Christmas Time In South Park

For many families there is a long standing tradition of letting the children enjoy the many Christmas cartoons that pop up during the holiday season. There is one set of cartoons that parents should be advised to keep away from the kids. These are the annual Christmas episodes of the Comedy Central staple, ‘South Park’. While not really the right thing for the kiddies it is perfect for the adults to watch while the children are asleep dreaming of their upcoming presents. Series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are certainly two twisted individuals. They don’t seem to think like other people. In many ways they have successfully achieved the Peter Pan syndrome; they never grew up. Most of us mature as we age but this is not the case with this pair. They are still the class clowns we all knew when we were about eight. Perhaps instead of an inner child they have an inner adult trapped there by a perpetual child. In any case they are funny. Their series South Park is a cult phenomenon which has been going strong for a decade. In fact one of their first crudely made cartoons was of Jesus fighting Santa Claus. Almost every year they have a Christmas oriented episode to the delight of adults everywhere. Paramount has put together a compilation of seven of the best of these. Everything most hold sacred is fair game for Stone and Parker. They lampoon everything from trees to decorations to pageants with equal ease. While a lot of their humor is crash, trashy and extremely socially reprehensible we laugh for the same reasons we did back in third grade. An adult watching one of these episodes will snicker and giggle like a kid watching someone shoot milk through their nose. With all the adult pressures we face each day especially during the holidays, this is a great time machine to take you back to simpler, more carefree days.

In case you have been a coma for the last ten years the series is based in a little town in Colorado. Four best friends fight, make up and generally make life miserable for the adults. Stan Marsh (voiced by Trey Parker) is perhaps the most normal of the four. He is mature for his age in some respects and usually has to figure out a way to save the day. Kyle Broflovski (voiced by Matt Stone) is the only Jewish kid in the group and one of the few in the mostly Christian town. He often has a lot of hatred for his friend Eric which usually manifest with numerous politically incorrect names. Eric Cartman (voiced by Trey Parker) is bigoted, self centered, over weight and lazy. His goal is always to prove his superiority to his friends. Cartman is the definition of the character you love to hate. Last there is Kenny McCormick (voiced so to speak by Matt Stone). Kenny is shy, always hiding behind his pulled tight hooded coat which mutes his speech. The others do seem to be able to understand him though. He is the one of the poorest kids in town, something that Cartman always rubs in his face. For some unexplained reason Kenny dies at the end of nearly every episode only to come back unharmed in the next one. Besides the boys the town is populated with crazy often deranged adults. There is everything from a transgender teacher to a mentally unstable school bus driver populating this sleepy hamlet.

Since the creators of this series like to take criticism literally, but not seriously, they show that they do enjoy bathroom humor. While most Christmas specials feature cute little animals and talking snowmen leave it to Parker and Stone to create Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo. Yes, that’s right; this is the infamous talking turd episode. Stan is part of the town’s Christmas pageant announcing the birth of Christ. Wendy is Mary, just about to give birth while Kyle, as Joseph, tells her to push. Mr. Garrison is directing as Kyle’s mother burst in. Since she is Jewish she resents a Christian pageant in the town; only non-denominational celebrations should be permitted in a public school. Kyle sings the Christmas poo song to the confusion of all. Later, Mr. Hankey appears to Kyle in his toilet and explains that he brings presents to all girls and boys with a high fiber diet. Because if his belief in Mr. Hankey Kyle checks himself into a mental institution but comes to find the true meaning of the Christmas poo.

Inspired by the classic Christmas song ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’, albeit in a twisted fashion, this episode has Eric’s uncle Howard breaking out of prison to spend the holiday with his family. The catch is he brought along his cellmate, the infamous mad killer, Charles Manson. Now there is nothing that says Merry Christmas than Charlie Manson with his festive swastika carved in his head. There is a little bit with Mr. Hankey on a Nebraska billboard announcing he is appearing in the Mall every weekend through December.

This is a straight parody of just about every beloved Christmas cartoon special every made. Mr. Hankey and the residents of South Park sing their own very warped and twisted versions of the holiday classics. There is even a number here featuring Adolph Hitler having a dismal Christmas in hell with an appearance by Satan.

It is Christmas time and Kyle is waiting by the toilet with cookies and milk for Mr. Hankey. Unfortunately he never shows up. The next day Kyle gathers the guys to go with him down into the sewers to search for Mr. Hankey. They find him but it turns out that he is overburdened with his alcoholic wife and their three children they refer to as their nuggets. One of the nuggets is mentally challenged due to a peanut stuck in his head. In the town nobody seems to be into the marketing of Christmas. One shop keeper despondently remarks that people seem to be happy just celebrating with love. It is up to the kids and nuggets to bring back Christmas with a Christmas movie.

When Cartman has his ‘accountant’ go over his naughty-nice tally he discovers that he is far in the naughty range; he owes Santa 306 presents because he has 4,312 naughty acts with only three nice deductions. Eric decides to send Christmas presents, cookies and decorations to the Middle East where that hate Americans. The boys along with Mr.Hankey visit Santa’s North Pole control room. When Santa is shot down over Iraq the boys must rescue him.

Kyle and his parents are celebrating Chanukah when the biological parents of little brother Ike come to take him back to Canada. When the adults decide to use the money they would normally buy presents with for a fund to return Ike the boys are upset. Unless they can sneak into Canada and retrieve Ike they will not get any toys for Christmas.

The animals in the forest outside of South Park decide that the town is too into the merchandising of Christmas. They set out to build a manger scene to worship their Lord on this special day. The porcupine is a virgin impregnated with the son of the Lord. Every year the mountain lion kills the pregnant virgin preventing the birth of their savoir. This year Stan kills the mountain lion leaving her cubs orphaned. Things don’t seem right when the critters sacrifice a living rabbit on a stone altar for their Lord.

If any group you belong to is not made fun of here there is always next year. For those that enjoy well constructed satire with an edge this is something you cant miss. If you do then Mr. Hankey may not visit your toilet this year.

Posted 11/09/07