four boys, Eric, Kyle, Kenny, and Stan, are casually
cruel to other children, enjoy jokes about bodily
functions, and use off-color language. In every epi-
sode, Kenny dies violently and his friends curse the
animators for killing him.
Although the program was intended for adults,
at least one-fifth of its audience was estimated to
be younger than twenty-five. Comedy Central gave
South Parka TV Parental Guidelines system rating of
TV-MA for its frequent violence, crude jokes, and
controversial subject matter including sex, homo-
sexuality, suicide, religion, flatulence, drug use, mas-
turbation, menstruation, and death.
South Park’s popularity signaled a turning point
for Comedy Central, at the time a floundering six-
year-old network. The show not only was popular in
itself but also lured viewers to other Comedy Central
shows, as series aired immediately afterSouth Parkre-
ceived higher ratings.South Park’s success also con-
tributed to a trend in inexpensive, innovative
programming developed by cable channels rather
than major networks. The show’s popularity allowed
its creators and the network to profit from merchan-
dising and related products, including a computer
game based on the series. Eric Cartman, the foul-
mouthed, antisocial eight-year-old voiced by Parker,
became a breakout character with his own widely
recognized catchphrases.
In 1997,South Parkwon a CableACE Award for
Animated Programming Special or Series. In 1998,
Parker and Stone won the Producers Guild Nova
Award for Most Promising Producer in Television,
andSouth Parkwas nominated for an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Animated Program.
In 1999, the R-rated feature filmSouth Park: Bigger,
Longer, and Uncut, written by Parker, Stone, and Pam
Brady, won several film industry awards; one of the
film’s original songs, “Blame Canada!” was nomi-
nated for an Academy Award.
Impact South Parkdemonstrated the commercial
potential of animated television programs and en-
sured the success of Comedy Central, one of many
new cable channels offering television viewers alter-
natives to major-network programming. Cultural
critics repeatedly turned toSouth Parkand its popu-
larity to show that mass entertainment was becom-
ing more controversial and potentially offensive,
even as it reached an ever-younger audience.
Further Reading
Arp, Robert, ed.“South Park” and Philosophy: You
Know, I Learned Something Today. Malden, Mass.:
Blackwell, 2007.
Johnson-Woods, Toni.Blame Canada! “South Park”
and Popular Culture. New York: Continuum, 2007.
Maureen Puffer-RothenbergSee also Academy Awards; Cable television;Simp-
sons, The; Slang and slogans; Television; TV Parental
Guidelines system.792 South Park The Nineties in America
South Parkcreators Trey Parker, left, and Matt Stone pose with
cutouts of their animated characters.(AP/Wide World Photos)