South Park's Most Epic Fan Trolling Moments Unveiled

South Park, known for its self-awareness and subversive nature, often plays tricks on its own fans and breaks the fourth wall. The show, created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, pushes the boundaries of dark and offensive humor, sparing no one from being the subject of their jokes – including their own audience. Throughout its history, South Park has frequently used its fan base as fodder for satire.

In its first season, South Park featured a prominent celebrity guest star who voiced a dog. Season 2 saw the show teasing a cliffhanger, only to postpone its resolution for a full episode of Terrance and Phillip as an elaborate April Fools’ Day prank. Season 20 took on the theme of trolling, drawing parallels between the strategies of political candidates and online trolls. Ironically, the entire troll storyline itself turned out to be a troll. South Park is renowned for its cunning ability to troll its dedicated viewers.

7 South Park Season 2's Premiere Was About Terrance & Phillip

6 George Clooney's Ridiculous Guest Cameo

The South Park series concluded its first season with a tantalizing cliffhanger, leaving viewers eager to uncover the secret identity of Cartman's long-lost father. However, when the second season finally premiered after a month-long wait, it surprisingly diverged from the main characters' storyline. Instead, on April 1, 1998, as an elaborate April Fools' Day prank, the season 2 premiere titled "Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus" aired as a standalone episode featuring the in-universe cartoon characters Terrance and Phillip. The resolution of the season 1 cliffhanger arrived three weeks later in the episode "Cartman’s Mom Is Still a Dirty S***."

In episode 4 of season 1, titled "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride," South Park made history by featuring George Clooney as its first celebrity guest star. At that time, Clooney held a prominent position in Hollywood as one of the most popular and sought-after movie stars. While other shows might have capitalized on this opportunity by assigning Clooney a guest role or even having him play himself to highlight his star power, Parker and Stone took a different approach. They cast Clooney as Stan's dog Sparky, with no lines of dialogue except for dog barks. This unique decision meant that viewers would have no idea that Clooney was part of the episode unless it was explicitly mentioned in the credits, where he was proudly announced as a guest star.

5 Kenny's Season-Long Death & Resurrection In South Park Season 6

Kenny's recurring deaths became a running gag in the early days of South Park. Each episode would show him meeting a gruesome and horrific end, only to miraculously return in the next one. However, in Season 5, Episode 13, titled "Kenny Dies," Kenny appeared to meet his demise for good after succumbing to an unnamed terminal illness. Season 6 of South Park then focused on exploring the aftermath of Kenny's death, as the remaining boys mourned his loss and attempted to fill the void left by their fallen friend.

It seemed as though Kenny's resurrection would never happen, or if it did, it would be a significant event. However, in the Season 6 finale, "Red Sleigh Down," after undertaking a daring mission to bring Christmas joy to the children of Iraq, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman returned to town just in time for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, accompanied by Kenny. The other boys nonchalantly greeted him with a simple "Oh, hey, Kenny," and commented that everything was "back to normal," as if they hadn't spent the past year grieving for him. This unexpectedly anticlimactic resolution to Kenny's death story added a touch of humor to the narrative.

4 Towelie Spoofs Modern Comedy TV Shows

South Park lampooned its own excessive merchandising in the eighth episode of the fifth season titled "Towelie." The main character, a talking towel named Towelie, humorously mocks gimmicky comedy characters that rely on repetitive catchphrases. Throughout the episode, the show cleverly inserts advertisements for fictional Towelie merchandise. Towelie was intentionally created as a simplistic and one-dimensional character whose sole purpose is to spout catchphrases and promote merchandise. In the conclusion of the episode, Cartman boldly proclaims Towelie as the "worst character ever."

3 South Park Season 15 Teased Completely Rebooting The Show

In South Park season 15, episode 8, titled "A** Burgers," Stan begins to feel that he has outgrown his friends and their weekly escapades. As a heartfelt montage unfolds, accompanied by Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide," viewers witness significant changes in Stan's life. His parents begin to separate, and Stan even ends his friendship with Kyle. Addressing the need for growth and evolution, Stan delivers a speech suggesting a complete reboot of the show, introducing fresh characters and exciting adventures. However, Randy unexpectedly appears, revealing his reconciliation with Sharon, which promptly restores everything back to the way it was, as depicted in a swift montage set to "Landslide."

2 Stan Enters The Real World (& South Park Is A Simulation)

South Park season 18, episode 7, "Grounded Vindaloop," cleverly satirizes the emerging virtual reality technology, drawing inspiration from popular sci-fi movies such as The Matrix and Total Recall. Through Cartman's use of the Oculus Rift headset, the line between reality and virtual reality becomes blurred, leaving viewers uncertain about which characters are in the real world and who is trapped in the VR simulation. The climactic ending unveils a surprising twist, revealing that the entire series has been a virtual reality simulation. As Stan exits into the actual world, the viewers are presented with a live-action shot of child actors portraying the beloved characters. Curious, the other characters inquire about the simulation, to which Stan humorously comments on the show's crude animation style, quipping, "The graphics suck."

1 Token's Real Name Is Tolkien

The offensive joke of calling the only Black fourth-grade student at South Park Elementary "Token Black" has long been a controversial aspect of the show. In season 25, episode 2, titled "The Big Fix," South Park finally addresses the problematic nature of Token's name by revealing that he was actually named "Tolkien" all along, after the renowned author J.R.R. Tolkien who wrote The Lord of the Rings. Throughout the episode, Stan wrestles with the realization that he has always known his friend by the wrong name, representing the audience's own white guilt.

During Stan's visit to the doctor, he admits to mistakenly believing that Tolkien's name was "Token." In response, the doctor rudely dismisses him and even insults him. Taking it a step further, the doctor addresses the audience, breaking the fourth wall, and directly questions if anyone else made the same assumption about Tolkien's name. This specific scene in a South Park episode serves as satire, highlighting the audience's role in finding humor in jokes that are later recognized as problematic.