South Parkis known for its timely humor and political commentary, but the very jokes that serve as the show’s backbone can sometimes lose cultural context. Plus, after nearly 30 years on the air, some of the comedy has become outdated. This is especially true of several jokes from the ’90s, which don’t make much sense today.
South Park
The show’s creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, have previously said thatseasons 1-3 are their least favorite. Issues regarding old, obscure references might play a role in this view. Regardless, there’s still a lot to love about the show even early on. With added context to the jokes, they start to make more sense, and sometimes gain a new level of humor.
7Missing Child
During season 2’s “City on the Edge of Forever,” the boys go missing, and their parents hang fliers in an attempt to find them. The audience watches as posters of Stan, Kyle, and the rest of the group go up, only to notice, inexplicably, that Macaulay Culkin’s poster has joined them.
On one level, the inclusion of Culkin makes sense toHome Alonefans as it’s an obvious reference to Kevin, played by Culkin, being left at home and going “missing.” However, this might not be the joke that Stone and Parker originally intended.
An Extra Layer to the Joke
During 1994, Culkin took a break from film, and by the time this episode came out in 1998, he was essentially “missing” from TV and movies. However, he resumed his acting career in the 2000s, and he’s arguablymore famous nowthan he was before. Thus, the joke about him missing might not make sense since, in the years following the episode’s premiere, he was “found.”
6Scuzzlebutt’s Legs
Scuzzlebutt is the unlikely, tragic hero of Season 1’s “Volcano.” When the boys go hunting with Stan’s Uncle Jimbo, the party finds themselves in the path of an active volcano. Thinking its the end, the group is surprised to see a creature called Scuzzlebutt come to their rescue. The creature is large and hairy with a celery stick arm, a love for basket weaving, and a leg made out of, for some reason, Patrick Duffy.
The Randomness Is the Point
The inclusion of Patrick Duffy as Scuzzlebutt’s leg seems incredibly random. While some viewers might think there’s a deeper message here, the randomness is intentional.
According to Matt Stone, the actor was chosen for being “bland, “nondescript,” and unlikely to be anyone’s favorite actor. Perhaps to add to this nondescript nature, later on, Duffy-leg would be replaced by sports commentator Brent Musburger (aka Musburgur) in the flashback of “City on the Edge of Forever.” In different languages, the leg is also played by different actors, such as Tom Cruise and Ricky Martin.
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5Not-So-Prehistoric Ice Man
Season 2 ofSouth Parkends with the humorously titled “Prehistoric Ice Man.” During this episode, the boys encounter a frozen man named Larry from the distant year of 1996 (the episode came out in 1999). Several jokes are made about Larry not being able to fit in with or understand his new time period, such as him being less capable of using the internet. Obviously, these jokes are meant to highlight the absurdity of so many changes happening in so short a time. Yet, simultaneously, some of the changes are actually true.
A Joke Within a Joke
Several of the changes that took place while Larry was frozen provide a face-value humor, such as his wife claiming she had a teenaged son with her new lover in the 2+ years he was gone. Others such as the internet comment, however, are more complicated. Internet usagediddramatically change between 1996 and 1999, becoming far more commonplace in homes. In this sense, Larry really might have felt prehistoric compared to his surroundings.
In other words, some of these jokes are making fun of how little things have changed over 2+ years while others are highlighting the sheer depth of change that transpired. A modern-day viewer will likely catch this first layer of humor, but lacking further context, they might miss the full absurdity of Larry’s situation.
Mourning the loss of Mr. Hat, Mr. Garrison seeks out a therapist. He travels to New York where he meets Dr. Katz, a man drawn with squiggly lines, who tells Garrison he’s gay. Shortly after, Katz is killed by a charcoal snake, which Garrison views as “deserved.” Unfortunately, Dr. Katz’s short appearance means most viewers didn’t figure out who he was, and even fewer know about his follow-up appearance.
A Lesser-Known Crossover
Dr. Jonathan Katz is the titular character of the seriesDr. Katz, Professional Therapist. His line work inSouth Parkmatches the squiggly drawing style of his own show. After this episode aired, MAD Magazine produced their own parody in which Katz moved to South Park, only for the townspeople to drive him crazy, which led to him begging to return to New York. Notably, Dr. Katz has also appeared in other adult cartoons, including (perhaps to Stone and Parker’s disappointment)Family Guy.
3T is for What?
After a series of events involving the townspeople spontaneously combusting and Kyle’s dad Gerald failing to sustain an erection, Cartman winds up tied to a cross, and his friends leave him there for three weeks. During this time, Officer Barbrady comes across Cartman, and he orders the officer to let him down. Instead, Barbrady reponds, “T is for turtle” before singing “Nur nunur nunur nunur” as he walks away.
Obscure, but Hilarious
Of all things, Barbrady’s response is in reference toSesame Street. The cross looks like the letter “t,” causing Barbrady to say, that “it [stands] for turtle.” Additionally, the “Nur nunur” sounds are in reference to The Typewriter, a character who appeared onSesame Streetthrough season 32 and was known for a “noo-nee” sound. It’s unlikely that viewers would be familiar with this character, or if they were, that it would be the first thing to come to mind so many years later.
2Fighting the Frizzies at Eleven
TheSouth ParkChristmas special “Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics” came out during the tail-end of the ’90s. Featuring Mr. Hankey as host, the episode compiles several holiday songs such as “The Dreidel Song” and “Christmas Time in Hell.” The songs are interspersed with commercial breaks during which a live action news anchor says, “Fighting the frizzies, at eleven.” While confusing to a modern audience, this joke is actuallyaStar Warsreference— one which viewers at the time might have found confusing as well.
Random Then, More Random Now
According to Stone and Parker, “Fighting the frizzies” comes from a bootleg version of theStar Wars Holiday Special. During the special, newscaster Rolland Smith said this line in reference to “frizzy” hairs. However,South Parktook the line and ran with it, ending their holiday special with a boxing match between the news anchor and a man wearing a “frizzy” suit.
1Barbra Streisand Jokes
Barbra Streisand first appears in “Mecha-Streisand” as the episode’s antagonist. Later on in season 2’s “Spookyfish” (which is consideredone of the show’s weirdest episodes) she is yet again featured as part of the episode’s “Spookyvision.” Her face is superimposed on every scene, even though the episode has nothing to do with her. While the scenes themselves are funny, the humor stems largely from how confusing they are; what exactly did Streisand do to be ridiculed like this?
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A Villainous Backstory
According to behind-the-scenes commentary on the Season 1 DVD, most celebrity parodies were meant in good humor, except when it came to Barbra Streisand.South Park’screators Matt Stone and Trey Parker took issue with her response to a constitutional amendment passed in Colorado. The amendment limited the protections of gay people under local laws, which allegedly led to Streisand referring to Coloradans as a “bunch of hicks.”
Later, Streisand spoke out against her portrayal in “Mecha-Streisand,” which led to her inclusion in “Spookyfish” and other episodes down the line. This added context certainly makes the jokes and her reoccurring appearance make more sense, though whether it makes them funnier is up to the audience.
