South Park's Creator Wishes He Could Permanently Delete Three Seasons

By Khadija Pervez in Movies & TV On 14th September 2024
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South Park has been on our screens for nearly 30 years, and from the very start, it has sparked plenty of controversy. 

Despite its success, the creators do have a few regrets.

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Whether you’re a fan or not, it’s pretty impressive that South Park has managed to stay relevant for 27 years. 

Over this time, we’ve followed wild, gross, and hilarious adventures with Kenny, Cartman, Kyle, Stan, and good ol' Butters, along with the townsfolk of South Park.

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However, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of the show, have looked back on their early days and admitted there are some things they wish they could change. 

Specifically, they would like to erase three seasons that they no longer see any value in. This makes sense, as over 30 years, your sense of humor is likely to evolve.

A big part of their regret comes from how they’ve grown and matured since those early days. 

At the beginning of the show, Parker and Stone’s priorities were more about ‘trying to get laid’ and ‘f**king around,’ as they mentioned in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Now, they’re not in their twenties acting like kids anymore. Instead, they are parents themselves.

It’s not surprising, then, that they look back at their earliest seasons with a bit of regret.

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In fact, Parker said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: “If I had to permanently erase anything from the library, it would basically be anything before season 4.” 

He was very clear about why, attributing his regret to pure embarrassment.

He went on to explain: “It’s just embarrassing to watch. OK, we were, like, 26, 27. But it’s like, ‘Really?’ We thought that was funny? 

We thought that was well-written? Oh my God, this is terrible.”

Tibrina Hobson / Contributor / Getty Images

It’s hard not to empathize with Parker’s feelings of embarrassment. Nostalgia-induced cringe is something many of us experience. 

We’ve all had moments where we look back at our early years and cringe at what we once thought was great.

But now, 27 years later, Parker and Stone have grown and honed their craft. 

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They continue with the same classic formula but with a bit less cringe. 

Parker shed some light on their script-writing process in an article for The Los Angeles Times, celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary. 

He said: "The writers' room always starts with us sitting around a table going, 'All right, what's going on?' Just like in any office. 

But even in the season we just did, some of my favorite things were Butters riding a horse and Cartman living in a hot dog. Just kid stuff."