It’s in South Park‘s DNA to be controversial. That’s part of its genius. The most offensive South Park episodes fire shots at everyone: celebrities, politicians, religious figures. No one is safe. Show-runners Trey Parker and Matt Stone take a sort of impish delight in ruffling feathers and smashing taboos. From episode one, South Park has served up profane, violent, and outrageous storylines that are certainly not for the faint of heart — but which are also painstakingly funny.
The series has been on air since 1997 and has produced over 320 episodes. In this time, there has been no shortage of stories that annoyed some segments of the population or got under the skin of the celebs being satirized. Plenty of episodes caused a stir, but the ones that led to threats of legal action or were outright banned are the cream of the crop.
Updated on September 29, 2023, by Ryan Heffernan:
Ever since its launch in 1997, South Park has been as satirical and socially aware as it has been ridiculously offensive and even controversial. 2024 will see the hit animated comedy series embark on its 27th season with the gob-smacking gags continuing to come thick and fast.
13 “The Death Camp of Tolerance”
Season 6, Episode 14
As its title would suggest, “The Death Camp of Tolerance” pulled absolutely no punches in its endeavor to make audiences laugh at some of the most shocking and vile gags the series has provided. The episode starts with Mr. Garrison as, hoping for monetary gain, he plots to get fired by depicting overtly sexual acts which only leads to the boys being sent to a rigorous tolerance camp as their parents fear their complaints are based on homophobia.
The episode is relentless in its pursuit of jokes that would stir controversy, with its targets including homophobia, political correctness, and even the holocaust as it lampooned Schindler’s List to hilarious effect. It also featured a musical odyssey of a gerbil which was shoved up Mr. Garrison’s rectum with its adventure through the teacher parodying 1977’s animated adaptation of The Hobbit.
12 “Canada on Strike”
Season 12, Episode 4
An episode that has become even more controversial in recent times, “Canada on Strike” was released in April 2008 and worked as a thinly veiled mocking from South Park of the WGA Writers Strikes that were ongoing at the time. In the episode, Canada goes on strike and demands money which prompts the boys to try making Butters a viral internet sensation.
Interestingly, while the targeting of the Writers Strike did raise some eyebrows, Comedy Central faced a lawsuit for the episode’s recreation of the then viral video “What What (In the Butt)” in a case that was dismissed. Laced with strong jokes that land frequently throughout, the episode was seen as being one of the series’ better entries of its Twelfth season.
11 “Krazy Kripples”
Season 7, Episode 2
South Park has a reputation for toeing the line of what is acceptable, but “Krazy Kripples” took that endeavor for societally revealing comedy up a notch. With Christopher Reeve arriving in town to promote stem cell research, Jimmy and Timmy unite in response to the attention Reeves amasses, forging a gang called “the Crips” which gets them involved with the street gang of the same name.
Stone and Parker had been tentative about making an episode about Reeves for some time but decided to do it after being dissatisfied with the sentiment of the actor’s appearance on Larry King Live. The episode was also controversial for its graphic engagement with – and lampooning of – stem cell research and its commentary on gang violence.
10 “The Worldwide Privacy Tour”
Season 26, Episode 2 (2023)
The most recent episode to ruffle its targets is the second episode of the latest season, which made fun of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Although it doesn’t call out the Duke and Duchess of Sussex by name, it features a Prince of Canada and his wife who look very much like them. The couple moves to South Park where — banging drums — they loudly and repeatedly demand privacy.
It’s a classic slice of acerbic satire from South Park, and one of the most entertaining episodes of Season 26. The royals, however, were apparently none too pleased. Markle was reportedly “upset and overwhelmed” for days about the episode. There were even rumors that Harry and Meghan were planning some kind of legal action, but their spokesperson has since denied this.
9 “Proper Condom Use”
Season 5, Episode 7 (2001)
This episode tackled the not-at-all-controversial topic of sex education in schools. The parents are too squeamish to talk to their kids about sex, so they hand the task over to the teachers — who do an abysmal job at it. The characters end up more confused than they were at the beginning, which escalates to an all-out war between the boys and the girls.
There’s one particularly graphic scene where Mr. Garrison demonstrates how to put a condom with his mouth. This led the British channel Sky One to ban the episode for its sexual and violent content. Even Comedy Central forced Parker and Stone to cut parts of it for broadcast. Beneath all the obscenity, though, the irreverent South Park episode makes a relevant point about how difficult it can be for kids to get access to good information on such topics.
8 “All About Mormons”
Season 7, Episode 12 (2003)
“Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.” “All About Mormons” focuses on Gary, a Mormon boy, who moves to South Park and befriends the show’s main characters. Gary shares the story of the founding of the Mormon religion, leading to a series of hilarious misunderstandings and misadventures.
