This page will contain external links about South Park, as they become available.South Park
South Park is a comedy animated series created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Distributed by and airing on Comedy Central (and its current owner, Viacom) since 1997, it follows the surreal adventures of four young boys who live in the small town of South Park, Colorado. South Park satirizes many aspects of American culture and current events, and challenges deepset convictions and taboos, usually using parody and black humor. New episodes in the show's ninth season began airing March 9, 2005. Recent seasons have aired in two parts; for example, half of the episodes from the eighth season were put on hiatus for Team America: World Police, another Stone and Parker production. The show is noted for its characteristically blunt handling of current events while they are still current. For example, an episode involving the repatriation of Romanian quintuplets aired during the Elián González issue, and depicted Janet Reno, then U.S. Attorney General, as a murderous Easter Bunny. An episode that aired after the September 11, 2001 attacks had the boys stow away on a military transport to Afghanistan, where they encounter Osama bin Laden, and more recently the 2005 Terri Schiavo case was parodied in an episode in which the town is at odds over the removal of a feeding tube from Kenny McCormick. Series historySouth Park got its start in 1991 when Parker and Stone, then film students at the University of Colorado, created an animated short called Jesus vs Frosty (also known as The Spirit of Christmas). The crudely made film featured prototypical versions of the kids of South Park, including a character resembling Cartman but called "Kenny", bringing a murderous snowman to life with a magic hat. The baby Jesus then saves the day by decapitating the monster with a halo. Executives at the Fox network saw the film, and in 1995 executive Brian Graden commissioned Parker and Stone to create a second short film to send to friends as a video Christmas card. Entitled The Spirit of Christmas, it closely resembled the style of the later series, and featured a martial arts duel (and subsequent truce) between Jesus and Santa Claus over the true meaning of Christmas. The video was a hit and was quickly shared, both by underground duplication and over the then-burgeoning Internet. This led to talks to create a series, first with Fox, then with Comedy Central, where the series premiered on August 13, 1997. One of the many deaths of KennyThe show's provocative, frequently offensive, and unquestionably adult-oriented material quickly drew howls of protests from various conservative spokespersons, and South Park merchandise (especially T-shirts) were banned from a number of public schools, day care centers, and other public places in a manner similar to the prohibition of Bart Simpson T-shirts in the early 1990s after The Simpsons was accused of contributing to juvenile delinquency. Comedy Central defended South Park by noting that the show is given a "Mature Audiences" TV rating (TV-MA) and that it only airs the show during nighttime hours and never during the day when children may be more likely to see the show. In February 1998, one episode of South Park posed the question of who Eric Cartman's father was. The episode ended with the announcement that it would be revealed in four weeks' time. Four weeks later, the airing of an episode about Terrance and Phillip (two Canadian comedians the main characters idolize) prompted outrage, and also prompted Comedy Central to push the true season premiere up earlier than expected. It was apparently a well-planted April Fools Day gag, meant to poke fun at season-ending cliffhangers. The following year, the full-length animated feature film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was released to generally enthusiastic reviews. The film managed to satirize both itself and the anticipated reaction that it engendered from moral conservatives. It also presented a twisted but seemingly sincere tribute to the film musical with a number of songs, including "Uncle Fucka" and "Blame Canada." The latter was nominated for an Oscar and was performed by Robin Williams during the awards show. It has often been said that "Blame Canada" was chosen from other Oscar-worthy songs in the movie on the basis that it was the only one that could be performed on live TV with its lyrics relatively intact; however, this is somewhat unlikely, as "Blame Canada" contains a swear word, whereas "Up There," a sentimental and inoffensive song sung by Satan, does not. It's more likely that "Blame Canada" was chosen because it plainly expresses the movie's main theme. On November 11, 1999 shortly after the U.S. theatrical release of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, actress Mary Kay Bergman, who had provided all of the female voices on the South Park television series and in the full-length movie, committed suicide using a gun in her suburban Los Angeles, California home. After her death it was revealed that she suffered from a severe form of clinical depression. Her husband, Dino Andrade, founded the Mary Kay Bergman Memorial Fund at the Suicide Prevention Center of Greater Los Angeles in an effort to help and educate people with the same type of depression that his wife suffered from. CharactersThe characters and backgrounds of South Park are made to appear deliberately crude, as if they are simply made of cut-out pieces of paper. Paper cutouts were indeed used in the original pilot Parker/Stone animation and in the very first Comedy Central episode, but every subsequent episode aired on TV has been produced by computer animation that provides the same crude look. To put the efficiency of this process in perspective, consider that the average episode of The Simpsons takes 8 months to create while episodes of South Park have been completed in as little as 3 days. Some episodes have sections of regular film edited in (e.g., "Tweek vs. Craig" and "Cat Orgy"). Major charactersThe main characters as they appeared during eight of the nine seasons (from left to right): Kenny, Cartman, Kyle and StanThe main characters of the show are four elementary school students:
In recent seasons, two other characters have gained prominence:
The show's earliest well-known gimmick was that in every episode, Kenny would die in some horrible, unexpected way. After this Stan would say, "Oh my god, they killed Kenny!" and Kyle would add, "You bastards!" Kenny would be back in the next episode, the incident forgotten. For some time (after the 5th season episode "Kenny Dies"), Kenny had actually died "permanently." In the 6th season episode "A Ladder to Heaven," Kenny's soul became entrapped inside of Cartman's body, but an exorcism performed by Chef's mama in "The Biggest Douche in the Universe" undid this. He came back to life for an unexplained reason in "Red Sleigh Down" and is now the same regular kid he was before, except his deaths are much rarer now. Kenny was killed by Saddam Hussein in "It's Christmas in Canada," the final episode of season seven. He was also killed once during the eighth season, unmasked, by "Mr. Jefferson," an alias of Michael Jackson, in the episode "The Jeffersons", and in the ninth season, he was killed by the Chinese mafia in the episode "Wing," as well as the following episode, "Best Friends Forever" (in fact, he dies twice in the latter). Recurring charactersMain article: Recurring South Park characters There are many other frequently recurring characters, besides the boys and their families.
