18 Times South Park Got Very Topical

hace 1 mes 22

South Park is unsocial among animated bid successful that the accumulation docket is truthful accelerated it allows creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone to spoof existent events specified days oregon adjacent hours aft they occur. That's led to immoderate incredibly topical episodes implicit the years, with the amusement targeting Presidential elections, personage scandals, and assorted different blistery quality items.

That inclination has surely continued successful 2025. No sooner did Parker and Stone onslaught a lucrative caller woody with Paramount than they kicked disconnected Season 27 with a blistering parody of Donald Trump. Clearly, the amusement hasn't mislaid its borderline aft each these years.

We figured present would beryllium a cleanable clip to look backmost astatine immoderate of the different times South Park has delivered timely, insightful governmental commentary. This is by nary means a broad list, but these are the astir memorably topical episodes from the past 3 decades. Click done the assemblage below!

South Park's Most Topical Episodes

"Quintuplets 2000" (Aired 4/26/00)

South Park fans got 1 of their archetypal tastes of however timely the amusement could beryllium erstwhile this occurrence referenced the Border Patrol raid connected Elian Gonzalez's location that occurred earlier that week. In this case, Kenny was the stand-in for Elian.

"Trapper Keeper" (Aired 11/15/00)

This occurrence kicked disconnected a regular contented of spoofing the US Presidential elections each 4 years. The deadlocked ballot for people president paralleled the bitter real-life disagreement implicit the result of the conflict betwixt George W. Bush and Al Gore.

"I'm a Little Bit Country" (Aired 4/9/03)

There was plentifulness of struggle implicit the US penetration of Iraq successful 2003, some successful the existent satellite and the municipality of South Park. Helpfully, Cartman knocked himself unconscious truthful helium could question backmost successful time, conscionable the Founding Fathers and larn that America has been divided implicit overseas argumentation from the precise beginning.

"Douche and Turd" (Aired 10/27/04)

Shortly earlier the 2004 election, South Park aptly summarized the apathy galore voters felt by forcing South Park Elementary students to prime betwixt a Giant Douche oregon a Turd Sandwich arsenic their caller mascot. The connection was wide - adjacent if neither campaigner is appealing, voting is inactive an important civic duty.

"Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" (Aired 12/1/04)

Parker and Stone delivered 1 of their astir scathing personage critiques ever erstwhile they targeted socialite/reality prima Paris Hilton. Hilton's fame whitethorn person faded, but this occurrence has mislaid nary of its bite.

"Best Friends Forever" (Aired 3/30/05)

The amusement recovered a poignant caller rotation connected the acquainted "You killed Kenny!" gag with this episode, which parodied the Terry Schiavo lawsuit and the ensuing media furor. The occurrence coiled up premiering hours earlier Schiavo passed away, and yet nabbed the South Park squad their archetypal Emmy.

"Trapped successful the Closet" (Aired 11/16/05)

This arguable occurrence directed its wrath astatine Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology, arsenic Stan unwittingly recovered himself being propped up arsenic the 2nd coming of L. Ron Hubbard and Cruise locked himself successful Stan's chamber closet. Needless to say, neither Cruise nor the Church of Scientology were precise amused.

"Cartoon Wars Parts 1 & 2" (Aired 4/5/06 & 4/12/06)

In airy of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, this two-part occurrence saw Americans virtually hide their heads successful soil implicit fears that Islamic extremists would retaliate against a Family Guy cartoon featuring the prophet Muhammad. Predictably, that created a real-world contention of its own, and Comedy Central yet decided against showing the representation of Muhammad successful their broadcast.

"Hell connected Earth 2006" (Aired 10/15/06)

This occurrence parodied MTV's My Super Sweet 16 arsenic Satan threw a raging day party. What raised eyebrows, however, was the determination to diagnostic the precise precocious deceased Steve Irwin arsenic a enactment guest. It raised the question of however soon is excessively soon erstwhile it comes to satire, though Parker and Stone remained adamant that anyone and thing is just crippled successful the South Park universe.

"About Last Night..." (Aired 11/5/08)

South Park lampooned the result of the 2008 Presidential Election the precise adjacent night, adjacent including audio recorded from Barack Obama's triumph speech. Here, Obama and John McCain were revealed to beryllium members of an Ocean's Eleven-style transgression ringing utilizing the predetermination arsenic screen for a large heist.

"Margaritaville" (Aired 3/25/09)

This occurrence appeared astatine the tallness of the Great Recession to present plentifulness of insightful commentary connected the lodging bubble and American user culture. In the process, Kyle became a messianic prophet of "The Economy" and Stan discovered conscionable however arbitrary the full strategy truly is.

"200 & 201" (Aired 4/14/10 & 4/21/10)

Parker and Stone again courted contention by featuring the Islamic prophet Muhammad successful a dramatic, two-part communicative arc, and Comedy Central again chose to censor their broadcast. These episodes were besides notable for featuring astir each personage the amusement had mocked successful its archetypal 199 episodes.

"Obama Wins!" (Aired 11/7/12)

This occurrence suggested that Obama's 2012 re-election was portion of a larger web of conspiracy involving China hiring Cartman to bargain ballots and Mickey Mouse (fresh disconnected Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm) trying to tempt Cartman to the Dark Side. It was each precise complicated, but fortunately Morgan Freeman was determination to narrate the conflict.

"World War Zimmerman" (Aired 10/9/13)

Only South Park could negociate to simultaneously parody the movie World War Z and the contention implicit George Zimmerman's execution trial. What resulted was immoderate of the show's astir biting and insightful satire ever.

"Stunning and Brave" (Aired 09/16/15)

South Park kicked disconnected a season-long storyline astir governmental correctness by introducing caller quality PC Principal and spoofing some Caitlyn Jenner and Tom Brady's "Deflate-gate" scandal. Plus, Randy joined a PC-obsessed fraternity.

"Oh, Jeez" (Aired 11/9/16)

The amusement was forced to rapidly overhaul a planned occurrence erstwhile it explored the contiguous aftermath of the 2016 Presidential predetermination and its astonishing conclusion. As Mr. Garrison claimed triumph portion a bewildered South Park looked on, this occurrence escalated different season-long conflicts similar Denmark's warfare against online trolls and the civilian warfare betwixt the boys and girls of South Park Elementary.

"Band successful China" (Aired 10/2/19)

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This occurrence surely proved prophetic arsenic it lampooned Chinese Communist Party person Xi Jinping and China's wont of censoring Western productions. As a result, the bid was promptly banned wholly successful China. This occurrence adjacent coiled up being aired during the Hong Kong protests arsenic a amusement of defiance.

"Sermon connected the 'Mount" (Aired 7/23/25)

After a agelong hiatus, South Park returned successful 2025 and instantly unleashed its afloat mightiness against the Trump Administration and the increasing Epstein Files scandal, with genitor institution Paramount itself caught successful the satirical crossfire. Among different things, this occurrence depicts Trump arsenic Satan's caller person and ends with a deepfake video of Trump stumbling bare done the desert. Needless to say, the White House was not amused.

What's your favourite topical South Park episode? Let america cognize successful the comments.

Note: this nonfiction was primitively published connected 11/10/2016 and updated connected 7/25/2025 with the latest South Park controversies.

Jesse is simply a mild-mannered unit writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intelligence thicket by following @jschedeen connected BlueSky.

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