South Park: 10 facts you probably didn't know about the show

After 27 seasons and over 300 episodes, there is always something new about South Park that fans learn to this day. From the inspiration behind iconic character traits to collaborations with companies like Frito-Lay and World of Warcraft, the show's expansive history has some interesting hidden facts.

At its core, the animated sitcom created by showrunners Trey Parker and Matt Stone is about four elementary school kids, Kyle, Kenny, Stan, and Cartman, and their dark misadventures in the titular town. South Park has been praised, criticized, and studied for its ability to satirize socio-political themes, winning several Emmy and Peabody awards.

Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong to the writer.

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Production fun facts, product collaborations, and other facts about South Park that fans may not know

1) The franchise has a Guinness World Record

The movie received an R-rating (Image via YouTube/ South Park Studios)

South Park goes beyond the three-decade TV show, with direct-to-TV specials and one theatrical release: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. However, the movie failed to pass the MPAA evaluation, receiving an NC-17 rating due to excessive cussing. After multiple failed tries, showrunners Parker and Stone reduced the curse words to 399 and settled for an R-rating before release.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this resulted in one of the most unique world records in 2001, categorized under "Most Swearing in an Animated Movie.” This comes as no surprise to fans, who know exactly how foul-mouthed the boys can be.

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2) The show's production time and style over the years

The show used construction paper and stop-motion animation (Image via Paramount+)

In 6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park, fans get a sneak peek of the production process. Things have evolved over the years, and currently, the creators' turnaround time is less than a week. This helps them keep up with political trends and be more controversial with their commentary.

However, things weren't always so fast. Earlier, it used to take the showrunners weeks, sometimes even months, to carefully craft an episode. In fact, before computer graphics, the show's pilot was made using construction paper and stop-motion animation before getting digital touchups. It took three-and-a-half months to finish. That's why the pilot looks like the original short, The Spirit of Christmas.

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3) Real-life character inspirations

Stone and Parker at the South Park In San Diego event (Image via Getty)

Trey Parker and Matt Stone's lived experiences find their way into South Park and its characters. The duo immortalized a dining hall employee from their college days at the University of Colorado for the iconic character Chef. Parker gave his relatives' names to Stan's family, and Stone to Kyle's.

Stan's older sister, Shelley, and their sibling dynamics are based on Parker's real-life sister of the same name. Funnily enough, Cartman's mom, Liane, was named after one of Parker's former partners, and Butters is based on the show's animation director, Eric Stough.

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4) Celebrities are cast in obscure roles on the show

George Clooney plays a dog (Image via YouTube/ South Park Studios)

Showrunners Parker and Stone are vocal about Hollywood celebrities, with celebrity parodies becoming a recurring gag in South Park. Notably, a dig at Tom Cruise and his Scientology beliefs in season 9, episode 12, Trapped in the Closet, was rumored to have been pulled from the air. This becomes funnier when celebrities are given obscure roles on the show.

The best example would be George Clooney, who is one of the show's earliest and biggest fans. He barked for Stan's dog, Sparky, in season 1, episode 4, Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride. Jay Leno played Mr. Kitty the cat. Jerry Seinfeld reached out to them wanting a role, and was offered "Turkey Number 2" in season 1, episode 8, Starvin' Marvin. The comedian turned down the role.

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5) Frito-Lay made Cartman's favorite snack come to life

Cartman's favorite snack came to life (Image via YouTube/ South Park Studios)

In 1998, Comedy Central and Frito-Lay collaborated to release cheesy poofs, the iconic South Park snack. It was a limited edition version on their website and returned in 2011, as part of the San Diego Comic Con's "Year of the Fan" fan experience. It was also briefly available at Walmart for $2.99.

The collaboration resulted in exclusive collectible items, with the company manufacturing only 1.5 million bags of the snacks. The package resembles the animated version with the rocket ship and continues to be a staple in Cartman's life.

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6) Cartman's character was born out of boredom

Kenny (left) and Cartman (Second from left) have unique BTS stories (Image via YouTube/ South Park Studios)

Showrunner Trey Parker voices the vile and antagonistic Eric Cartman. But his iconic catchphrases and high-pitched voice weren't planned. In fact, until season 1, episode 10, Damien, Cartman didn't have any of these attributes. Parker changed things up due to boredom, and this cemented his brand.

Among the ad-libs were the catchphrases "Nyah!" and the whiny, "You guyyyyys!". Although his character evolved over the years, this random improv changed his trajectory. On the other hand, showrunner Stone's character, Kenny, had mostly scripted lines, which he spoke into his sleeve to create a permanently muffled voice.

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7) Trey and Kyle's habits and past fashion statements made an appearance

Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo (Image via YouTube/ South Park Studios)

Apart from family members and people Stone and Parker have met in life, the show also takes inspiration from the duo's childhood. In the memorable South Park episode, Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo, a sentient piece of poop with a Christmas hat, debuted.

It has since appeared in several episodes and was inspired by Parker's bad childhood habit of not flushing his toilet. On the other hand, Stone's young adulthood hairdo became the inspiration for Kyle's hair. The big mass of red, frizzy curls that he is defined by used to be Stone's signature look.

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8) Aliens appear in several places

Aliens show up in multiple episodes (Image via YouTube/ South Park Studios)

The longest-standing myth is that an alien appears in almost every episode in the background. There are several alien-centric episodes, right from the pilot episode, Cartman Gets an Anal Probe, and fans can spot them in the background, in cars, audiences, and even doodles.

This is because head animator Eric Stough adds them in the last minute whenever he remembers to, according to an article by Huffpost published May 24, 2016. So while there isn't an exact count, aliens are a real part of the small town in Colorado.

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9) Parker's ode to his student film

Trey Parker at Comic Con (Image via Getty)

Co-creator Trey Parker's early beginnings in media can be traced back to his time at the Berklee College of Music and then at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he met Stone. He majored in film and Japanese, and there is a call back to this in every episode.

He brings back his student film Cannibal! The Musical on the show by using one of its songs, along with the South Park Studios production company logo at the end of every episode. It is a tune titled Shpadoinkle.

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10) The episode Make Love, Not Warcraft looked realistic and this is why

The World of Warcraft game in the show (Image via YouTube/ South Park Studios)

Season 10, episode 8, Make Love, Not Warcraft, is one of the most celebrated episodes. Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny plunge headfirst into the world of online gaming. But they soon realize that an expert World of Warcraft player is making it impossible to have fun. Fans might find the visuals of this episode too realistic.

This is because the sitcom's studio collaborated with Blizzard, the developers of the video game, to film inside a public test server for a WoW expansion, The Burning Crusade. They also used an animation software called Machinima to aid the shooting process.

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Watch all episodes of South Park on Paramount+.