Minor characters and 'celebrities'The satirical disclaimer that begins every episodePart of the show's surrealist nature derives from the minor characters who appear in the series. Notable appearances include God, who appears as a small creature resembling a hippo-rodent hybrid; Jesus, a recurring character, who owns a home and hosts a public-access television show in South Park (Jesus and Pals); Satan and his lover Saddam Hussein; Moses, who appears exactly as the Master Control Program (MCP) does in the Disney film Tron and demands macaroni pictures; the alien Marklar race; the jakovasaur; Death; and Mr. Hankey "the Christmas poo", who adds to the holiday festivities in much the same spirit as the 1960s Rankin-Bass cartoons. And also Towelie the towel who always gets, or wants to get high (off cannabis). Celebrities often appear (usually "impersonated.....poorly"). Examples include:
See list of celebrities on South Park for more persons who have appeared on the show in one way or another. Religious affiliation of characters in South ParkAccording to the episode "Red Hot Catholic Love", virtually all the major and recurring characters in South Park are Roman Catholic, except:
MusicCover from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut - Music From And Inspired By The Motion PictureAlthough South Park is well known for its humor and controversial plots, viewers are also treated to an original musical score. The show's opening theme song is:
It should be noted that Kenny's lines in the song, as well as all but one of his lines throughout the show (episode 807, "The Jeffersons") and one in the movie, are muffled. Kenny always wears a parka over his head and most of his face. The fact that the lines are unintelligible helped them slip past network censors. Popular songs such as "Kyle's Mom is a Bitch" originated on the show, but the creators' musical abilities were not frequently used until the release of South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. The film's soundtrack featured songs like "Mountain Town", "Uncle Fucka", "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" (a song to which Brian Boitano has been known to figure skate), "I'm Super", and "Blame Canada" (nominated for an Oscar, see below). Trey Parker and Matt Stone have, on occasion, performed these and other songs (some unrelated to the show, such as "Dead Dead Dead"), under the band name DVDA. The character of Eric Cartman will often burst into song to convey a false altruism or optimism that belies his baser motivations. In Red Sleigh Down, he sings "Poo-Choo Train", an unnervingly cheery Christmas carol, in an obvious attempt to convince Mr. Hankey and Santa Claus that he is worthy of Christmas presents. In The Death of Eric Cartman he sings "Make it Right" with Butters in a weak attempt to reconcile his sins. Additional musical contributions to the show come from themselves and from Isaac Hayes, who voices the character Chef, and from the band Primus, which performed the original opening and ending themes for the show. But another high point of the series is its dramatic score, for it dramatizes common and deep parts with a very heartwarming, melancholic or mysterious soundtrack. South Park and politicsThe political leaning of South Park has been open to some debate. The show has drawn widespread criticism from both conservatives and liberals for its themes and its offensive language. However, unlike many other satirical shows, South Park's political humor is often seen as mocking liberal celebrities and pet causes. This has in turn prompted the use of the phrase South Park Republican to describe the attitudes of some of the show's viewers. Trey Parker stated in an interview that he was a "registered Libertarian". In other interviews Trey Parker and Matt Stone described themselves as being (small 'l') libertarian-Republicans. At any rate, the show has consistently made fun of all sides of the political spectrum. In fact, a recent ad ran on Comedy Central listing many categories of people South Park has made fun of (including blacks, gays, politicians, transsexuals, Jews and the disabled) and stated afterward "We apologize if South Park has left you out." Trivia
Evolution of the seriesSouth Park's early episodes tended to be shock value-oriented, but the more recent episodes are often oriented more toward poking fun at current events. This was very evident in the first half of season 8: events in its episodes include Michael Jackson visiting South Park, the boys seeing The Passion of the Christ, blue-collar workers in South Park losing their jobs to immigrants from the future, and an episode featuring a "Paris Hilton" toy video camera. Season 9 premiered with the episode "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina," which incorporated uncensored footage of sex reassignment surgery. The pilot episode was produced using construction paper and traditional stop-motion animation techniques, but current episodes duplicate the original, amateurish look using modern computer animation tools (first Power Animator, then Maya). This allows for a short production schedule which enables the creators to respond quickly to current events. For instance, the December 17, 2003 episode depicted the capture of Saddam Hussein a mere three days after his capture by U.S. forces, even referring to the "spider hole" where he was found. In the case of this and the Elian Gonzalez episode, they stopped and changed production of an episode to focus on these events. In the audio commentary on the season 4 DVD set, Parker and Stone remarked that beginning with episode 408, "Chef Goes Nanners," they began to consistently make episodes centering on a single issue, rather than having different sub-plots going on. In 2002 the episode "Free Hat" was aired. In