Eight times ‘South Park' showed no mercy with its celebrity takedowns, from Bono to Kanye West
Barbra Streisand
Streisand was one of the first celebrities to get the 'South Park' treatment, with creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone taking aim at the acclaimed singer and actress in the season 1 episode 'Mecha-Streisand.' The 1998 appearance featured a parody of Streisand, who attacks the town after turning into a giant mechanical monster. Streisand wasn't exactly happy with her portrayal, as she revealed in an interview with the magazine Mirabella in 1998, noting how shows like 'South Park' can 'add to the cynicism and negativity in our culture, especially in children.' However, that didn't stop Parker and Stone from parodying her again in future episodes.
A scene from the "South Park" episode "Fat Butt and Pancake Head."
Comedy Central
Advertisement
Ben Affleck
Cambridge-raised star Ben Affleck has been parodied a few times on 'South Park.' He first shows up in a season 5 episode, where he appears as the long-lost son of parents whose faces are buttocks. He makes his infamous return in season 7, where Affleck falls in love with 'Ms. Lopez,' which is just Cartman crudely imitating Jennifer Lopez by painting a face on his hand.
Advertisement
Bono
U2 frontman Bono fell into the 'South Park' crosshairs in the season 11 episode 'More Crap.' The show portrays the singer as a literal piece of feces come to life, serving as an antagonist who challenges Stan's dad over a record-breaking bowel movement. 'South Park' would go on to parody Bono a few more times in future episodes, albeit in much briefer appearances.
A scene from the "South Park" episode "The Ring."
Comedy Central
Jonas Brothers
Pop band the Jonas Brothers were the center of the season 13 episode 'The Ring,' with the show ridiculing the siblings over their use of purity rings in their heyday. The episode also showcases the band as being forced to project their innocent image under threat of violence from Mickey Mouse, who physically beats them into following his commands. In a recent podcast interview,
A scene from the "South Park" episode "Fishsticks."
Comedy Central
Kanye West
Rapper Kanye West isn't known for his ability to take a joke, so it's no surprise that he didn't exactly appreciate 'South Park' parodying him in the season 13 episode 'Fishsticks.' Airing just months before his infamous outburst during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV VMAs, the episode revolves around a running gag where West doesn't understand a crude joke about eating fishsticks, complete with an auto-tuned parody song. While West initially called the episode 'pretty funny' in a
Advertisement
A scene from the "South Park" episode "The Jeffersons."
Comedy Central
Michael Jackson
The late King of Pop was skewered a few times on 'South Park,' most prominently in the season 8 episode 'The Jeffersons.' Sporting a fake mustache and going by the name 'Michael Jefferson,' the Jackson parody character appears as a new resident, moving in with his young son Blanket, and causing all sorts of mayhem and mischief for the town. Following the singer's death in 2009, 'South Park' featured Jackson in the season 13 episode 'Dead Celebrities,' where he refuses to accept his place in the afterlife.
Tom Brady
'South Park' has made fun of Tom Brady on several occasions, but the biggest parody moment occurred in the
A scene from the "South Park" episode "Trapped in the Closet."
Comedy Central
Tom Cruise
Action movie star and noted Scientologist Tom Cruise became the butt of 'South Park' jokes in the season 9 episode 'Trapped in the Closet.' The Emmy-nominated installment pokes fun at Cruise's connections with the Church of Scientology, with the actor refusing to come out of Stan's closet, despite pleas from other famous faces like John Travolta and R. Kelly (whose music video of the same name inspired the episode). The late singer Isaac Hayes, who played Chef on the show and was a Scientologist, reportedly left due to its portrayal of his religion, but his son
Advertisement
Matt Juul can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘South Park' to Leave HBO Max Next Week as Paramount+ Becomes Show's Exclusive Streaming Home
The animated series from Matt Stone and Trey Parker was on the WBD platform for five years The HBO Max and 'South Park' streaming partnership is coming to an end. The animated series from Matt Stone and Trey Parker will exit the WBD platform on Aug. 5, marking the end of a five-year run as the show's U.S. streaming home. The exit comes after the show's production company Park County and Paramount inked a new deal, reportedly worth $1.5 billion for its parent company to become the sole streaming home of 'South Park' across the globe. A note in the show's HBO Max homepage notified viewers of its looming exit. More from TheWrap Seth MacFarlane Applauds the 'Incredible' Timeliness of 'South Park' – Despite Years-Long Feud With Its Creators 'Jersey Shore Family Vacation' Creator Teases Full Cast Reunion, 15 Years in the Making 'Matlock' Taps Justina Machado for Season 2 Recurring Role 'Golden Bachelor' Star Mel Owens Says He 'Deserved' Backlash Over Ageist Comments Park County and Paramount's deal includes 50 new episodes of the hit series over five years, along with global streaming rights to its previous 26 seasons. The show previously had a dual streaming partnerships that offered Paramount+ streaming rights internationally, while HBO Max carried the show in the U.S. Getting to this deal came with its own set of drama, however. Negotiations previously stalled between Stone, Parker and Paramount, as soon-to-be new owners Skydance reportedly interfered in locking a proposed 10-year deal for the show. The show's creators publicly clashed over the negotiations, claiming incoming Paramount entertainment president Jeff Shell for inserting himself in negotiations before the Skydance-Paramount merger had been approved by the FCC. In the end, the parties came to terms on the lucrative five-year deal, and the media company's merger is expected to close Aug. 7. In 'South Park' world, the deal also led to the return of the show with a new episode on July 23, which quickly went viral with its wild takedown of both Paramount Global and President Donald Trump, whose settlement with the company over a '60 Minutes' lawsuit was halting the merger's regulatory process. The episode was a ratings hit across Paramount+ and Comedy Central, scoring nearly 6 million viewers in three days — and that's not counting all the views for the full episode, as well as clips, that circulated on social media. 'South Park' returns with a new episode Wednesday, Aug. 6, on Comedy Central and streams the next day on Paramount+. The post 'South Park' to Leave HBO Max Next Week as Paramount+ Becomes Show's Exclusive Streaming Home appeared first on TheWrap.
