It's been around for so long, we expect a little crossover! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for all the times “South Park” found ways to either appear in or influence the real world.
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00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for all the times South Park
00:06 found ways to either appear in or influence the real world.
00:11 10.
00:12 51st Emmy Awards South Park got their breakout on live TV when
00:29 our favorite group of four made an appearance at the 51st Primetime Emmy Awards as presenters
00:35 to honor those the industry had lost.
00:37 Instead, we got a quick montage of mostly Kenny being killed along with a few other
00:42 notable celebrities.
00:43 Sure enough, as the clip ends, the boys back away from Kenny who is then killed by a giant
00:48 Emmy statue falling on him.
00:52 This wasn't the boys' first appearance at an awards show.
00:55 At the 1997 Cable Ace Awards, our favorite four boys cracked jokes at the audience and
01:01 at the show itself.
01:02 9.
01:03 Gave birth to a cooking show As far back as the original short film, South
01:13 Park has had a strange affinity for figure skater Brian Boitano.
01:20 He was even featured in a musical segment in the feature film, South Park, Bigger, Longer
01:24 and Uncut.
01:34 Boitano himself seemed flattered by the attention, but just as confused as the rest of us as
01:39 to where it really came from.
01:41 Nonetheless, in 2009, Boitano came out with a cooking show on the Food Network called
01:46 "What Would Brian Boitano Make?".
01:48 The program gave viewers a taste of what this famous skater likes to cook up in the kitchen.
01:53 All using a portion of the South Park song as its theme music.
01:57 8.
01:58 The Real Boys Emerge During season 16's "I Should Have Never
02:02 Gone Zip-Lining" episode, fans were treated to a recreation of the four boys portrayed
02:07 by real life actors.
02:19 This exaggerated bit was unexpected, but still great to see.
02:33 But the best version of these four boys came two seasons later in Grounded Vindaloop.
02:37 Cartman, Kenny, Stan, Kyle and Butters are all experimenting with VR goggles.
02:43 Even going as far as to convince Butters the simulation is real.
02:51 The best part of this episode, however, is at the end when Stan takes off the headpiece.
02:55 And we're treated to four live action children portraying the boys.
02:59 Nothing can possibly beat Stan's closing line when he says, "It's pretty cool, but the
03:04 graphics suck."
03:05 7.
03:07 Cartman on Basketball A year after South Park made it to the airwaves,
03:11 Basketball was released in theaters.
03:14 The film starred both South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
03:25 Although the film received mixed reviews and bombed at the box office, one particular scene
03:30 surely was a hit with South Park fans.
03:33 As Coop tries to sack out one of the opposing players, he squats down and makes jabs about
03:37 the player's weight using an all-too-familiar Cartman voice.
03:44 It's not quite a live action version of this infamous character, but it certainly came
03:48 pretty close.
03:49 6.
03:50 The Aristocrats Stand-up comedians have been telling offensive
03:58 jokes since the dawn of time.
04:00 But no single joke has ever stood the test of time as The Aristocrats.
04:05 The joke tells the story of a family trying to get work as a stage act.
04:20 From there, each comedian who tells the joke proceeds to make it as offensive and disgusting
04:25 as possible.
04:26 Never told in public, the joke remained relatively unheard of by mass audiences until a documentary
04:31 centering on the joke was released in 2005.
04:34 One scene from the doc shows the four boys waiting for the bus as they usually do.
04:39 Cartman then proceeds to tell his version of the joke.
04:45 It's far more vile and disturbing than anything seen on the show, which says a lot.
04:56 5.
04:58 Symphony of Music For all of its offensive jokes and outlandish
05:04 humor, music has and continues to be an integral part of many of South Park.
05:09 From songs about Kyle's mom to the hilarious "Gay Fish" number, Trey Parker's love of music
05:14 bleeds through the show and is palpable.
05:24 So when it came time to celebrate its 25th anniversary, South Park collaborated with
05:28 Broadway musical director and orchestrator Stephen Orimus to turn some of the show's
05:33 most memorable tunes into full-on orchestra-driven classics.
05:37 The end result is a testament to the show's incredible devotion to music.
05:45 4.
05:49 Cartman on NPR
05:51 NPR, or National Public Radio, is known for its vast network of news stations across the
06:07 United States.
06:09 Focusing mainly on notable news and cultural stories, it also featured the "In Character"
06:14 series, which focused on fictional characters from various forms of media.
06:18 During one segment, NPR correspondent Julie Rovner interviews infamous South Park resident
06:24 Eric Cartman.
06:31 It's an entertaining few minutes as she asks about his heroes and what his future looks
06:35 like.
06:47 As you can imagine, Cartman's responses to Rovner's questions showcase his love
06:51 for himself and disdain for… pretty much everyone else in the world.
06:59 3.
07:01 Jeans Named After Kenny
07:03 One of the earliest running gags on South Park was the killing off of poor Kenny McCormick
07:07 in every episode.
07:14 No matter what crazy antics the show went through, the orange hoodie laden young man
07:18 always wound up losing his life.
07:25 Although his deaths are less frequent, Dr. Sophie Rutchman found a way to immortalize
07:29 Kenny's tragedies.
07:31 She discovered a fruit fly gene that has the potential to kill the insect within two days.
07:36 Thinking of poor Kenny's bad luck, she named the gene "Kep-1" after the show's immortal
07:41 fourth grader.
07:42 Oh you old dog!
07:44 2.
07:45 Spawned College Courses
07:47 After 26 seasons of the show, none of the boys have made it out of fourth grade yet.
07:54 But their academic misfires certainly haven't reflected how the real world views the show.
07:59 The very nature of South Park's stories has given inspiration in academic circles.
08:05 Both McDaniel College and Brooklyn College have offered courses that center on the show,
08:10 dissecting its take on political correctness and many other notable issues of our time.
08:15 In fact, studies and papers have been published about the show's unique method of commenting
08:19 on social and political topics through its comedic medium.
08:29 1.
08:46 Influenced the Law
08:48 One of the most infamous trial cases of the 1990s was that of OJ Simpson.
08:53 He was accused of the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman.
08:57 Defense lawyer Johnny Cochran infamously used the line, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit,"
09:03 to influence jurors into a "not guilty" verdict.
09:06 South Park mocked this defense in a season 2 episode where Chef goes on trial and the
09:11 prosecution starts talking about Chewbacca from Star Wars to purposely confuse the jury.
09:16 "Now think about that.
09:18 That does not make sense."
09:20 Since the episode aired, the Chewbacca defense has become widely known as a tactic by attorneys
09:24 to sway the jury using arguments that are devoid of reason or logic.
09:29 "If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit the defense rests."
09:32 "Okay then."
09:35 "Wow, he's good."
09:38 What's your favorite spill of this notable animated comedy into the real world?
09:43 Let us know in the comments!
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