this episode, prompted by Kyle's comment on Ted Koppel's Nightline that changing E.T. would be like changing Raiders of the Lost Ark, the South Park depictions of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg decide to alter the first Indiana Jones film. Soon after "Free Hat" aired, the real Lucas and Spielberg announced that they would not be altering Raiders of the Lost Ark for DVD release (contrary to rumors surrounding it). Stone and Parker later claimed that their episode prevented any alterations from happening when they appeared on a VH1 special, Inside South Park. While in college, Stone and Parker collaborated on the movie Cannibal! The Musical, a Western satire with humorous musical numbers (the "Braniff" tune that plays at the end of many South Park episodes is an excerpt from the Cannibal! song, "Shpadoinkle"). Later they created Orgazmo, a comedy about a Mormon starring in a pornographic movie, which found distribution thanks to the success of South Park later that same year. The pair starred in the 1998 film BASEketball directed by David Zucker (in a recent episode in which the boys see the Passion of the Christ and subsequently decide to get their money back for watching a lousy film, Stan comments to Kenny, "This is just like that time we got our money back from BASEketball," commenting on the film's box office failure). Their latest collaboration is the marionette action/comedy, Team America: World Police. This page about South Park includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about South Park News stories about South Park External links for South Park Videos for South Park Wikis about South Park Discussion Groups about South Park Blogs about South Park Images of South Park |
|
Later they created Orgazmo, a comedy about a Mormon starring in a pornographic movie, which found distribution thanks to the success of South Park later that same year. Wichita State University (WSU) ranks third largest with 14,298 students; about 12% were non-resident students. While in college, Stone and Parker collaborated on the movie Cannibal! The Musical, a Western satire with humorous musical numbers (the "Braniff" tune that plays at the end of many South Park episodes is an excerpt from the Cannibal! song, "Shpadoinkle"). About 19% were non-resident students. Stone and Parker later claimed that their episode prevented any alterations from happening when they appeared on a VH1 special, Inside South Park. Kansas State University (KSU) has the second largest enrollment, with 23,151 students at its Manhattan and Salina campuses and Veterinary Medical Center. Soon after "Free Hat" aired, the real Lucas and Spielberg announced that they would not be altering Raiders of the Lost Ark for DVD release (contrary to rumors surrounding it). About 31% were non-resident students. In this episode, prompted by Kyle's comment on Ted Koppel's Nightline that changing E.T. would be like changing Raiders of the Lost Ark, the South Park depictions of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg decide to alter the first Indiana Jones film. The total university enrollment, which includes KU Medical Center, was 29,590. In 2002 the episode "Free Hat" was aired. Among the state-funded universities, the University of Kansas (KU) is the largest in terms of enrollment, with 26,980 at its Lawrence campus, KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park, and Public Management Center (formerly the Capitol Complex) in Topeka. In the audio commentary on the season 4 DVD set, Parker and Stone remarked that beginning with episode 408, "Chef Goes Nanners," they began to consistently make episodes centering on a single issue, rather than having different sub-plots going on. In Fall 2004 the state’s six public universities reported a combined enrollment of 88,270 students, of which almost a quarter were non-resident students and a tenth were off-campus enrollments. In the case of this and the Elian Gonzalez episode, they stopped and changed production of an episode to focus on these events. It also authorizes numerous private and out-of-state institutions to operate in the state. forces, even referring to the "spider hole" where he was found. The Kansas Board of Regents governs or supervises thirty-seven public institutions. For instance, the December 17, 2003 episode depicted the capture of Saddam Hussein a mere three days after his capture by U.S. Main article: Education in Kansas. This allows for a short production schedule which enables the creators to respond quickly to current events. See also: List of cities in Kansas. The pilot episode was produced using construction paper and traditional stop-motion animation techniques, but current episodes duplicate the original, amateurish look using modern computer animation tools (first Power Animator, then Maya). "Rural flight" as it is called has led to offers of free land and tax breaks as enticements to newcomers. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina," which incorporated uncensored footage of sex reassignment surgery. Between 1996 and 2004 almost half a million people, nearly half with college degrees, left the six states. Season 9 premiered with the episode "Mr. 89% of the total number of cities in those states have fewer than 3000 people; hundreds have fewer than than 1000. This was very evident in the first half of season 8: events in its episodes include Michael Jackson visiting South Park, the boys seeing The Passion of the Christ, blue-collar workers in South Park losing their jobs to immigrants from the future, and an episode featuring a "Paris Hilton" toy video camera. Kansas, as well as five other Mid-West states (Nebraska, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota and Iowa), is feeling the brunt of falling populations. South Park's early