Top 10 Times South Park Taught Us Serious Life Lessons

"Cartoon Wars Part I & II"
When it comes to comedy, “South Park” has made it clear that nothing is off-limits. Never was this more evident than during the Season 10 two-part episode, “Cartoon Wars.” It was a case of art imitating life as the show’s creators fought with Comedy Central repeatedly around censoring their depiction of Muhammad. While the characters were arguing about censorship's detrimental effect on free speech, the same was being said behind the scenes. Trey Parker and Matt Stone both stood by their decision to use the character in the show, but ultimately, they had to surrender to the network's wishes.

"Chef Goes Nanners"
In the United States, there has been discussions around the continued display of the Confederate flag. Some feel it’s inappropriate due to its racially charged past, while others feel it’s a representation of the country’s history. This same issue was replicated on “South Park” when Chef complains about how offensive the town flag is. From there, we get a back-and-forth debate mirroring that of the real-world controversy. What stands out about this episode, however, is how very real the issue is in our world today. It illustrates the difficulty in preserving a nation’s history, in contrast to learning to be more sensitive to those who have been mistreated in our past.

"Make Love, Not Warcraft"
One of this show’s greatest strengths has always been its ability to tell funny stories, while still remaining topical. “Make Love, Not Warcraft” found a perfect way to poke fun at people’s obsessive interest in online gaming, while still giving us a life lesson. The boys frustration with an online griefer turns them into the very thing the episode is laughing at. Spending countless hours hunting boars in the woods, their determination to level up enough to defeat this internet troll never wavers. It may not have been the healthiest use of their time, but it did prove that perseverance really does pay off.

"Proper Condom Use"
Uncomfortable discussing the details of sex with their kids, the parents pawn the responsibility of sexual education on the school. This falls to Mr. Mackey and Ms. Choksondik, who both fail miserably due to their own misgivings on the subject. The girls become terrified of boys thinking they’ll get pregnant or catch a disease. The boys are confused by how condoms work, and it comes to a head when the parents learn how this has all been handled. It illustrates the need to have open and honest discussions about the birds and the bees. Yes, it can be awkward, but Cartrman’s antics and girls' fears of rampant disease are certainly far worse than talking about sex.

"4th Grade"
Sometimes when life gets hard, it’s easy to want to find a way back to a time when it felt simpler. Such was the case for the boys as they entered the fourth grade with a new teacher. Scared of what may come, they attempt to build a time machine to go back a year but fail miserably. In doing so, they learn a valuable lesson from Ms. Choksondik. She teaches the kids that life only moves forward and that dwelling on the past isn’t helpful as you can’t go back. You can only go ahead and take on whatever challenges the world may throw at you. That’s pretty heavy for fourth grade, but certainly true.

"The List"
When Kyle is ranked last in a class list of “cute” boys, he’s noticeably distraught and becomes jealous of Clyde who’s been ranked #1. However, he learns a valuable lesson from the ghost of Abraham Lincoln who shows him a contrast between the cute and the ugly. Clyde no longer has to try hard at anything knowing he can easily skirt by on his physical appearance alone. Others not be blessed with good looks have to work hard, and thus develop great character. It’s a message that has even more meaning today with so many using their looks to garner followers and fame on social media.

"All About Mormons"
When a new Mormon family moves into town, Stan learns the history of this modern-day religion through his new friend Gary. The episode uses a series of creative flashbacks to illustrate how Joseph Smith brought his new faith to light. Stan is utterly confused how such a happy family can believe a story he sees as being nothing more than creative fiction. His judgment of the Mormon faith shows us how religion divides people. Gary admits that the stories may sound far-fetched, but he has his religion to thank for having such a great life. So, why should it matter? It’s a lesson in acceptance everyone could use.

"Raisins"
“South Park” is often at its best when the lessons it teaches us come from the most unexpected places. Late in Season 7, Stan joins the goth kids as a means of dealing with heartbreak when Wendy dumps him. It’s a personification of how many dwell on a loss versus finding a way to cope with it. It’s only when he discovers how differently Butters handles his own break-up that Stan learns the real lesson. Butters tells him that although he’s hurt by the break-up, he can only feel such sadness because at one time he felt great happiness. It’s a notable truth about the balance of life that surprisingly comes from one of the town’s more gullible characters.

"Post Covid" Specials
The show’s 24th season centered on the COVID-19 pandemic. These two Paramount+ television films took place 40 years in the future where the aftermath of the pandemic has caused much resentment and ill-will between the boys. After failing to go back in time to stop the pandemic, they decide to change how they reacted instead. What follows is an exercise in forgiveness. Through the apologies given by the various townsfolk, we’re shown how the whole world struggled to get through a trying time. Everyone in town, and in the real world, all had our ups and downs, and all deserve to be forgiven for how we may have dealt with such a chaotic time.

"Guitar Queer-O"
Leave it to a “Guitar Hero” themed episode to teach us about friendship. We find Stan and Kyle playing out an all too familiar plot around what fame can do to people. Stan’s the big star who ditches his friend for fame, but ultimately sees his career take a nosedive due to his “addiction” to another game. It’s only after Stan loses everything that he realizes why he loved playing the game in the first place: his best friend. As the two friends reunite, audiences are reminded of what matters most in life. It’s not the fame, or the money that matters in the end. It’s who you have in your life that makes everything worthwhile.