AlthoughSouth Parkhas always mocked itself alongside everything else, one season 2 episode was a hilarious take-down of the show’s own success. As the wait forSouth Parkseason 27 continues, it can be hard for readers to recall just how controversial the show once was. By 2025,South Park has become as much of a TV institution asFamily GuyorThe Simpsons, two other long-running adult animated sitcoms with equally loyal fan bases. However, its early status as a lightning rod for controversy has mostly faded away.
WhenSouth Parkbegan, the show was seen as a uniquely outrageous, obscene series that earned the ire of moral guardians, critics, and special interest groups worldwide.South Parkinsulted the Costa Rican government, caused an international incident by joking about depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, and even personally insulted legendary movie critic Roger Ebert after he wrote a negative review of an unrelated movie that starred the show’s creators. However,South Park was mostly immune to criticism as the show never shied away from mocking itself.
South Park Season 2, Episode 6’s “Huntin' & Killin'” Was A Parody Of South Park’s Own Success
Jesus’s Producer Tried Everything Imaginable To Make His Show More Popular
In season 2, episode 6, “The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka,” the dim-witted hunters and Vietnam War veterans Jimbo and Ned accidentally become local TV sensations when they claim to have obtained footage of the elusive titular creature. In reality, Kenny, Kyle, Cartman, and Stan are pulling a prank on the duo as revenge. Ned and Jimbo offered to share their experiences of the Vietnam War with the boys for a school project, but Mr. Garrison refused to believe their version of events and failed the kids.
Outraged, theSouth Parkgang took their ire out on Ned and Jimbo by staging sightings of the Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka. Soon, their antics inevitably got out of hand as the ratings of Ned and Jimbo’s show,Huntin’ and Killin’, increased and its daytime local TV rival,Jesus & Pals, struggled to catch up. GivenSouth Park’s history of self-parody, it is fair to say thatthe unexpected success ofHuntin' & Killin’in “The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka” mirrorsSouth Park’s own real-life success.
South Park’s “The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka” Parodied The TV Industry
Ned And Jimbo Were Mistaken For Savvy Producers By Jesus’s Team
Although the amoral producer ofJesus & Palssees Jimbo and Ned as a pair of canny operators who are intentionally manipulating their audience with footage of the mysterious monster,South Parkmakes it clear that they are in reality two buddies making a TV show for fun and accidentally earning a massive audience. The parallels between them andSouth Park’s creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are pretty clear. Stone and Parker were often accused of corrupting the youth and deliberately baiting viewers with shocking jokes.
South Park’s creators mock the profit-driven executives pushing for creative control in the episode.
However, the events of “The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka” make it clear that it is the TV executives, not the creators ofHunting’ and Killin’orJesus & Pals, who are truly cynical. In an attempt to rival the newfound popularity ofHuntin’ and Killin’, Jesus’s producer turnsJesus & Palsfrom a mild-mannered chat show into Jerry Springer-esque trash TV.South Park’s creators mock the profit-driven executives pushing for creative control in the episode, with Jesus’s producer eventually causing a riot and ending up in Hell.
South Park’s TV Gags Became A Long-Running Joke
South Park Has Always Mocked The Show’s Own Success And Longevity
After27 years ofSouth Park, it is clear that “The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka” was only the start of a long tradition.South Parkhas spent decades mocking the show’s own success, as well as its writing and its purported reliance on shock humor. First, there was this episode about two guys accidentally creating a hit show and facing the rage of cynical TV executives who couldn’t imagine that their success wasn’t a soulless PR stunt. This had clear parallels to Stone and Parker’s success and the backlash they faced in the show’s early years.
“Quest For Ratings,” which focused on the kids trying and failing to come up with ideas for their in-school TV show, featured even more self-parody.
Then, there was season 4, episode 17, “A Very Crappy Christmas” wherein the kids remake the originalSouth Parkshort “The Spirit of Christmas,” and turn down a lucrative TV contract during the special’s ending. That outing mocked the limited animation ofSouth Parkand the decision to outsource the part of the production later in the show’s life. Season 8, episode 11, “Quest For Ratings,” which focused on the kids trying and failing to come up with ideas for their in-school TV show, featured even more self-parody.
Most memorably, season 15, episode 7,“You’re Getting Old,” sawSouth Park’s protagonist Stan become hopelessly depressed after turning 10. Suddenly, Stan saw the entire world as a parade of endless “Crap,” losing the ability to enjoy movies, music, and even hanging around with his friends. This episode’s story was read by many critics as evidence ofSouth Park’s creators becoming disillusioned with the long-running show, but its continued success seems to refute this reading. Despite joking about its own old age,South Parkshowed no signs of slowing down after season 15.
South Park’s Self-Parody Makes Predicting How Long It’ll Run For More Difficult
South Park Season 27 Is Due To Arrive Later In 2025
South Parkhas consistently produced fewer and fewer episodes with each passing year, but the show has been joking about its own irrelevance since season 2. Many critics thought “You’re Getting Old” was a tacit admission that the creators wanted to wrap up, but that outing arrived 12 seasons ago. AlthoughSouth Parkseason 27 didn’t arrive in 2024, this was because Stone and Parker toldVanity Fairthat they didn’t want to cover the year’s election as they had nothing new to say about the topic of American electoral politics.
As such,there is no knowing whenSouth Parkwill finally end. The show’s longstanding penchant for self-parody means that reading certain storylines as proof that the creators want to give up is a fool’s errand. Meanwhile,South Park’s reliance on contemporary news stories as inspiration for its storylines means the show will never need to end as long as there are current events to satirize. As such, it is impossible for long-time viewers to guess when, if ever,South Parkwill finally come to an end thanks to the show’s self-aware parodies.
