South Park - 25 Years On

  Season 2 Episode 12 – Clubhouses Stan wants to get closer to his girlfriend Wendy, while his parents are having a rough time. Original Airdate 23 rd September 1998 Synopsis Bebe develops a crush on Kyle, prompting him and Stan to build a clubhouse so they can play Truth and Dare with her and Wendy. Randy and Sharon are also having marital problems, which sees Randy leave, and Roy, Stan’s one time stepfather, move in with Sharon, Stan and Shelley. Kenny's Death Crushed in the moshpit by the party in the clubhouse. My Thoughts Back Then One of the last episodes I saw on video in very early 2005 (so in the summer holidays between Year 8 and Year 9 where I live) from the video shop, after which, due to the Internet being primitive, and not being allowed to watch it at Mum’s, amongst other reasons, my South Park reservoir dried up temporarily, until April of that year. This one stuck out for me, as it was coincidentally made around the same time my own stepfather ...

  Season 2 Episode 11 – Roger Ebert Should Lay Off The Fatty Foods The Planetarium causes interesting side effects when it opens in South Park… Original Airdate 2 nd September 1998 Featured Music Footloose by Kenny Loggins (1984) She Works Hard For The Money (originally by Donna Summer, 1983, sung by Cartman) Synopsis When a planetarium opens in South Park, Stan, Kyle and Kenny become rather sucked in like a black hole… is it something more than just a learning centre? Meanwhile, Cartman wants to be the mascot for his favourite snack of Cheesy Poofs! Kenny's Death Head explodes while Stan and Kyle make him a test subject in the planetarium. My Thoughts Back Then Loved the opening bacon sketch, and my city of Perth had a planetarium not long open when I first watched this one, if I recall correctly this was in January of 2005, in the summer between Year 8 and Year 9 for me, from the video shop. I went to the planetarium in my city in late 2004, so that was fre...

  Season 2 Episode 10 – Chickenpox No, not COVID, but chickenpox invades South Park. Original Airdate 26 th August 1998 Featured Music I’m a Believer by the Monkees (1967) In The Ghetto (sung by Cartman, originally by Elvis Presley, 1969) Synopsis Kenny has the chickenpox, and Stan, Kyle and Cartman are ordered by their parents to sleep at his house, so they can catch it. The boys are angry about this, and decide to get revenge on their parents. Kenny's Death Dies in hospital from chickenpox. My Thoughts Back Then So I never had chickenpox, quite possibly due to my own mum having a bad case of it when she was around Shelly’s age in this episode, in 1974 or 1975. Therefore, I can’t personally relate to having chickenpox, but most people I knew at the time had it at some point in primary school. I can imagine Mum being like Shelly in the episode, but nowhere near as crabby (my Nan or Pop would NOT tolerate a daughter like Shelly, trust me) This was also my firs...

  Season 2 Episode 9 – Chef’s Chocolate Salty Balls Chef is out to make some money, when a film festival comes to South Park! Original Airdate 19 th August 1998 Featured Music Chocolate Salty Balls (original, sung by Chef) Synopsis South Park’s first film festival brings in the Hollywood elites, whose diet of tofu and couscous ruin the sewer system, causing Mr. Hankey to plot his revenge on the gentrified town big time! Kenny's Death Caught in a stampede by a group of eager cinemagoers when they exit the cinema. My Thoughts Back Then I first watched this a year before Brokeback Mountain (gay cowboys eating pudding) was filmed, and before I swore, so the fudgy cookie jokes went over my head when I saw this aged 13 in late 2004. I also liked going to the cinema, but have never been one for arty films or film festivals. This was also a long time before I sat in on a Year 12 media class in 2008, or did photography class in Year 9 in 2005, where my love of exposure ...