Posted on 03/10/2006 12:32:36 PM PST by SteveBosell
They brought us four foulmouthed Colorado kids on South Park, spoofed the President in the sitcom That's My Bush! and annoyed Sean Penn with the movie Team America: World Police. Ahead of the March 22 start of South Park's 10th season on Comedy Central, Stone, 34, left, and Parker, 36, talked to TIME's James Poniewozik about celebs, politics and the innate badness of children.
YOU GUYS ARE FAMOUS FOR HANDING IN EPISODES AT THE LAST MINUTE. HAVE YOU EVEN STARTED SEASON 10? MATT STONE We just started about two days ago. TREY PARKER We're trying to work, but with no pressure we just aren't that funny.
HOW IS SOUTH PARK DIFFERENT FROM IN 1997? M.S. It's just way better. When we started, we didn't know what we were doing. And none of the shows we've done in the last two or three seasons could have been shown on air back in 1997. If you look at the first season, they're tame. T.P. It's definitely a lot dirtier.
YET IN '97 ALL PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT WAS THE VULGARITY. NOW ALL THEY TALK ABOUT IS THE SOCIAL COMMENTARY. T.P. We created a brand for ourselves, so that now people can't get mad at what we do, because then they're just making fun of themselves. We had an animated Muhammad five years ago. But people say, "Oh, yeah, that's just South Park."
ARE THERE EVER TIMES IN THE OFF-SEASON WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS AND YOU THINK, "DAMN! I WISH WE COULD WRITE ABOUT THAT"? M.S. Last year it was the [Live 8] concert, and I was like, "Oh, man, I want to rip on them." And then there was when Tom Cruise was acting crazy. He just stayed crazy for so long--and it was still in the news--that we did a Tom Cruise show anyway.
WHAT WAS SCARIER: THAT TOM CRUISE MIGHT SUE YOU OR THAT SEAN PENN MIGHT PUNCH YOU? T.P. Well, Sean Penn is about 4 ft. 3 [M.S. laughs], so I'm definitely not scared of him. We're both fairly large guys. M.S. Yeah. I'm not scared of Sean Penn or Tom Cruise physically. Now legally, that's a different story.
THE BOOK SOUTH PARK CONSERVATIVES SAID YOUR SHOW IS AN ANTILIBERAL SATIRE. IS THAT A FAIR DESCRIPTION? M.S. I think that's a fair description of some of the show's politics. But you could also easily write a book called South Park Liberals, because we've attacked a lot of funny stuff that conservative people and institutions do in America. But we're the only show that rips on Rob Reiner and antismoking laws and hippies, so we get that label.
THAT'S MY BUSH! LASTED ONE SEASON IN 2001. WOULD IT HAVE DONE BETTER A FEW YEARS LATER? M.S. I think it would. But I don't think we would have been interested, because it would have been more politically charged. And it wasn't a political show for us. T.P. To be a sitcom you need just a superlovable guy at the center, who, yeah, he f___s up a lot, and yeah, he's harebrained sometimes, but he's got a good heart. Which I think is basically George Bush. M.S. He's like Homer Simpson.
WOULD YOU EVER DO ANOTHER MOVIE? SOUTH PARK OR OTHERWISE? T.P. The only way we'd do it is if we were sitting around and were like, "That's a sweet idea for a movie." A lot of the South Park episodes we've done could have probably been really good movies. M.S. We have a hungry baby we have to feed. South Park takes every idea.
SPEAKING OF BABIES, NEITHER OF YOU HAS KIDS, RIGHT? BOTH No. SO HOW DO YOU STAY IN TOUCH WITH HOW YOUNG BOYS, LIKE YOUR CHARACTERS ON SOUTH PARK, THINK? T.P. Yeah, sometimes I wonder. We still think like kids. Once you have kids, you think like a parent. You get a lot more protective. You start to think these kids are so beautiful, you can't see past your child's-- M.S. What a bastard your child is. [Laughs] T.P. We still believe that all people are born bad and are made good by society, rather than the opposite. M.S. Actually, I think that's where we're conservative.
Forgot to mention: for those interested, they will be on Letterman 3/15.
Season 10 on the way, can't wait.
Ping!
Ping :~D
I think they'll perform much better then O'Reily.
Excellent interview... Thanks for posting :~D
Can't wait untill the liberals get a hold of this. They can't stand for anyone to say that George Bush is basically a good guy.
Loved the episode with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Lopez gets dumped by her record label when Cartman's hand puppet does a better job singing her songs than she does. Then Affleck dumps her for Cartman's hand too. Sick and twisted, but hilarious.
The subtitle for most episodes :~D
Tacos & Burritos
Burritos & Tacos
I just loved the Team America movie. Two of my friends and I went to see it, and laughed so hard we thought we'd hurt ourselves, especially when a 20-something couple several rows in front of us stomped out in a rage halfway through - and, no, it wasn't because we were laughing; it was because they were offended by the characterization of the actor's guild as F.A.G. I start laughing just thinking about it! Vulgar, obscenity-laden, and gross - but it's still a classic in my book.
Taco Flavored Kisses for you!
Me too.... Never laughed so hard in my life.
I want more Team America!!
Yeah Affleck french kisses Cartman's hand. Yuck.
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Dirka Dirka Jihad!
(((:~)>
(A smiley of Mohammed.)
))):~)>
(A smile of Mohammed having a bad turban day. LET THE RIOTS BEGIN!)
I do the same thing! Everytime the movie "Team America" comes up in conversation I start to chuckle!
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