episodes tended to be shock value-oriented, but the more recent episodes are often oriented more toward poking fun at current events. The industrial outputs are transportation equipment, commercial and private aircraft, food processing, publishing, chemical products, machinery, apparel, petroleum and mining. In fact, a recent ad ran on Comedy Central listing many categories of people South Park has made fun of (including blacks, gays, politicians, transsexuals, Jews and the disabled) and stated afterward "We apologize if South Park has left you out.". The agricultural outputs of the state are cattle, wheat, sorghum, soybeans, hogs and corn. At any rate, the show has consistently made fun of all sides of the political spectrum. Its per-capita income was $29,438. In other interviews Trey Parker and Matt Stone described themselves as being (small 'l') libertarian-Republicans. The 2003 total gross state product of Kansas was $93 billion. Trey Parker stated in an interview that he was a "registered Libertarian". See also: KDOT road condition information (http://www.kanroad.org). This has in turn prompted the use of the phrase South Park Republican to describe the attitudes of some of the show's viewers. In January 2004, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced the new Kansas 511 traveler information service.[3] (http://www.ksdot.org/offtransinfo/News04/511_Release.htm) By calling 511, callers will get access to information about road conditions, construction, closures, detours and weather conditions for the state highway system. Weather and road condition information is updated every 15 minutes. However, unlike many other satirical shows, South Park's political humor is often seen as mocking liberal celebrities and pet causes. Other bypasses are I-235 around Wichita and I-470 around Topeka. The show has drawn widespread criticism from both conservatives and liberals for its themes and its offensive language. I-435 and I-635 serve a dual purpose as connections between the major routes and bypasses around the Kansas City metropolitan area. The political leaning of South Park has been open to some debate. I-335 and portions of I-35 and I-70 make up the Kansas Turnpike. But another high point of the series is its dramatic score, for it dramatizes common and deep parts with a very heartwarming, melancholic or mysterious soundtrack. I-335, a northeast/southwest route, connects I-70 at Topeka to I-35 at Emporia. Additional musical contributions to the show come from themselves and from Isaac Hayes, who voices the character Chef, and from the band Primus, which performed the original opening and ending themes for the show. I-135, a north/south route, connects I-70 at Salina to I-35 at Wichita. In The Death of Eric Cartman he sings "Make it Right" with Butters in a weak attempt to reconcile his sins. Spur routes serve as connections between the two major routes. Hankey and Santa Claus that he is worthy of Christmas presents. I-35 is a major north/south route connecting to Des Moines, Iowa, in the north and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in the south. Cities along this route (from north to south) include Kansas City (and its suburbs), Ottawa, Emporia, El Dorado and Wichita. In Red Sleigh Down, he sings "Poo-Choo Train", an unnervingly cheery Christmas carol, in an obvious attempt to convince Mr. Cities along this route (from east to west) include Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka, Junction City, Salina, Hays, and Colby. The character of Eric Cartman will often burst into song to convey a false altruism or optimism that belies his baser motivations. Louis, Missouri, in the east and Denver, Colorado, in the west. Trey Parker and Matt Stone have, on occasion, performed these and other songs (some unrelated to the show, such as "Dead Dead Dead"), under the band name DVDA. I-70 is a major east/west route connecting to St. The film's soundtrack featured songs like "Mountain Town", "Uncle Fucka", "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" (a song to which Brian Boitano has been known to figure skate), "I'm Super", and "Blame Canada" (nominated for an Oscar, see below). The state is served by two interstate highways with six spur routes. Popular songs such as "Kyle's Mom is a Bitch" originated on the show, but the creators' musical abilities were not frequently used until the release of South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. Other important rivers are the Saline and Solomon, tributaries of the Smoky Hill River; the Big Blue, Delaware, and Wakarusa, which flow into the Kansas River; and the Marais des Cygnes, a tributary of the Missouri River. The fact that the lines are unintelligible helped them slip past network censors. It forms, with its tributaries, the Little Arkansas, Walnut, Cow Creek, Cimarron, Verdigris (which is the lowest point in Kansas at 680 feet), and the Neosho, the southern drainage system of the state. Kenny always wears a parka over his head and most of his face. The Arkansas River, rising in Colorado, flows with a tortuous course, for nearly 500 miles, across three-fourths of the state. It should be noted that Kenny's lines in the song, as well as all but one of his lines throughout the show (episode 807, "The Jeffersons") and one in the movie, are muffled. The Kansas River, formed by the junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers, joins the Missouri at Kansas City, after a course of 150 miles across the state. The show's opening theme song is:. The Missouri River forms nearly 75 miles of the state's northeastern boundary. Although South Park is well known for its humor and controversial plots, viewers are also treated to an original musical score. (Mount Sunflower is the highest point.) The rivers flow through bottomlands, varying