Forbes
10 hours ago
- Forbes
‘South Park' Seasons 1-26 Leaving HBO Max This Coming Week
Trey Parker and Matt Stone's South Park is packing up Seasons 1-26 of the classic series and soon leaving HBO Max after a five-year run on the streaming platform. South Park Season 27, of course, made its hugely anticipated debut on Comedy Central on July 23 following a two-week delay as negotiations continued between Paramount Global and Parker and Stone's Park County company to bring the new season to Paramount+, as well as Seasons 1-26. A five-year, $1.5 billion deal between the parties was struck the day of the Comedy Central premiere. Paramount+ began Season 27 on July 24, as well as Seasons 1-26. Under the new deal, Comedy Central will first air new episodes on Wednesday evenings and Paramount+ will stream them the next day. Parker and Stone's deal calls for the duo to produce 50 new episodes of South Park over the next five years. HBO Max posted a notice on Friday that South Park Seasons 1-26 will be leaving the Warner Bros. Discovery platform on Tuesday, Aug. 5. According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO Max and Park County's deal to stream South Park on the platform was extended while negotiations with Parker and Stone's deal continued with Paramount Global. The latter, of course, is acquired by Skydance. 'South Park' Season 27 Episode 1 Drew In Big Viewership The premiere episode of South Park Season 27 — which brutally lampooned President Donald Trump in both South Park animation style and a — attracted a huge viewership for both Comedy Central and Paramount+. The premiere episode, called Sermon on the 'Mount, drew in 5.9 million viewers across both platforms in the first three days it was available on Comedy Central and Paramount+, THR reported. After a one-week hiatus, South Park Season 27 will return with Episode 2 on the cable channel and the streaming platform this week. A teaser for Season 27 Episode 2 was released on July 29, which featured President Donald Trump rubbing Satan's leg under a dinner table, Cartman engaged in an argument about abortion with a South Park Elementary classmate and Mr. Garrison suited up with ICE officers and riding in an ICE convoy. Since Parker and Stone's South Park episodes on topical news of the day, it's unlikely any of the footage will make it into this week's episode. Parker promised at a San Diego Comic Con panel on July 24 that he and Stone would not be releasing canned material. 'You seriously think we made a bunch of shows ahead of time and baked them for later? We're not doing any of that,' Parker told the crowd at Comic Con (via Deadline). South Park Season 27 Episode 2 airs Wednesday on Comedy Central and streams Thursday on Paramount+. Seasons 1-26 of the series, which are already streaming on Paramount+, will leave HBO Max on Aug. 5.
USA Today
11 hours ago
- USA Today
'Change agent': Charlamagne tha God floats Jon Stewart as possible 2028 candidate
WASHINGTON - Radio show host Charlamagne tha God suggested that comedian Jon Stewart should run for president in 2028, after questioning a possible reelection bid by former Vice President Kamala Harris. His comments come after Harris said she won't run for California governor, leaving the door open for a potential 2028 run. In an interview set to publish Aug. 2, Charlamagne told Fox News' Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump, that Stewart would be a 'change agent coming from the outside' that would 'shake things up.' Stewart has been critical of Donald Trump's policies and holds progressive viewpoints. He's been a vocal advocate of improving healthcare access for veterans and first responders. He anchored Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 1999 to 2015, and later returned as a part-time host in 2024. 'We've seen him get legislation and stuff, you know, passed before, like we know where his heart is. He'd be somebody I'd like to see really get in the race and disrupt things in 2028,' Charlamagne told Lara Trump. Charlamagne, co-host of The Breakfast Club, said in an episode of his show on July 31 that he doesn't know if Harris should run again in 2028. 'I definitely would like to see her write a book. I definitely would like to see her start a podcast and just build a real connection with people,' he said. Harris said on July 30 that her leadership and public service "will not be in elected office" for now. Harris is currently writing a book, two people with knowledge of her plans said, and is expected to go on tour. Contributing: Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY
