Goodbye, son.
08:01As over the top as this sounds,
08:02the episode is eerily relatable.
08:04Even when neither candidate is ideal,
08:07both sides of the political spectrum can become aggressive about securing votes.
08:10Turd sandwich brings the hope for change.
08:13A vote for turd sandwich is a vote for tomorrow.
08:15The episode hilariously and honestly explores vote shaming,
08:18which has only grown more common in the social media era.
08:22Ultimately, Stan casts his ballot,
08:24realizing that most elections boil down to a douche or turd.
08:27Number 2. Climate Change
08:29Climate change isn't going away overnight,
08:32hence why it remains a recurring theme in South Park.
08:34Granted, South Park hasn't always taken climate change very seriously,
08:37or should we say, serially.
08:39I'm not talking to you.
08:41I'm talking to the ones who are actually serial.
08:44In a Season 9 episode parodying the response to Hurricane Katrina,
08:48shots were also fired at the day after tomorrow and its take on the climate crisis.
08:53The following season,
08:54Al Gore tries to warn everybody about a creature called Man Bear Pig,
08:57an obvious allegory for climate change.
09:00Man Bear Pig?
09:01It is a creature which roams the Earth alone.
09:05It is half man, half bear, and half pig.
09:10Although it seems that Man Bear Pig is imaginary,
09:12his existence is confirmed by Season 22.
09:15That's it.
09:16That's what I saw.
09:18I saw a Man Bear Pig.
09:20It leaves us with a grim message.
09:22The climate emergency is real.
09:24It may be too late to reverse the damage,
09:26and most people would rather ignore the problem than make a small sacrifice.
09:30Before we continue,
09:31be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
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09:41make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:46Number 1.
09:47COVID-19
09:48It was only a matter of time before South Park covered the coronavirus,
09:52and they did not hold back.
09:54Thomas opened a restaurant, and so did Sopa.
09:57Doesn't seem like such a good idea now, does it, Turner?
09:59The show's first-ever television special,
10:01the pandemic special,
10:03covered a lot of ground,
10:04from COVID-19's effect on small businesses
10:06to the dilemmas it's caused with reopening schools.
10:09However, since it is South Park,
10:11it also takes time to ridicule the situation as a whole,
10:14poking fun at the habits we've adopted since the pandemic's inception.
10:17Yeah, that's good social distancing.
10:20Real good.
10:21A vaccination special also followed,
10:24focusing on society's obsession with getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
10:28Naturally, this drives the citizens of South Park mad,
10:31and their dilemma is cleverly compared to a situation
10:34that many are all too familiar with.
10:36Oh, hey, we'd like to get in there and get some vaccinations, okay?
10:40Are you on the list?
10:42Well, no, I'm not on the list.
10:43I tried to get on the list.
10:45I sat on my computer 30 nights in a row
10:48trying to make a vaccination appointment
10:49and get on the goddamn list.
10:51On the other hand,
10:52the seniors take full advantage.
10:55Everyone clear out of the way.
10:57Clear the entrance.
10:57We have VIPs coming out.
11:02We're two next, everybody.
11:04That was our second shot.
11:06Let's go to the bar.
11:09What hot topic would you like to see South Park cover in an upcoming season?
11:12Let us know in the comments.
11:13And here it is.
11:15This is the pangolin we tracked down in China,
11:18the animal that could lead us to a vaccine.
11:21The mysteries of COVID can be unlocked by our studies of this creature.
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