from ¼ to 6 miles in width, and bounded by bluffs, rising 50 to 300 feet. According to the episode "Red Hot Catholic Love", virtually all the major and recurring characters in South Park are Roman Catholic, except:. Its altitude above the sea ranges from 750 feet at the mouth of the Kansas River to 4000 feet on the western border. See list of celebrities on South Park for more persons who have appeared on the show in one way or another. The state, lying in the great central plain of the United States, has a generally flat or undulating surface. Examples include:. Kansas is one of the six states located on the Frontier Strip. Celebrities often appear (usually "impersonated.....poorly"). The state is divided up into 105 counties with 628 cities. And also Towelie the towel who always gets, or wants to get high (off cannabis). The geographic center of the 48 contiguous states is located in Smith County near Lebanon, Kansas, and the geographic center of Kansas is located in Barton County. Hankey "the Christmas poo", who adds to the holiday festivities in much the same spirit as the 1960s Rankin-Bass cartoons. This spot is used as the central reference point for all maps produced by the government. Notable appearances include God, who appears as a small creature resembling a hippo-rodent hybrid; Jesus, a recurring character, who owns a home and hosts a public-access television show in South Park (Jesus and Pals); Satan and his lover Saddam Hussein; Moses, who appears exactly as the Master Control Program (MCP) does in the Disney film Tron and demands macaroni pictures; the alien Marklar race; the jakovasaur; Death; and Mr. It is located equidistant from the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. The geographic center of North America is located in Osborne County. Part of the show's surrealist nature derives from the minor characters who appear in the series. Kansas is bordered by Nebraska on the north, Missouri on the east, Oklahoma on the south, and Colorado on the west. There are many other frequently recurring characters, besides the boys and their families. See also: List of Governors of Kansas; U.S. Congressional Delegations from Kansas. Main article: Recurring South Park characters. In 2005 voters accepted a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, and the Kansas State Board of Education resumed hearings to determine if evolution should once again be removed from state science standards. Jefferson," an alias of Michael Jackson, in the episode "The Jeffersons", and in the ninth season, he was killed by the Chinese mafia in the episode "Wing," as well as the following episode, "Best Friends Forever" (in fact, he dies twice in the latter). The decade brought new restrictions on abortion, the defeat of prominent Democrats, including Dan Glickman, and the Kansas State Board of Education's infamous 1999 decision to eliminate the theory of evolution from the state teaching standards, a decision that was later reversed. He was also killed once during the eighth season, unmasked, by "Mr. Since the early 1990s, Kansas has grown more socially conservative. Kenny was killed by Saddam Hussein in "It's Christmas in Canada," the final episode of season seven. Board of Education of Topeka banned racially segregated schools throughout the U.S. He came back to life for an unexplained reason in "Red Sleigh Down" and is now the same regular kid he was before, except his deaths are much rarer now. Brown vs. For some time (after the 5th season episode "Kenny Dies"), Kenny had actually died "permanently." In the 6th season episode "A Ladder to Heaven," Kenny's soul became entrapped inside of Cartman's body, but an exorcism performed by Chef's mama in "The Biggest Douche in the Universe" undid this. Kansas was first among the states to ban the concept of separate but equal schools. After this Stan would say, "Oh my god, they killed Kenny!" and Kyle would add, "You bastards!" Kenny would be back in the next episode, the incident forgotten. Kansas schools both public and private continue to have some of the highest standards in the nation. The show's earliest well-known gimmick was that in every episode, Kenny would die in some horrible, unexpected way. The council-manager government was adopted by many larger Kansas cities in the years following World War I while many American cities were being run by political machines or organized crime. In recent seasons, two other characters have gained prominence:. Kansas had a reputation as a progressive state with many firsts in legislative initiatives—it was the first state to institute a system of workers compensation (1910). The main characters of the show are four elementary school students:. Moore is the only Democrat in the delegation; all others are Republicans. Craig" and "Cat Orgy"). The state's current delegation to the United States Congress includes Senators Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts and Representatives Jerry Moran (District 1), Jim Ryun (District 2), Dennis Moore (District 3), and Todd Tiahrt (District 4). Some episodes have sections of regular film edited in (e.g., "Tweek vs. Their current term will end in January of 2007, and they are able to run for re-election in 2006. To put the efficiency of this process in perspective, consider that the average episode of The Simpsons takes 8 months to create while episodes of South Park have been completed in as little as 3 days. Both are elected on the same ticket to a maximum of two consecutive 4-year terms. Paper cutouts were indeed used in the original pilot Parker/Stone animation and in the very first Comedy Central episode, but every subsequent episode aired on TV has been produced by computer animation that provides the same crude look. Moore. The characters and backgrounds of South Park are