Top 20 Times South Park Said What We Were All Thinking

In “You’re Getting Old”, Stan develops a psychological condition where everything around him looks like literal crap, from TV shows to songs on the radio. Movie trailers for new Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey movies look particularly vulgar, as their movies are a far cry from their high point in the 1990s. The older we get, Stan’s condition becomes more relatable as we look at the quality of movies, songs and shows being put out right now compared to what it was when we were younger. And sometimes, things we used to enjoy when we were younger simply become no longer enjoyable as we get older. Kyle and Cartman might not understand what Stan is going through, but we do.

Bikers, particularly those who ride Harley Davidson motorcycles, are known more for rebelling against social norms than they are for their courtesy. When they pass the rest of us in traffic, they are unreasonably loud. The episode where they are featured illustrates how Harley riders come off whenever they ride by, and Cartman perfectly sums up how desperate they look when he tells them off. While we don’t condone the slur that is used against the Harley Riders in this episode, we do share in the show’s annoyance at such people in real life.

John Edward is the former host of a TV show on the SYFY where he would claim the ability to have contact with the departed in the afterlife. As a medium, he would supposedly bring members of the audience in touch with their loved ones. While most of us are skeptical that Edward has that ability, or anyone for that matter, South Park called out the TV personality. The episode accused Edward of irresponsibly taking advantage of people’s desperation, and while the special honor the episode bestows on Edward is harsh, it is undoubtedly fitting.

To say that times were tough during the 2008 recession is an understatement, and this South Park episode captured the frustration many people were feeling at the time. There wasn’t a lot of sympathy for the banks, who were largely held responsible for the disaster and were getting bailed out. The episode highlighted the absurdity of the response to the financial crisis. There were several memorable scenes in this episode including the bank employee who repeatedly said SB [“And… It’s gone!!”] and the revelation of how it was decided who got bailed out. Honestly, we wouldn’t be surprised if that really was how the U.S. Treasury secretly decided on bailouts.

Most of us like animals and don’t want to see harm come to them, unless we want to eat them. However, we roll our eyes and get annoyed whenever we see PETA pull a stunt or make a controversial comment on a sensitive topic. In season 8, the creators paint PETA as a group of extremist maniacs that are more interested in causing trouble than they are protecting animals. South Park recognizes that, when it comes to any issue, most of us lie somewhere in the middle rather than one side of the extreme.

Season 9’s “Trapped in the Closet” is a devastating and epic takedown of Scientology. In the episode, Stan is told by church officials that he’s the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard, their religion’s founder. But when he tries to reform the church, he’s shut down because his suggestions would get in the way of making profit. And let’s not forget the now famous scene recounting the origins of Scientology, which included a disclaimer because they know how insane it all sounds to the rest of us. Needless to say, after this episode aired, the Church of Scientology wasn’t pleased.

Back then, a common complaint in college sports is that the NCAA doesn’t pay the student athletes that play for them despite the organization making billions of dollars from their hard work. Weighing in on the topic, “South Park” compares this allegedly unfair treatment to slavery in this episode. In an unforgettable scene, Cartman dresses up like a slave owner when talking to an official from the University of Colorado. The depiction is downright cathartic given how seriously the NCAA takes itself seriously and how unwilling they are to admit how unfairly they treat college players.

The ex-royal couple have received a lot of attention for their fallout with the royal family and their efforts to build a life outside the institution. While Harry and Meghan claim that they want privacy for this new chapter of their lives, their actions, including Prince Harry writing a tell all book, suggest the opposite. The “The World Wide Privacy Tour” episode skewers the couple, ridiculing their hypocrisy and aligning the show’s message with what the viewers and everyone in the world suspects.

With streaming offering a more convenient, cheaper, and all-around superior alternative, more and more TV viewers are cutting cable. It’d be one thing if cable companies upped their game and grew with the times. Instead, loyal customers are rewarded with slow service and workers who show up whenever they feel like it. Anyone who’s ever been given a five-hour service window will identify with the frustration that this episode captures to a T. The episode also finds timely commentary in the launch of Disney+ and how enamored audiences were with “The Mandalorian.” The ultimate irony is that “South Park” dominated basic cable ratings for years. With the rise of Hulu, HBO Max, and Paramount+, though, even “South Park” knows that cable is a dinosaur.

Over the last decade, there’s been an aggressive push, particularly on social media, to speak out on political correctness and social justice. While many of these people have good intentions, a lot of people who espouse these views often come off as unhinged lunatics. To visually illustrate this trend in season 19, South Park brought in PC Principal, a socially aware and justice minded school administrator who’s so committed to his political beliefs, he will violently confront his critics if necessary. Anyone who has lived in fear of being jumped by the Twitter mob over a microaggression can appreciate this satirization.

With iPhones and iPads becoming part of everyday life, we’ve all signed a user agreement at some point. How many of you have actually read a user agreement, though? Long, confusing, and written in the tiniest font possible, most of us would rather sign and accept any consequences rather than be inconvenienced. “South Park” imagines a worst-case scenario where failing to read the Terms and Conditions lands Kyle in the middle of a HUMANCENTiPAD. While we’re pretty sure that’s never happened in real life, the episode does reflect how casual people are about signing legal contracts without even reading them. It’s also a spot-on depiction of Apple’s marketing, convincing consumers that their products are the best and cheaper alternatives are for losers.

