South Park has been one of the most offensive programs on television, consistently poking fun at celebrities, politics, and current events for over two decades. There have been dozens of episodes that perfectly provide a spot-on satire of a significant — or even ridiculous — events in history.

Satire is an ironic or exaggerated humorous device that's used to illustrate and criticize the public's ignorance over common issues and events. South Park may very well be the best when it comes to satirizing a bevy of topics both obvious and taboo.

Updated by Alan A. Mehanna, on March 11, 2024: This list has been updated to adhere to CBR's most recent standards for formatting.

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15 “Best Friends Forever”

Release Date March 30, 2005 (Season 9, Episode 4)

Cartman gives money to a comatose Kenny in South Park episode, "Best Friends Forever"

Many of the best South Park episodes combine something ridiculously juvenile with a genuine dilemma."Best Friends Forever" indulges in a Last Starfighter-esque story, where Kenny's PSP skills make him the ideal candidate to lead their heavenly war.

"Best Friends Forever" uses Kenny and his vegetative comatose state as an analog for the Terri Schiavo case that was going on at the time and the episode aired only a few hours before Schiavo's passing. South Park was making controversial waves ever since their first season. However, the series officially became a mainstream comedy hit when its ninth season episode, “Best Friends Forever,” won South Park its first Emmy Award.

14 “South Park: The Streaming Wars”

Release Date: June 1, 2022

Randy Marsh examines sailboats in South Park: The Streaming Wars

South Park fans are still figuring out the series' bifurcated structure where seasons air on Comedy Central, but specials air on Paramount+. These specials have been hit or miss, but the third entry, "South Park: The Streaming Wars," finds strength through attacking the currently bloated state of streaming services.

"The Streaming Wars" uses water scarcity as a parallel for the abundance of television and movie streaming channels who are less concerned with quality programming as they are about having endless "content" to push out. "The Streaming Wars" is particularly scathing since South Park is currently in the middle of a streaming snafu as their content gets divided between two separate services.

13 “Goobacks”

Release Date: April 28, 2004 (Season 8, Episode 7)

Goobacks travel through time in South Park episode, "Goobacks"

There have been hundreds of South Park episodes since season eight’s “Goobacks,” but in many ways this is one of the series’ most prescient entries. in fact, it’s more relevant today than ever before. “Goobacks” leans into a broad Terminator parody, but one that opens up a larger conversation about fair wage laws for immigrant workers.

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“Goobacks” introduces South Park’s recurring “They took our jobs!” mantra, which has returned in subsequent seasons under harsher conditions. South Park takes such a loaded approach to immigration during its President Garrison seasons that “Goobacks” is almost quaint in comparison.

12 “You're Not Yelping”

Release Date: October 14, 2015 (Season 19, Episode 4)

Gerald posts a Yelp review in South Park episode, "You're Not Yelping"

South Park has taken on a lot of trends during its lengthy run, some of which have come and gone, while others are deeply entrenched in society. Yelp had been around for more than a decade before South Park decided to poke fun at this user-driven review platform.

Yelpers become the new scourge of South Park and it should come as no surprise that Cartman and Randy lead the pack as the most chaotic and entitled patrons. These two weaponize their “power” to avoid basic niceties, all in a clever takedown of the faux seniority that surrounds the platform.

11 “Mexican Joker”

Release Date: September 25, 2019 (Season 23, Episode 1)

An irate ICE worker puts on a puppet presentation in South Park episode, "Mexican Joker"

South Park season premieres can often be more volatile in nature since there's a little more time for Trey Parker and Matt Stone to concoct the season's story. Season 23 begins with a lot of turmoil in the real world that South Park can pull from, and "Mexican Joker" makes some biting commentary on ICE's aggressive and inhumane treatment at the United States border.

In "Mexican Joker," ICE detains tons of innocent children purely under the suspicion that any of them could grow up to become the "Mexican Joker." This episode wryly combines the political unrest at the border with the controversy surrounding Todd Phillips' Joker movie.