made to appear deliberately crude, as if they are simply made of cut-out pieces of paper. The top executives of the state are Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Lieutenant Governor John E. Her husband, Dino Andrade, founded the Mary Kay Bergman Memorial Fund at the Suicide Prevention Center of Greater Los Angeles in an effort to help and educate people with the same type of depression that his wife suffered from. The state capital is Topeka. After her death it was revealed that she suffered from a severe form of clinical depression. Famous sport athletes from Kansas include Barry Sanders, Gale Sayers, Wilt Chamberlain, Jim Ryun, Walter Johnson, Maurice Greene and Lynette Woodard. theatrical release of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, actress Mary Kay Bergman, who had provided all of the female voices on the South Park television series and in the full-length movie, committed suicide using a gun in her suburban Los Angeles, California home. Kansas was home to President Eisenhower, presidential candidates Bob Dole and Alf Landon, Amelia Earhart, and Carrie Nation. On November 11, 1999 shortly after the U.S. Wild Bill Hickok was a deputy marshal at Fort Riley and a marshal at Hays and Abilene. It's more likely that "Blame Canada" was chosen because it plainly expresses the movie's main theme. On August 21, 1863, William Quantrill led Quantrill's Raid into Lawrence destroying much of the city and killing many people. It has often been said that "Blame Canada" was chosen from other Oscar-worthy songs in the movie on the basis that it was the only one that could be performed on live TV with its lyrics relatively intact; however, this is somewhat unlikely, as "Blame Canada" contains a swear word, whereas "Up There," a sentimental and inoffensive song sung by Satan, does not. On February 19, 1861 it became the first U.S. state to prohibit all alcoholic beverages. It also presented a twisted but seemingly sincere tribute to the film musical with a number of songs, including "Uncle Fucka" and "Blame Canada." The latter was nominated for an Oscar and was performed by Robin Williams during the awards show. Civil War veterans constructed homesteads in Kansas following the war. The film managed to satirize both itself and the anticipated reaction that it engendered from moral conservatives. Kansas became the 34th state of the Union on January 29, 1861. The following year, the full-length animated feature film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was released to generally enthusiastic reviews. On March 30, 1855 "Border Ruffians" from Missouri invaded Kansas during the territory's first election and forced the election of a pro-slavery legislature. It was apparently a well-planted April Fools Day gag, meant to poke fun at season-ending cliffhangers. To travellers enroute to Utah, California, or Oregon, Kansas was a waystop and outfitting place. Four weeks later, the airing of an episode about Terrance and Phillip (two Canadian comedians the main characters idolize) prompted outrage, and also prompted Comedy Central to push the true season premiere up earlier than expected. Fort Leavenworth was the first community in the area around 1827. The episode ended with the announcement that it would be revealed in four weeks' time. territories of Nebraska and Kansas. In February 1998, one episode of South Park posed the question of who Eric Cartman's father was. The Kansas-Nebraska Act became law on May 30, 1854 and established the U.S. Comedy Central defended South Park by noting that the show is given a "Mature Audiences" TV rating (TV-MA) and that it only airs the show during nighttime hours and never during the day when children may be more likely to see the show. Kansas then became part of the Missouri Territory until 1821. The show's provocative, frequently offensive, and unquestionably adult-oriented material quickly drew howls of protests from various conservative spokespersons, and South Park merchandise (especially T-shirts) were banned from a number of public schools, day care centers, and other public places in a manner similar to the prohibition of Bart Simpson T-shirts in the early 1990s after The Simpsons was accused of contributing to juvenile delinquency. Kansas, as part of the Louisiana Purchase, was annexed to the United States in 1803 as unorganized territory. This led to talks to create a series, first with Fox, then with Comedy Central, where the series premiered on August 13, 1997. Main article: History of Kansas. The video was a hit and was quickly shared, both by underground duplication and over the then-burgeoning Internet. postal abbreviation for the state is KS. Entitled The Spirit of Christmas, it closely resembled the style of the later series, and featured a martial arts duel (and subsequent truce) between Jesus and Santa Claus over the true meaning of Christmas. The U.S. Executives at the Fox network saw the film, and in 1995 executive Brian Graden commissioned Parker and Stone to create a second short film to send to friends as a video Christmas card. Kansas, derived from the Siouan word Kansa meaning "People of the south wind", is a midwestern state in the United States. The baby Jesus then saves the day by decapitating the monster with a halo. Many Kansans also support the sports teams of Kansas City, Missouri, including the Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs. The crudely made film featured prototypical versions of the kids of South Park, including a character resembling Cartman but called "Kenny", bringing a murderous snowman to life with a magic hat. Kansas City T-Bones, Wichita Wranglers, Wichita Thunder, Topeka Tarantulas, Wichita Wings (defunct). South Park got its start in 1991 when Parker and Stone, then film students at the University of