The following contains spoilers for South Park Season 26, Episode 1, "Cupid Ye," which debuted Wednesday, Feb. 8 on Comedy Central.
South Park Season 26 jumped right into recent controversies. Season 26, Episode 1, "Cupid Ye" gave the show's take on anti-Semitic statements made by Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. Trey Parker and Matt Stone had previously criticized Ye in past episodes and the South Park video games, so fans weren't surprised to see the series tackling his latest controversy. What was surprising was the very clear stance the Comedy Central show decided to take against Ye's remarks.
For a long time, South Park preferred not to comment on most issues, instead preferring to lampoon what Parker and Stone saw as the most ridiculous people on both sides. It prioritized comedy over sending any particular message. Season 8, Episode 8, "Douche and Turd" posited that every U.S. election was as arbitrary as choosing between the episode's titular ridiculous mascots. While the Season 26 premiere wasn't short on laughs, South Park also obviously opposed Ye's comments and anti-Semitism in general.
South Park Usually Likes To Have Its Cake and Eat It Too
South Park's penchant for mocking everyone equally allows audiences to feel the show is always on their side -- for better and for worse. Even though Eric Cartman is mostly hated, he does still give voice to dangerous and bigoted beliefs, and some viewers may not understand that the show is laughing at him instead of with him. This isn't helped by Cartman sometimes spouting a stereotype for an entire episode, only to be proven right -- like when Kyle reveals he does carry gold with him everywhere in Season 9, Episode 8, "Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow." The show usually puts comedy first instead of any kind of opinion, which is what makes "Cupid Ye" such a huge way to start Season 26.
"Cupid Ye" makes a point of showing that none of the show's main characters support Ye's intolerant rhetoric. While it's not a big change to see characters like Kyle or Stan horrified, Cartman is also clearly uncomfortable with it. Though he does start the episode spreading rumors that Kyle runs Hollywood, he begins to push back against Cupid Ye's more extreme views. Notably, Cartman is the one who stops Cupid Ye from spreading his hateful message. The only significant character shown supporting Ye's position is Randy Marsh, who's defined by his stupidity and gets swept up in trends without a second thought. By having Cartman stand up against Cupid Ye, South Park leaves no doubt where it stands on Ye's anti-Semitic remarks.
South Park's Season 26 Premiere Taught Its Audience Instead
South Park also repurposes one of its oldst devices in its stance against Ye's anti-Semitism. is one of the show's oldest tricks. Many episodes ended with Kyle or sometimes Stan talking about what they learned, meaning that audiences could miss or ignore any message. Season 26 brings this back and then takes it a step further by making the social commentary a prominent part of the story. "Cupid Ye" shows Kyle using historical facts to refute the stereotype that Jewish people control Hollywood.
In a speech at the end of the episode, Kyle tells the audience -- both in-universe and the one watching at home -- that they need to be "smart about what [they] choose to believe." He also gives a brief summary of how Jewish people came to work in the movie industry because they had been shut out of many other professions, and explains that Hollywood is now overseen by many different groups of people. While the audience around him completely misses the point, it's impossible for fans to overlook.
The scene is immediately followed by a relevant joke -- the closing credits list Stone, who describes himself as "ethnically Jewish" per the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, as the show's sole creator. However, the monologue makes clear that South Park stands against Ye's comments and what they represent. "Cupid Ye" puts its message front and center, breaking with the show's tradition of being funny first.
South Park airs Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. on Comedy Central.