by Colleen Yates ‘18

Going into their 20th season, “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone had a big reputation to live up to. For two decades, Stan has thrown up, Cartman has remained fat, Kenny has died and come back to life, and they all have remained in fourth grade. The animated sitcom, which began in 1997, follows a group of fourth grade boys as they go on adventures in their hometown of South Park, Colorado.

The creators decided to try something different in Season 19 by following one or two plots throughout the season rather than having a new plot end each episode as they did in past seasons. In season 19, they introduced PC Principal as the focus point, keeping his intensity throughout the season, as he calls out people who were not politically correct.

In the first episode of Season 20 that aired on September 14, “South Park” began with a focus on the national anthem and the presidential candidates. Rather than directly making fun of Donald Trump, the writers decided to keep Mr. Garrison running for president. Garrison’s campaign, which began last season, promises to “make this country great again.” The opening scene of the premiere takes place at a girls’ volleyball game at South Park Elementary. The crowd, which is the entire town of South Park, is placing bets on whether fourth grader Nichole Daniels is going to sit or stand during the national anthem. When the anthem ends, the crowd gets up and leaves before the game even starts.

The episode also brilliantly introduces an Internet troll who harasses women on the school’s online message board, causing the girls’ volleyball team to protest of the national anthem. The obvious suspect is Eric Cartman, who denies that he is doing it and explains that he is now politically correct, wearing a “Token’s Life Matters” shirt. Later in the episode, the Senate calls on film director JJ Abrams to reboot the National Anthem. The crowd is shocked when they are invited to stand, sit, or kneel before the anthem begins.

The second episode of the season continues with the idea of online trolling and compares quitting Twitter to dying. One student, Heidi Turner, was being harassed online, so she drops her phone off a bridge. Her classmates are all extremely upset for the loss of their friend.

In its 20th season, the writers of “South Park” are sharper than ever in their critique of politics and American culture as they continue to push boundaries and creatively entertain their audience. With its clever humor and hilarious storylines, “South Park” remains one of the best animated sitcoms on television.