Random Times South Park Actually Made A Really Good Point (15 items)

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  (#15) Member Berries Confront The Implications Of Living In The Past

  The Member Berries were so named because they were little talking berries that constantly remarked on things gone by, living in a constant state of nostalgia. They are a device introduced in 2016, starting in Episode 1 of Season 20 ("Member Berries"). They are used throughout the entire season, representing the tendency to romanticize the past, often to a destructive degree. Ostensibly, the Member Berries focused on pop culture, lamenting the remakes and reboots of Hollywood while reliving the glory of the original Star Wars and the like.

  Ultimately, in the final episode of Season 20, "The End of Serialization as We Know It," the Member Berries find themselves in the Oval Office. This illuminates the core of what the Member Berries really represent, and that is Donald Trump. You'll recall Trump's constant cries of, “Make America Great Again,” which mirrors the Member Berries's incessant praise of, and longing for, bygone things. This episode highlights Trump's movement and its insidious heart of driving America back into a state of the past, where first class citizens were mostly white, male, and heterosexual. 
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  (#4) All About Mormons

  • TV Episode

  In "All About Mormons," which aired in 2003, Stan befriends a new kid in town, Gary Harrison. When he goes over to Gary's house to meet his family, they proceed to tell Stan about how the Mormon faith came to be. The most memorable element of the retellings is the background music playing during Joseph Smith's discovery of the golden plates, where the lyrics repeats a jaunty refrain of, "dum, dum, dum, dum!" (read: dumb). What's even crazier is that South Park creators Stone and Parker were able to make a satirical musical called The Book of Mormon that further spread the message of this episode, but that's for another time. 

  In "All About Mormons," Stan's father, Randy, is furious that the Harrison family would try to indoctrinate his son. However, when he confronts Mr. Harrison about it, the man is so nice that his anger cools quickly. He even agrees to hear the story himself, after which he tells the family that they'll be converting to Mormonism. 

  While the episode makes fun of Mormonism, using Stan as a mouthpiece to decry some of the religion's beliefs, it ends with Stan learning a valuable lesson from his new friend, Gary, about respecting the faith of others: 

  “Look, maybe us Mormons do believe in crazy stories that make absolutely no sense, and maybe Joseph Smith did make it all up, but I have a great life, and a great family, and I have the Book of Mormon to thank for that. All I ever did was try to be your friend, Stan, but you’re so high and mighty you couldn’t look past my religion and just be my friend back. You’ve got a lot of growing up to do, buddy. Suck my balls.”
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  (#14) The Passion of the Jew

  • TV Episode

  "The Passion of the Jew" unpacks the antisemitic themes of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ by using South Park's resident sociopath and antisemite, Eric Cartman. In this episode, which aired in 2004, Cartman recognizes the film's message as expressing "the horror and filthiness of the common Jew," and he rallies Christians to his cause. They fill the streets, goosestepping and chanting, “Achtung,” and, “Juden,” led by Hitler's Mini Me.

  Kenneth Jacobson, the Associate National Director for the Anti-Defamation League, approved of the episode, saying, "The basic message of the show is: Gibson’s movie is no way to teach Christianity." The episode is ludicrous, over the top, and still manages to portray offensive stereotypes of Jews, as is South Park's way. Ultimately, it makes a salient point about Gibson's work. 
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  (#7) "Douche And Turd" Take The Glamor Out Of Politics

  An allegorical take on the 2004 elections, South Park wasn't afraid to confront the reality of politics, most especially when the voting populace is forced to chooser between two less than stellar options. "Douche and Turd" revolves around South Park Elementary having to choose a new mascot after PETA complains about the school using a cow as their mascot; when the write-in options leave the students with the choice of either voting for a giant douche or a turd sandwich, which goes just about how you'd expect. Kyle throws his weight behind the douche, Cartman does the same with the turd sandwich, and Stan refuses to vote for either because the whole thing is stupid in his opinion. 

  Stan eventually comes around – it requires Puff Daddy slaughtering a number of PETA members, among other things – and decides to cast his vote for the turd sandwich. Regardless, the giant douche wins the race by 1410 votes to 36. It looks like South Park Elementary has found its new mascot, until, that is, Mr. Garrison shows up to share the news about the murdered PETA members, thus negating their need to find a new mascot in the first place. In the end Stan was right; his vote really didn't matter and the whole thing was stupid. Ah, politics.
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  (#3) "You Have 0 Friends" Gets Real About The Problems Of Social Media

  It's no secret that Facebook has wildly changed the way we interact with one another, and naturally the creators of South Park had to put in their two cents on the matter; fortunately, they managed to make a legitimate but hilarious commentary on the pitfalls of social media in the process. In "You Have 0 Friends," Kyle goes against the grain and friends loner Kip Drordy, which has the adverse effect of causing Kyle's social cache to plummet. Meanwhile Stan, who wanted nothing to do with Facebook in the first place, winds up getting sucked into the machine and has to digitally battle for his own survival in the real world. The fact that Cartman goes out of his way to create a "Mad Friends" podcast, which keeps track of who in town is worth friending and who is a newly minted social pariah, only adds to the dichotomy experienced between the friends and their relationship with Facebook. 

  Whether they want to or not, everyone in South Park is drawn into Facebook one way or another.
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  (#1) Trapped in the Closet

  • TV Episode

  First, it must be said that the Church of Scientology is litigious. However, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone held no such reservations when they wrote “Trapped in the Closet,” arguing that Scientology masquerades as a religion, but is really nothing more than a money-making scheme. In "Trapped in the Closet," which aired in 2005, the Church of Scientology decides that Stan is the reincarnation of their founder and prophet, L. Ron Hubbard. The church president and various celebrities of Scientology ask Stan to continue Hubbard’s writing, so Stan obliges.

  What follows is a hilarious episode satirizing the Scientology religion. It has Hollywood celebrities that are part of the church, like R. Kelly, Tom Cruise, and John Travolta, run into Stan's closet, refusing to come out. Stan then starts arguing with the president of the church, saying that the church shouldn't be charging money to help people. The president reveals that that is the entire point of the Church of Scientology. In Stan’s final 'doctrine,' he admits he is not the reincarnation of Hubbard and that "Scientology is just a big fat global scam." The episode ends with the church threatening to sue Stan.

  The central focus of the episode revolves around the institutions of religion. Here, South Park highlights issues of money, for-profit-like behavior, and a none-too-subtle questioning of said celebrities’ sexualities in the Church of Scientology. 

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