One of those programs that people either love or detest is South Park. Regardless of our views on the program, I think we can all agree that it is absurd that it is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Additionally, as is customary for successful shows marking anniversaries, the show’s creators have found themselves reflecting on the past, including the good, terrible, and ugly.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the show’s creators, seem to have some seasons of South Park they wish they could go back and change so they never took place at all.
Their Thoughts?
This remorse is understandably caused in large part by how they have changed since the beginning of the episode.
According to what Parker and Stone previously told The Hollywood Reporter, Parker and Stone’s priorities at the start of the program included “trying to get laid” and “f***ing around.”
But now that they are parents to their own children, they are no longer twenty-somethings acting like children.
It follows that it is not surprising that their initial seasons are the ones that have left them with the worst aftertaste.
Notably, Parker declared in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that anything from the library prior to season 4 will essentially be permanently deleted.
And he was extremely clear in his justification, attributing his sorrow to nothing more than embarrassment.
It’s embarrassing to watch, he continued. Okay, we were around 26 and 27. The response is, “Really? “We found that amusing,” We considered that to be well-written. I swear to God, this is awful.
Parker’s explanation for his shame is difficult to ignore because most people experience nostalgia-induced grimaces at some point in their lives. How often do we all experience flashbacks to our formative years?
However, after 25 years, founders Parker and Stone have improved and honed their craft. They stick to the same tried-and-true formula but with a little less cringe.
Final Words
In a piece for The Los Angeles Times commemorating the show’s 25th anniversary, Parker provided insight into the script-writing process, stating: “The writers’ room always starts with us sitting around a table going, ‘All right, what’s going on?’ Just like in any office.
But even in the season we just did, some of my favourite things were Butters riding a horse and Cartman living in a hot dog. Just kid stuff.”
Another South Park movie is anticipated in 2023, along with five more seasons in the following years, so it appears that the show’s creators still have an unwavering affection for it despite the early seasons they wish they could erase from existence.