Colorado, created an animated short called Jesus vs Frosty (also known as The Spirit of Christmas). The Boyer Gallery, a collection of animated sculptures made by Paul Boyer is located in Belleville, Kansas. An episode that aired after the September 11, 2001 attacks had the boys stow away on a military transport to Afghanistan, where they encounter Osama bin Laden, and more recently the 2005 Terri Schiavo case was parodied in an episode in which the town is at odds over the removal of a feeding tube from Kenny McCormick. It is also home to Apollo 13, an SR-71 Blackbird, and many other space artifacts. Attorney General, as a murderous Easter Bunny. The museum features the largest collection of artifacts from the Russian Space Program outside of Moscow. For example, an episode involving the repatriation of Romanian quintuplets aired during the Elián González issue, and depicted Janet Reno, then U.S. The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, located in Hutchinson, Kansas is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute. The show is noted for its characteristically blunt handling of current events while they are still current. The Horace Greeley museum is located in Tribune, Kansas. Recent seasons have aired in two parts; for example, half of the episodes from the eighth season were put on hiatus for Team America: World Police, another Stone and Parker production. The National Agriculture Center and Hall of Fame is located in Bonner Springs, Kansas. New episodes in the show's ninth season began airing March 9, 2005. The National Teachers Hall of Fame is located in Emporia, Kansas. South Park satirizes many aspects of American culture and current events, and challenges deepset convictions and taboos, usually using parody and black humor. The Wizard of Oz Museum in Liberal, Kansas features Dorothy's House, a recreation of the farm house featured in the film The Wizard of Oz. Distributed by and airing on Comedy Central (and its current owner, Viacom) since 1997, it follows the surreal adventures of four young boys who live in the small town of South Park, Colorado. The Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City, Kansas features Old West memorabilia and history. South Park is a comedy animated series created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. (website (http://www.doleinstitute.org)). Parker animated a South Park version of a joke called The Aristocrats for the documentary of that name. The institute is located in Lawrence, Kansas on the campus of the University of Kansas. Eventually an ending showing crude cut outs of Terry Gilliam, Venus de Milo, and the Monty Python foot appear. Dole Institute of Politics houses the largest collection of papers for a politician other than a president. A short tribute sketch was shown for the 30th anniversary of Monty Python which parodied the "Dead Parrot sketch." The parody takes part in a friends store, where Eric Cartman walks in and complains that this friend (Kenny) that he bought is dead. The Robert J. In fact, Cartman says the expert (introduced as "Geoffrey Mainard") played the lead in a production of Les Misérables. Characters on The Simpsons, perhaps not coincidencially, often have the number 24601 as well. (website (http://www.lecomptonkansas.com/index.php?doc=consthall.php)). Les Misérables has had several cameo roles throughout the series, including Cosette's appearance, Cartman's prison number, 24601 (Jean Valjean's number), and an entire song in South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut that is based on a song from the musical named "One Day More." Also, in episode 414 "Helen Keller! The Musical," the "musical theater expert" sounds similar to Colm Wilkinson, who played the original Jean Valjean on Broadway. Constitution Hall in Lecompton, Kansas is the location where the Kansas Territorial Government convened and drafted a pro-slavery constitution. They have said the appearance of Moore as a suicide bomber in their 2004 film Team America: World Police is their sardonic response to this incident. The house of Carrie Nation, now a museum, is located in Medicine Lodge, Kansas. It became a point of contention between them and the filmmaker, Michael Moore, as they believed Moore meant to imply they had contributed to his film. Abilene, Kansas is also the ending point of the Chisholm Trail where the cattle driven from Texas were rail loaded. Stone's appearance was followed by an uncredited cartoon in a style strongly reminiscent of South Park that was not the work of either Stone or Parker. Eisenhower, the Eisenhower Library, and his grave are located in Abilene, Kansas. The Greyhound Hall of Fame is located in Abilene. Stone presents a vision of Littleton as painfully normal, and highly intolerant of non-conformist behavior. The boyhood home of Dwight D. The film Bowling for Columbine includes a brief interview with Matt Stone that suggests South Park was largely inspired by Stone's childhood experiences in Littleton, Colorado. The plant sits on over 9000 acres (36 km²) of land which was made up of more than 100 farms. The Harrisons, who are Mormon. The Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in De Soto, Kansas opened in 1942 to manufactor gunpowder and munition propellants for World War II. The Broflovskis (Kyle's family), who are Jewish. Board of Education was filed, is now a National Historic site in Topeka, Kansas. Clooney also appeared as a voice actor for Sparky, Stan's homosexual dog, in the episode "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride". Monroe Elementary, the school Linda Brown attended when the historic case Brown v. George Clooney, who appears in "Bigger, Longer, and Uncut" as himself, portraying an emergency room doctor similar to his character Doug Ross in the TV series