10 "Informative Murder Porn"

Release Date: October 2, 2013 (Season 17, Episode 2)

Cable company workers feud in South Park episode, "Informative Murder Porn"

In "Informative Murder Porn," the episode's main focus deals with the adults of South Park and their current obsession with the murderous true crime that floods television. However, the most successful satire in this episode involves the heightened absurdity of monopolistic cable companies. "Informative Murder Porn" properly lampoons the inconsistent customer service and hoops that must often be jumped through with cable.

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The cable company in South Park really goes over the top. They suggest that they hold all the power and their clients are helpless but to follow their rules or suffer the consequences. The kids complain to the cable companies that murders are happening because of their negligence, but they act as if their hands are still tied to do anything on the matter.

9 "All About Mormons"

Release Date: November 19, 2003 (Season 7, Episode 12)

The Marsh family have family game night after converting to Mormonism in South Park

Trey Parker and Matt Stone create a full-fledged Broadway musical on Mormonism, but "All About Mormons" feels like a dry run for their religiously fueled farce. "All About Mormons" pokes fun at Mormons by highlighting some of the core beliefs of the religion. However, it also shines a light on some of the better parts of the religion and how Mormons really aren't that different from everyone else.

South Park paints the picture of Joseph Smith's founding of Mormonism with accuracy, while it also indicates the incredulous nature of some of its requests and rules. "All About Mormons" also suggests that not all Mormons blindly follow such a wild tale. There are some members of the religion who merely agree with the principles taught by their church because it brings them peace of mind.

8 "Black Friday"

Release Date: November 13, 2013 (Season 17, Episode 7)

A Black Friday shopper freaks out in South Park episode, "Black Friday"

Before South Park's days of fully serialized seasons, there were occasional two- or three-part stories that found a lot of success. Season 17's "Black Friday" trilogy brilliantly pokes fun at the overly commercialized nature of Black Friday sales and the unnerving behavior that it can provoke in those hungry for a good sale. Beyond this obvious point of parody, "Black Friday" also satirizes the pop culture sensation Game of Thrones, which influences the arc of these three episodes.

In this "Black Friday" saga, the people of South Park must prepare for the coming of Black Friday, rather than Game of Thrones' coming of winter. This fantasy filter helps transform this shopping extravaganza into a literal bloodbath. Real videos of Black Friday chaos are edited into the episode to add an extra level of reality to the experience.

7 "Make Love, Not Warcraft"

Release Date: October 4, 2006 (Season 10, Episode 8)

The boys' gaming den in South Park episode, "Make Love, Not Warcraft"

Gamer culture has only grown more intense over time, and Trey Parker and Matt Stone often fall prey to these entertaining trends. World of Warcraft is still one of the biggest MMORPGs of all-time, but South Park delivers one of the most effective satires of the online gaming community that's both scathing and sweet. The children of South Park go all-in on World of Warcraft and they let their physical selves suffer in favor of their online avatars.

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"Make Love, Not Warcraft" also highlights how people can over-romanticize a game and view it as the most important thing in the world when, in reality, it's just a game. The most articulate example of this is when Randy throws kids out of the way in a real store so that he can give Stan a virtual weapon, only to tragically die, in-game, at the hand of the avatar his son was trying to defeat.

6 "World War Zimmerman"

Release Date: October 9, 2013 (Season 17, Episode 3)

Cartman and Tolkien fight in the gym in South Park episode, "World War Zimmerman"

2013's George Zimmerman trial was a huge point of controversy that helped open many people's eyes to the inequality of social justice. Despite the sensitivity of this subject matter, South Park brazenly tackled the topic head-on and through the broader filter of a post-apocalyptic survival story. The racial division over Zimmerman's trial becomes the episode's focus and "World War Zimmerman" equates the outrage over Zimmerman's verdict with a zombie outbreak.

Typically, any South Park episode that stars Cartman is bound to be controversial, but it's especially risky to put him at the center of an installment that unpacks such important material. The final sequence in "World War Zimmerman" becomes chilling for demonstrating how race becomes a fundamental factor when dealing with both shooters and their victims.

5 "Stunning & Brave"

Release Date: September 16, 2015 (Season 19, Episode 1)

PC Principal at South Park Elementary in South Park

PC Principal is a newer South Park character with a polarizing reception due to his embodiment of the current slate of a cautious politically correct culture. PC Principal tackles things like social justice, gender issues, and specifically Caitlyn Jenner's ascension in the news. Every aspect of his life encompasses political correctness, right down to how he's even the leader of a PC fraternity in the heart of South Park.

To highlight the over-the-top ridiculousness of this mentality, Randy ends up joining the frat and shamelessly shoves PC rhetoric down peoples' throats when he's just in it for the booze. "Stunning & Brave" slowly allows PC Principal to gain depth, but his initial purpose in South Park is a critique of overbearing PC culture where even wishing someone a nice day can be construed as a micro-aggression.

4 "Trapped In The Closet"

Release Date: November 16, 2005 (Season 9, Episode 12)

A representation of Xenu in the South Park Scientology episode, "Trapped in the Closet"

Scientology is another subject that South Park has fearlessly poked fun at, which is saying something considering the laundry list of celebrities who are a part of the organization. R. Kelly, John Travolta, and Tom Cruise all make appearances in "Trapped in the Closest," which has gone on to become one of South Park's most controversial episodes.

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"Trapped in the Closet" earnestly deconstructs the hypocrisy of Scientology by turning their own teachings against them. In one of the show's smartest callbacks, South Park details "what Scientologists actually believe" and satirizes the whole organization in only a few minutes. South Park treats Scientology like they're nothing more than a powerful cult.

3 "Douche & Turd"

Release Date: October 27, 2004 (Season 8, Episode 8)

A debate goes on between a giant douche and a turd sandwich in South Park

Politics is certainly fair game in South Park and many episodes dig into the then-current political struggles. South Park sometimes embraces politics a little too hard, but season eight's "Douche and Turd" is a succinct satire that it feels like the series has only diluted through their more recent political installments. "Douche and Turd" attempts to underline the absurdity of the United States' political system after a local election between a giant douche and a turd sandwich takes over South Park.

"Douche and Turd" even features a "Vote or Die" campaign, where those who refuse to vote are outright executed. Stan gets caught up in all of this and even ends up being exiled from the town because he refuses to vote. Stan explains why he doesn't want to vote, only for South Park to reiterate that it doesn't matter if his voting options are terrible, but that it's the people's job to vote. The episode essentially summarizes everything wrong with the current election system.

2 "Go God Go"

Release Date: November 1, 2006 (Season 10, Episode 12)

Cartman meets future society after he wakes up in South Park episode, "Go God Go"

Cartman has put into action all sorts of misguided schemes, but in "Go God Go" he freezes himself so that he can wake up at a time when the Nintendo Wii is already out, only for him to wind up hundreds of years in the future instead. In the future, it's revealed that an atheist who ends up marrying Ms. Garrison solves the problem of universal religion. Now that religion has ostensibly been "solved," the world moves onto science.

"Go God Go" depicts a highly advanced future, but it's also a world that suggests that humanity will always find something benign to argue over, no matter how far they've collectively progressed. "Go God Go" reveals that three factions of scientific prowess have been warring for decades simply because they disagree on the names of their organizations.

1 "Margaritaville"

Release Date: March 25, 2009 (Season 13, Episode 3)

Randy and his Margaritaville machine in South Park episode, "Margaritaville"

"Margaritaville" begins with an incredibly simple premise where Stan just wants to receive a refund for his father's Margaritaville machine, only for this to spiral into an excellent explanation of society's recession and the housing market crash of the early 2000s. After repeated obstacles, Stan tracks down the people who can help him with his Margaritaville crusade, which only further reflects the follies of the housing crisis.

Stan learns that the decisions at Margaritaville are fueled by extremely unconventional practices, like the precarious use of a headless chicken as a beacon of inspiration. "Margaritaville" mocks this issue in the most exaggerated way possible, but in doing so, it illuminates how the financial institutions that responsible for the recession really had no idea what they were doing in the first place.

The Cast of South Park in front of the town sign
South Park
TV-MA
Comedy

Follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.

Release Date
1997-00-00
Cast
Trey Parker , Matt Stone , Mary Kay Bergman , Isaac Hayes , Eliza Schneider
Main Genre
Animation
Seasons
30
Number of Episodes
330