How I Became A Fan Of South Park?

One of my active duties at Insidus ZA is staying connected with readers. One way I’ve done this is through my review column, as seen with past pieces on Sins & Roses and Dokter Ali. Now I’m stepping into animation, and what better way to make my debut than with South Park.

As a kid, my number-one adult animated show was The Simpsons. It was basically the only option my cable provider had before Futurama and Bob’s Burgers came along. When South Park first appeared, I looked at it and thought it looked like garbage.  

In my defense, I was young. You can’t expect a child that age to know what’s good. I was the kid who would rather eat ice cream for lunch and pizza for supper. These days I’m more in the mood for porridge and cereal.  

The point is, I was different from a lot of kids growing up. Shows like South Park simply weren’t my cup of tea. Years later, as an adult looking back, South Park finally entered the picture in a meaningful way.

A couple of years ago, Disney started scaling back its linear TV operations globally, and The Simpsons was collateral damage. Suddenly my options shrank. Bob’s Burgers was still around, but I could never really connect with it.

More recently, a relative of mine started watching South Park. I had mostly forgotten about my old dislike of the show. I’m usually quick to switch off when something like High School Musical gets played on repeat, but that wasn’t how I reacted this time. My initial judgment had been ignorant.

After watching a few episodes, I found myself laughing. Years of watching comedy had clearly rubbed off on me. That said, South Park is still something I would never watch in front of my parents. It’s that crude. I also never let my nephew watch it. The last thing anyone needs is another Eric Cartman in their life.

If I had watched it growing up, I don’t think it would have turned me into a complete menace. I probably would have gotten some laughs out of it and left it at that.  

Would I ever let kids watch this show? Definitely not. That would feel like encouraging them to act like complete douchebags. For adults, though, I’m happy to recommend it.  

If you grew up in a strict household like I did, you might have been better off discovering South Park later. In those homes, kids often move through life cautiously. The reality is that parents can’t shield children from everything the world throws at them forever.  

I never had an adult introduce me to The Simpsons either, which is why I’m careful about what I expose kids to. The best-case scenario is usually just leaving the room and hoping they don’t stumble onto South Park. Kids already have Cocomelon, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Paw Patrol. Those shows fill a different (and age-appropriate) role.