In the late-2000s, Britney Spears was an easy target for comedy and a lot of people took the low-hanging fruit. “South Park” wasn’t an exception, but the writers took a unique approach. They put the mirror up to the audience and said what most of us knew deep down: “Maybe we should stop obsessing over this struggling celebrity and… you know, get a life.” It was unpopular for people to say, “leave Britney alone,” hence why many kept quiet. During Spears’ darkest hour, though, “South Park” served as an unlikely moral compass. Various journalists, comedians, and members of the general public continued to ignore that little voice inside. With the recent reevaluation of how Spears was treated, however, this episode has only gotten more identifiable.

Nowadays, it’s practically a cliche to joke that “Avatar” is a ripoff of “Dances with Wolves”... and “Pocahontas”... and “FernGully”... and a dozen other movies. A month before “Avatar” even hit theaters, “South Park” beat everyone to the punchline. Well, maybe not everyone. Even after the first trailer for “Avatar” was released, a lot of people noticed similarities to Kevin Costner’s 1990 Best Picture winner. They also noticed that the characters looked like Smurfs, albeit taller and more alluring. “South Park” was still one of the first mainstream properties to call out James Cameron for taking a familiar story and calling it something else. It’s too bad Cartman didn’t secure the film rights because “Avatar” is still the highest-grossing movie of all time.

For eons, humanity survived without the internet. Now that we’ve gotten a taste of it, society would likely descend into anarchy without the web. This episode accurately depicts the panic and uncertainty we all feel when the wi-fi is down. Unfortunately, it isn’t just Stan’s house without a connection. It’s a technical issue that reaches far beyond South Park. We all rely on the internet for work, entertainment, communication, and some other things that are better left behind closed doors. The episode speaks to our deepest fear that one day, it could all be gone. Thankfully, there’s a simple solution in this case. Nothing’s more relieving than seeing a green light on our router, and Randy’s closing remarks about over logging on really hit home.

From November 2007 to February 2008, the Writers Guild of America strike brought the industry to a halt. Although Trey Parker and Matt Stone aren’t part of the union, the strike commenced and ended around the same time “South Park” was on its break. When “South Park” returned, Parker and Stone didn’t hesitate to say what most of their writer friends were thinking: the strike wasn’t the best idea. While the strike was intended to increase the funding that writers deserve, it reportedly lost anywhere between millions and billions. Parker described the episode as a “docudrama,” exploring how many writers regretted the strike and attempted to save face by the end. Few WGA members would admit this, but “South Park” wasn’t afraid to speak out.

AI chatbots such as ChatGPT have been blowing people's minds over their capabilities, and they seem to be able to write just about any command you give them. While there’s hope that such technology can be used to take us to new heights, most of us have been concerned about downsides that come with this new intelligence. In “Deep Learning”, the students and Garrison use this technology to get out of doing their work, as the students write their essays with the software and Garrison grades those essays with it. The episode recognizes how easy it would be to pass off work generated as our own.

Facebook was arguably at its most dominant in 2010, and “South Park” did a commendable job at portraying the differing viewpoints on it. For Kyle, it’s a gateway to friendship and if he doesn’t have any friends on social media, he has none in the real world. Stan could care less about Facebook, but he’s reluctantly forced to participate. It isn’t long until Facebook starts affecting Stan’s real-life relationships as others obsess over his online activity - or lack thereof. Many of us realize that the number of Facebook friends you have isn’t an accurate measure of how complete your life is. Once Facebook has you, though, it’s hard to break free. On top of that, we all knew somebody who took FarmVille WAY too seriously.

“South Park” has always been a controversial show, but people sometimes forget just how up in arms parents and censors were during the earlier years. Ironically, having Kenny die in every episode wasn’t seen as that big a deal, but spreading foul language on the airwaves would be the downfall of civilization. As the parents of South Park protest the crude humor on TV, they ignore their children as Death literally comes to town. While the “South Park” movie would expand upon these themes, this was the first episode to say what fans of the show knew: TV isn’t the problem. The problem is that parents view TV as a babysitter when they should be taking the time to educate, nurture, and monitor their children.

Every four years, republicans and democrats act as if their presidential candidate is going to fix everything. While some political leaders have changed the world for the better, our options are usually limited to what “South Park” describes as a giant douche or a turd sandwich. As such, Stan simply doesn’t care about the outcome. When Stan refuses to vote, he’s shamed and exiled until he finally relents. Most people won’t admit that both sides of the political spectrum are flawed and actually share a fair deal in common. This episode unearths the unspoken truth that we struggle to accept: whoever wins, we all lose to an extent. Voting matters, but when these are our options, should we really be this hostile towards each other?

Just when you thought the political world couldn’t get more topsy-turvy, Garrison was elected president, mirroring Donald Trump’s ascension to the White House. Even the “South Park” creators were expecting a Hillary Clinton victory, forcing them to make numerous changes at the eleventh hour. The episode encapsulates the confusion, disbelief, and anger many experienced when they realized who the 45th U.S. president was going to be. Unlike their past election shows, this episode appropriately doesn’t wrap everything up in a tidy package. Instead, it leaves us with three options: drink the Kool-Aid, try escaping to Mars, or buckle in for what’s bound to be an unpredictable presidency. And for the next four years, “South Park” continued to say what we were all thinking.