Trey ParkerandMatt Stoneare not known for making friends in Hollywood. BetweenSouth ParkandTeam America World Police,no celebrity figured has been left unscathed. EvenGeorge Clooney, who made guest appearances in the movie and on the showafter helping spread the viral shortthat becameSouth Park, isn’t safe from their ridicule. This is largely a result of Parker and Stone’s lack of reverence for the establishment and general disregard for the culture of celebrity, with only a few exceptions.WondershowzencreatorVernon Chatmanhas been a long-time contributor (even voicing Towliee),Bill Haderhas joined the writer’s roomon more than one occasion, and sometimes the duocan’t resist a good guest star appearance. But it was their precise irreverence that led toParker and Stone connecting with one of the biggest icons of television behind the scenes, who helped create a few memorable episodes.
South Park
Follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
Norman Lear Is One of the Biggest Names in Television
An 80-year-old joining the writing staff of a young show isn’t likely, but Parker and Stone made an exception for one of their heroes.Norman Learhastoo many credits in televisionto fully capture in one article, but over the course of his career, Lear created or developed over two dozen television shows. His work includesAll in the Familymost famously, but alsoMaude,Sanford and Son,Good Times,The Jeffersons,One Day at a Time, andMary Hartman, Mary Hartman.The list goes on, but Norman Lear will always be remembered for his writing that challenged the social norms at the time,arguing for diversity on all fronts, and satirizing the old-fashioned perspectives of the older generations. But this isn’t the only reason Lear was the right fit forSouth Park.
“They wanted to do an Archie [Bunker]…so they did a kid." At least that’s what Norman Learreiterated to Marc MaronaboutSouth Park’s Eric Cartman. The raunchy and cantankerous patriarch fromAll in the Familybeing a direct inspiration for the foul-mouthed eight-year-old was confirmed byParker in the season 7 DVD commentary, but despite this,South Parkwas a shock to Lear. Learning about the showthrough his teenage son, Leartold theNew York Times, “I couldn’t believe what they were getting away with.”
The greater appeal ofSouth Parkfor Lear was, “to be able to watch it with [my son] and say, ‘Look, this has something on its mind.‘Hysterical as they may be, it’s wonderful to see something serious in the midst of all that tomfoolery,’’ per theNew York TimesThe feeling was mutual from Parker and Stone, with Stone saying “[Lear]’s a role model in the way that he cares about this stuff and does stuff about it.” After a tour ofSouth Park’s production offices at Lear’s request for him and his son, Lear found he, Parker, and Stone enjoyed talking about a lot of the same things and asked if he could sit in on the writer’s room at some point. Parker and Stone were happy to extend an invitation.
Lear Took ‘South Park’ in Different Directions
In early 2003, the television legend joined the young guns of animation for a writer’s retreat in Arizona,Varietyreported. Prior to every season, Parker, Stone, and their collaborators take a company-paid trip to brainstorm ideas for the upcoming series of episodes, like the one in Seattle where the jumping salmon inexplicably inspired theKanye West"Fishsticks” episodes (as recalled by Bill Hader.) Lear told Variety the retreat was mostly the group “spew[ing] ideas in every direction,” but Lear liked the process enough to invite the writers to his own home later to further spew.
The first episode Lear influenced was the season 7 premiere, “Cancelled.” The episode, originally intended to be the show’s 100th, finds the four boys re-experiencing the events of the pilot only to find out their lives, and Earth itself, is actually just a reality TV show made by aliens for their amusement (and now has to be cancelled because the Earthlings are now aware of the show.) In the DVD commentary,Parker and Stone recall Lear being the one who initially brought up making fun of reality television.Lear didn’t understand them and thought they were dumb, but Parker and Stone loved them. As a result,they got an episode that pokes fun at the cruelty of reality TV but also acknowledges its entertainment value.However, Lear had a greater impact on a subsequent episode.
The actual 100th episode ended up being “I’m a Little Bit Country,” an episode parodying the recent US invasion of Iraq and the conflicting feelings Americans had about it. According to the commentary,one of Lear’s passions is educating students about the Declaration of Independence, and Parker and Stone thought that could make for a good episode.After some workshopping, they decided it would be best in the context of the current political climate (“What would the founding fathers say about going to war?") and parodying after-school specials that involve kids time traveling to learn about history. In the episode, Cartman goes to extreme lengths to have a flashback (to get out of a school assignment) and ends up sitting in on Congress arguing over the constitution.Lear even guest stars as Benjamin Franklin to settle the matter and propose a solution for America then and in Cartman’s time.It’s a fun episode that celebratesSouth Parkand (to some extent) America, and it wouldn’t have happened without Norman Lear.
Lear Remained Friends With Parker and Stone Until His Death
While Norman only worked on the one season ofSouth Parkit was a meaningful experience for him, Parker, and Stone. Twenty years later, near his 100th birthday celebration,Lear told E!“There’s nobody in our business I have admired more over a long time, than Trey Parker and Matt Stone.” The connection extended beyond the professional, as Lear even officiated Parker’s first wedding in 2006!Lear’s impact on television is undeniable, enough that even such controversial artists like Trey Parker and Matt Stone couldn’t resist the opportunity to learn from him.While comedy, by its very nature, ages quickly, the angles and what comedians respond to can transcend generations. To E!, Lear claimed it all comes down to human nature and human nature is funny in any era.
Every episode of South Park is available on Max.
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