ER. The John Brown museum is located in Osawatomie, Kansas. Patrick Duffy, who appears upside-down as one of the legs of a mountain creature called Scuzzlebutt. The museum features many works of art created by people with no formal training, and it sits only a block or two from the Garden of Eden. Christina Aguilera, who is portrayed as a hideous creature. Lucas, Kansas is also home to the Grassroots Art Center [2] (http://home.comcast.net/~ymirymir/index2.htm). Paris Hilton as spokeswoman for the "Stupid Spoiled Whore" clothing store chain. [1] (http://www.missioncreep.com/tilt/dinsmoor.html). Jefferson comes to South Park to hide out because he is being accused of child molestation; such accusations were made against Jackson in late 2003. Dinsmoor even built his own mausoleum in which you can still see him today in his concrete coffin by paying for the tour. Mr. One scene has labor being crucified by a doctor, lawyer, banker, and preacher. Jefferson" who moves to South Park with his young son, Blanket. The garden features sculptures of biblical scenes and political messages. Michael Jackson as a new neighbor named "Mr. Samuel Dinsmoor created the Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas in 1905, and opened it up to tourists in 1908. Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks as a goat in the Afghanistan episode. It is 160 feet tall and weighs 11 million pounds. Radiohead, playing themselves, with the band telling lead singer Thom Yorke to stop reading fan mail and mocking Scott Tenorman for crying. Big Brutus, the World's second largest Electric Shovel resides in West Mineral, Kansas. Sally Struthers, portrayed as a Hutt (as in "Jabba the Hutt" from Star Wars) saving "Starvin' Marvin" and his people in Africa. The disputed World's Largest Ball of Twine created August 15, 1953, in Cawker City, Kansas, is still growing. David Blaine, founder of the fictional "Blainetology" religion. Madonna, who is ridiculed. Russell Crowe, star of the TV show "Russell Crowe: Fightin' Around the World," in which he travels the world in a cartoon tugboat and picks fights with random strangers based on perceived insults. Brian Boitano, who is a superhero. the band Toto (an 80s band). the band Korn, who played themselves and solved a Scooby Doo-type mystery. Simpson, part of a support group for relatives of murder victims. J. O. Bill Clinton, who slept with Cartman's mom. Garrison tried to assassinate. Kathie Lee Gifford, whom Mr. Robert Smith of the '80s band The Cure, who transformed into a moth-like creature (a parody of Mothra) to battle Mecha-Streisand; Smith provided his own voice. Barbra Streisand, who was transformed after a mystical artifact Kyle found while digging and became Mecha-Streisand, a mechanized Godzilla-like creature. Scott has appeared in minor roles in at least two subsequent episodes. Cartman later takes revenge on Scott by feeding him Scott's own parents at Cartman's chili con carnival. Scott Tenorman, a much older schoolmate, originally introduced when he cons Cartman out of his allowance money in the episode Scott Tenorman Must Die. The goth kids, originally featured in episode 714 (Raisins). Token is also a frequent target of Cartman's racism. Token Williams, a schoolmate of black descent who often accompanies the boys on their adventures. He is afraid of getting an erection and took steroids to win the Special Olympics. Often performs stand-up comedy. Jimmy, a handicapped schoolmate with crutches and a speech impediment. He has a limited vocabulary, usually only consisting of his own name, Jimmy's name, and his usual babble that sounds like "Livin' a lie!", though, on occasion, has managed a few other words. Timmy, a schoolmate confined by handicap to a wheelchair. Wendy Testaburger, a schoolmate and Stan's sometimes girlfriend. Officer Barbrady, the incompetent town police officer. kay?" to the end of his sentences. Mackey, the school counselor who often appends "Mmmm.. Mr. Jesus and Santa Claus, who are frequently depicted as gun-toting heroes. Satan, portrayed as the insecure and overly sensitive gay lover of Saddam Hussein. Jerome "Chef" McElroy (voiced by Isaac Hayes), the school cafeteria chef whom the boys seek out for advice. Hat). Garrison's gay live-in lover until his sex change in episode 901 (replacement for Garrison's beloved puppet companion, Mr. Slave, Mr. Mr. Choksondik (pronounced "chokes-on-dick") who dies in season 6. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina), and Ms. Herbert Garrison (currently Mrs. Garrison after receiving a sex change in episode 901, Mr. the boys' teachers Mr. Tweek (replaced Kenny during the second part of the 6th season, though Kenny was brought back for the 7th season): like Butters he is very nervous; he is constantly given caffeine by his coffee-shop-owning parents, he is visited nightly by the "underpants gnomes" and his eyes "tweek." Since Kenny returned, he has returned to playing a minor role. His birthday is September 11. He is now one of the most important characters, having featured prominently in several episodes, particularly as a foil to Cartman's schemes. Leopold "Butters" Stotch (replaced Kenny as a main character during the first part of the 6th season, though Kenny was brought back for the 7th season; has been prominent ever since): intelligent and sometimes insightful, but nervous and easily manipulated, thanks to his overbearing parents. Eric Cartman: aggressive, spoiled, overweight and rude, antagonistic, often the catalyst for the plot, frequently insults Kyle for being Jewish and Kenny for being poor. Kenny McCormick: poor lower class, obsessed with sex and bathroom humor, victim of many deaths. Kyle Broflovski: skeptical, critical of authority, Jewish. Stan Marsh: kind and nervous, with a strong sense of right and wrong. |