I am a huge fan of South Park and have been for many years. In 1992 and 1995, the shows creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone created South Park shorts features. The second of the shorts became one of the first ever viral videos, in itself being quite an achievement, which led to the series debut in 1997. South Park has been running ever since, currently heading into its 15th season.
I vaguely remember the first time I saw South Park. I was a very young lad staying around an older cousin's house; I was about 6 years old at the time. I enjoyed it and can still remember my first impression. Although there were a load of jokes I didn't understand at the time, the storylines engaged me. I wasn't allowed to watch it again after that, being only six; South Park is aimed at adults.
My next taste of South Park came when I was about 10. One night when I couldn't sleep I meandered down the stairway and into the living room while my Mum and step-Dad were watching South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. The title, which I now know was hilariously named as it might be better used to describe a very different movie genre found on the Internet, was used,- just to see if they could slip it past the censors. When I saw this movie, I officially fell in love with South Park.
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut is very enthralling, and quite unique as a musical. The music itself is all very jaunty and the songs themselves are very similar to songs from recognisable musicals. The movie's opening song "Mountain Town" is sung by Stan and a tribute to "O What a Beautiful Morning" from the musical Oklahoma. Clearly, I didn't know this when I was 10, but I think I enjoyed it back then for the idea of children uniting for a course they believed, always spoke to me and I still listen to the "La Resisténce" medley on my iPod; it's the song the children sing about how they're going to use their bravery to prevent the forthcoming war.
There are four main characters in South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut - and the series. Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny. Stan tends to be the voice of reason most of the time, pointing out faults in idiotic plans, accusing Tom Cruise of being "Trapped in the Closet", trying to find the connection between bunnies and the resurrection of Christ; the list goes on. Kyle is more deadpan and is usually shown as the smart guy of the group - whether that's because he's Jewish I'm uncertain but they sure had fun subverting that stereotype in the episode "The Losing Edge" in which his classically Jewish cousin Kyle (they have the same name which makes the comparison blatantly obvious) points out that in trying so hard not to be stereotypically Jewish, he's become a stereotypical jock.
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