Top 10 South Park Moments That Left Us SPEECHLESS

Famed crocodile hunter Steve Irwin passed away unexpectedly when he encountered a stingray in the wild. Less than two months later, “South Park” aired a Halloween themed episode that included the late Irwin. Had it been like his previous appearance on the show, it may have come and gone without notice. However this time he was depicted as a guest at Satan’s party in hell, sporting a stingray sticking out of his chest. Even Satan himself questioned the timing of this particular appearance. For anyone familiar with Irwin’s passing, this was a moment that made many of us cringe.

Oh boy. Unlike many of the items on this list, this one leaves us speechless not for the audacity of the writing, but for the reality we’re being exposed to. When Stan learns the “truth” about the origins of human despair, we’re all left sitting in our seats, collectively wondering how anyone could think such things were real. Many religious origin stories require some suspension of disbelief, but never to the degree we see here. Stories of volcanoes, soul sucking machines and an evil space Lord are a lot harder to swallow in comparison to parting the Red Sea.

When it comes to Eric Cartman, “South Park” has never shied away from showcasing the darker side of this character. Cartman’s incessant anti-semitic attitude has surfaced multiple times, especially against his friend Kyle. But in “The Passion of the Jew”, Cartman’s obsession with Mel Gibson’s film about Jesus brings out something worse. Convincing locals that he’s just a fan of the movie, we see near the end that it’s merely his attempt to reform the Nazi party. Dressed as Hitler, it’s far more shocking than any far-crazed depiction of Mel Gibson chasing the boys for his $18 back.

In “Butters' Very Own Episode,” he was all excited about getting to go to Bennigan’s. His parents were going to celebrate their anniversary. It was all innocent enough until his mom Linda found out the truth about where her husband had been. Sure, a spouse certainly would be surprised to find out their husband is visiting explicit movie theaters and social clubs. But going from surprise to outright attempted murder is another thing. Audiences were pretty shocked to see her attempt to kill her own son by drowning. Watching the car float down the river, you have to wonder what she was thinking. Thankfully Butters was trapped in what must have been the lightest car ever, as it merely floated downstream, saving him.

Breaking the fourth wall refers to characters in a fictional medium talking to the viewers. But what do you call it when they talk not to the audience, but to the people who make the series? In a QAnon themed episode, Bob White is trying to convince Garrison the “elites” control everything. As he rants to the sky, we’re treated to “South Park”’s animators changing his appearance within the show. With the likes of “Deadpool” making fourth-wall breaking common, it’s a fun detour to see this gag spun so differently. It’s the kind of surprise that no one expected, but gave all the viewers a good laugh.

Following South Park’s depiction of his religion, a statement was reportedly made on Isaac Hayes' behalf by his 'Scientology entourage' after the actor suffered a stroke that requested that the voice of Chef be released from the series. Instead of just letting the character disappear into oblivion, the creators made a bold statement about their stance on the situation. In his final episode, Chef has returned as a changed man, seemingly brainwashed by a cult he had become enamored with. When he finally comes to his senses, it’s too late and we’re faced with his ultimate demise. He doesn’t just catch on fire while falling into a canyon. He’s impaled, has his arm and face torn off by a cougar, and is mauled by a bear. Fans likely guessed the character would leave the show, but no one could have expected this.

A season 15 episode found a way to spin the controversy around the NCAA’s use of players in a way no one ever saw coming. The show tugs on our heart strings when Kyle’s shown a hospital wing filled with infants hooked on substances. That’s quickly slammed into reverse the moment he sees Cartman. It’s here we find Eric taunting these kids with crack cocaine. As the babies fight over a small portion, Cartman films the entire exchange and posts it on the internet to make a profit. NCAA and slavery comparisons aside, the entire idea of using children in this way is utterly appalling and thus pretty shocking to the viewer.

Stem cell treatment has been shown to have many practical medical uses, and often the best types of stem cells come from embryos. Typically the cells are acquired via a specific type of medical procedure. On “South Park”, we find famed “Superman” actor Christopher Reeve endorsing the use of stem cells to help cure his mobility issues. Expecting to see him undergo a surgery, viewers were shocked to find him consuming the cells directly from the donor. From the moment he cracks one open like an egg on Larry King, every viewer cringed at the idea. The visual alone is hard to swallow, but knowing how kind a soul Reeve was makes watching it even harder.

“Woodland Critter Christmas” started out like a classic holiday story with cute animated wild animals. But as soon as Stan “saves” them from a mountain creature, we quickly learn how evil these critters really are. As they describe how the porcupine will give birth to the antiChrist, they burst into a celebration by sacrificing one of their own for the devil himself. With his wide eyes and gaping mouth, Stan’s reaction to his newfound friends’ excitement was a mirror to all the show’s viewers watching things unfold. The episode represents the antithesis of every cute holiday special we’re so used to. The graphic nature, and the surprise all leave us speechless - and for obvious reasons, unable to show you the scene in its entirety.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this would be our number one. Virtually any longtime fan of the show knows the story of the infamous chili contest. After having been harassed repeatedly by Scott, Cartman takes his revenge out on him in the most sinister way possible. Up until this point, we knew Eric was a bratty and selfish kid. But this told audiences just how sadistic and petty he could really be. As he dances around singing about what he’s done, even Stan & Kyle are left speechless at how far Cartman has taken this.