20 Interesting Facts That You Didn't Know About 'South Park'
Vote up the most interesting and surprising facts about your favorite grown-up animated series.
Since it debuted in 1997, South Park has made it way too fun to be an adult television fan. Far from your typical Saturday morning cartoon, the long-running Comedy Central animated series is dark, crude, and keeps us "grown-ups" laughing. Not just one of the best animated series of all time, South Park is also one of the best TV shows in general, and is known for its topical humor - but do you know what goes on behind the scenes?
Let's start with the characters of South Park. Kenny, Kyle, Stan, and Eric lead the way for a, shall we say, "unique" group, many of which are based on real people (and even family members) that South Park co-creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker know. In addition to the usual quirks of the show and its take on modern day events, there are certain staples that appear in almost every episode. Have you ever spotted an alien or a celebrity on South Park? How many times has Kenny died (that poor guy)? Did you know South Park is in the Guinness Book of World Records for... well, we'll let you read on and find out.
Here are 20 interesting trivia facts and South Park Easter eggs for your enjoyment. Also check out this list of the best South Park episodes, ranked by fans.
- 1199 VOTES
'South Park' Holds A Special Place In 'The Guinness Book of World Records'
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Well, this might not come as much of a surprise, but South Park holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Swearing in an Animated Series." - 2197 VOTES
The First Season's Theme Song Had Some (Uncensored) Dirty Words
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If you listen closely, Kenny sings, “I like girls with big vaginas/I like girls with big fat t*tties” in the first season's theme song. Because his voice is so muffled, it wasn't bleeped.
- 3168 VOTES
The Pilot Wasn't Computer Animated
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Every episode except the pilot was computer animated. Stop-motion animating using cut paper was used for the very first episode. - 4154 VOTES
It Takes About Five Days To Make A 'South Park' Episode
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Thanks to modern technology, it only takes about five days to make a South Park episode on a computer. - 5232 VOTES
Cartman's Lines Are Mostly Off-The-Cuff, And Kenny's Are All Scripted
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The majority of the time, co-creator Trey Parker makes up Cartman's lines as he goes along. Even though they're often hard to understand, all of Kenny’s lines are actually in the script.
- 6177 VOTES
Several Characters Were Based On Real People
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While at the University of Colorado, Trey Parker and Matt Stone knew a dining hall employee that they used as the basis for Chef. The cheerful, naive, optimistic, and gullible character of Butters is based on Eric Stough, South Park's animation director.
Cartman’s mom, Liane, was named after an unfaithful ex-fiancé of Trey Parker. Trey Parker's relatives were the inspiration behind the names of Stan’s family, while Kyle’s family got their names from Matt Stone’s relatives.
- 7196 VOTES
The Terrence And Phillip Characters Were Spawned From Criticism
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In response to comments that South Park was all "bad animation and fart jokes," the Canadian duo of Terrence and Phillip were born. - 8184 VOTES
Celebrities Are Offered Terrible Roles On The Show
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Did you know Jerry Seinfeld is (was) a huge South Park fan? When Jerry's agent contacted Matt Stone and Trey Parker in 1997 in hopes of landing a guest spot on the show, the duo replied with an offer - Seinfeld could play one of the background turkeys in the "Starvin' Marvin" episode. He refused the role, but other celebrities have taken up Stone and Parker on their ridiculous offers. Jay Leno once played the voice of Mr. Kitty the cat, and George Clooney played a dog who had no speaking roles other than a few barks in the episode "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride."
- 9190 VOTES
Aliens Are Hidden In Background Shots
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Aliens do exist - at least in the South Park universe. Aside from the obvious alien episodes like "Cartman Gets An Anal Probe," there are aliens hidden in the background in a majority of the show's episodes.
- 10140 VOTES
Trey Parker's Bad Childhood Habit Inspired Christmas Poo
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Inspired by Trey Parker's bad habit of not flushing the toilet when he was a kid, Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo was created. - 11181 VOTES
Kenny Has Died Many, Many Times
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Kenny has died at least 80 times on South Park, but over 100 total if you factor in the early animated shorts, other authorized TV parodies, video games, and the South Park movie. - 12163 VOTES
The KFC Weed Dispenary Is A Real Place
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- Joshuasandoval
- Wikimedia Commons
- CC-BY-SA 3.0
You might remember the episode "Medicinal Fried Chicken" as the one where Randy purposely gives himself cancer to buy medical marijuana from the KFC turned weed dispensary. But did you know that the KFC dispensary is actually based on a real location in Los Angeles? After a Kentucky Fried Chicken went out of business, the store turned into "Kind For Cures," a retailer of marijuana and weed accessories. The dispensary received a lot of fame after the episode aired, and even has posters of South Park in the store that commemorate their appearance on the show.
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- 13141 VOTES
Trey Parker Plays With Legos When He Has Writer's Block
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- Gage Skidmore
- Wikimedia Commons
- CC-BY-SA 3.0
In the documentary "6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park," Trey revealed that when he's feeling stuck on an episode, he likes to play with Legos to unlock a different part of his brain. - Photo:
- 14131 VOTES
Kenny's Voice Comes From An Unusual Place
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Co-creator Matt Stone has a trick up his sleeve when it comes to how Kenny gets that muffled voice. Stone speaks into his hand or his sleeve when saying Kenny's lines. - 15133 VOTES
Kyle's Hair Was Inspired By Co-Creator Matt Stone
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Kyle's big, red, frizzy signature 'do was inspired by an early look of co-creator Matt Stone.
- 16140 VOTES
Combining Kyle And Ike's Names Makes A Racial Slur
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Take the first letter of Kyle's name and put it in front of Ike's. This is obviously an intentional joke, as are the many other Jewish jokes in the show's history. - 17135 VOTES
The Co-Creators Had Interesting Pseudonyms In The Original Pilot
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Matt Stone and Trey Parker used the pseudonyms Tupac Schwartz and M.C. Goldstein in the credits of the original pilot. - 18127 VOTES
The Theme Song Is Performed By Primus
The South Park theme song is performed by Grammy-nominated rock band Primus. - 19118 VOTES
Trey Parker Used Music From His Student Film In The End Credits
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- Cannibal! The Musical
- Troma Entertainment
When the production company logo appears at the end of each episode, the music that plays along with it is from the song "Shpadoinkle," which was used in Trey Parker's student film, Cannibal! The Musical. - Photo:
- 20119 VOTES
Butters Originally Had A Different Nickname
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Butters was originally named Poof Poof. His real name is actualy Leopold Stotch.