The episode is notable for its humorous treatment of the Mormon faith, and it is often cited as an example of the show’s ability to tackle complex and sensitive topics in an entertaining way. Parker and Stone would explore similar themes in greater depth with their hit 2011 Broadway musical The Book of Mormon. However, not everyone liked it: in a statement, the LDS church called the episode “gross.”
7 “Woodland Critter Christmas”
Season 8, Episode 14 (2004)
“Woodland Critter Christmas” takes a darkly comedic approach to the idea of the traditional sitcom Christmas special. Stan stumbles upon a group of seemingly innocent forest creatures preparing for the arrival of their savior, a prophesied “immaculate” birth. However, it soon turns out that the cute animals are in fact Satanists awaiting the return of the Antichrist.
From there, the story takes a decidedly twisted turn, culminating in a gory finale involving murder, ritual sacrifice, and a bloody orgy. It’s a testament to the show’s ability to blend crude humor with biting commentary on religion and pop culture, alongside copious buckets of animated blood.
6 “Band in China”
Season 23, Episode 2 (2019)
This episode parodies Hollywood’s tendency to cater to Chinese censors in order to maintain access to the lucrative Chinese market. Cartman and the gang attempt to start a rock band, only to be repeatedly censored and manipulated by Chinese officials.
“Band in China” is particularly notable for its pointed criticisms of companies like Disney, who have been accused of compromising their values in order to maintain their business relationships with China. In response, the Chinese government banned South Park entirely. Parker and Stone issued a sarcastic apology on Twitter, saying, “Long live the Great Communist Party of China! May this autumn’s sorghum harvest be bountiful! We good now China?”
5 “Trapped in the Closet”
Season 9, Episode 12 (2005)
In this Stan-centered South Park episode, he is revealed to have a high thetan levels, making him the potential leader of the Church of Scientology. As the story unfolds, the episode takes aim at Scientology in general, mocking their beliefs and practices in a way that some found offensive. Masterfully, though, some of the funniest scenes are the parts where the episode simply describes what Scientology actually teaches
The episode is also notable for its depiction of high-profile Scientologists, including Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Isaac Hayes, the actor who voiced the character Chef and a Scientologist himself, quit the show in response to the episode.
4 “The China Problem”
Season 12, Episode 8 (2008)
After watching the Beijing Olympics on TV, Cartman becomes convinced that China is planning to invade America. He establishes an organization called the American Liberation Front to resist the threat and recruits Butters to join him. Meanwhile, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and feel that the filmmakers have ruined the iconic character.
The kids imagine some graphic scenes of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas assaulting Indiana. The episode keeps escalating from there: the boys try to have Spielberg and Lucas arrested, Cartman dresses up in stereotypical Chinese clothing to infiltrate a local Chinese restaurant, and Butters shoots a man in his genitals.
3 “With Apologies to Jesse Jackson”
Season 11, Episode 1 (2007)
“With Apologies to Jesse Jackson” is a satire on the nature of racism and the role of apologies in American society. The episode centers around Randy Marsh, who inadvertently uses a racial epithet on a live TV game show, leading to a national controversy. Parker and Stone poke fun at how individuals and institutions often attempt to apologize for offensive behavior without truly understanding or addressing the underlying issues.
The rewatchable South Park episode pushes the envelope in all sorts of ways: Jesse Jackson declares himself the “Emperor of Black People,” Cartman makes a mockery of his sensitivity training, and a racial slur is uttered a full 43 times. The Parents Television Council criticized the episode, but most commentators actually praised its approach to the subject matter.
2 “200” and “201”
Season 14, Episode 5 & 6 (2010)
Episodes “200” and “201” are among the most heavily censored episodes in the series’ history. The two-parter features the return of Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology, who want a meeting with the “Muhammad” character that was introduced in a previous episode. The episode explores the controversy surrounding depictions of the prophet Muhammad, which are forbidden in Islam.
The episode led to violent threats against South Park online. It was too risqué even for Comedy Central, who bleeped out parts of the South Park episode and removed others entirely. The episodes were never broadcast again or put online for streaming. Thirteen years later, the only way to watch them is to buy them on Blu-Ray or DVD. It still stands as one of the most controversial South Park episodes ever made.
1 “Cartoon Wars”
Season 10, Episode 3 & 4 (2006)
In “Cartoon Wars,” the TV series Family Guy plans to show Muhammad in one of its episodes. Extremists threaten violence if the episode airs, but the people of South Park decide to literally bury their heads in the sand rather than acknowledge the danger. The second part of the episode also features the hilarious revelation that the Family Guy writing staff are a group of manatees.
Comedy Central cut the Family Guy scene, replacing it with a black screen and a title card reading, “In this shot, Mohammed hands a football helmet to Family Guy. Comedy Central has refused to broadcast an image of Mohammed on their network.” Thus, the episode itself became an example of the kind of censorship it was satirizing. Beneath the absurdity and crude jokes, South Park often has a clear sense of the issues facing society.
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