10 Times You Can't Believe South Park Actually Went There
3. It Mades Fun Of 9/11 One Second Into An Episode
On September 11th, 2001, Osama Bin Laden orchestrated an attack on the World Trade Centre, which led to the death of nearly 3,000 civilians. Because this was the deadliest terrorist assault in human history, it's obvious why no one, and I mean NO ONE, wanted to joke about it. During this time, comedians, humour magazines, and sitcoms avoided making light of this national tragedy, fearing they would be cancelled.
But the big question on everybody's mind was - How would South Park handle it?
After the show took a three-month hiatus during this period, South Park returned with the delightfully titled episode, Osama Bin Laden Has Farty Pants. Within the first frame, we see Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman waiting for the bus to school while wearing gas masks. Before one second has passed, we can immediately tell what angle Trey Parker and Matt Stone are going for - fear-mongering. Sure enough, the episode shows kids having their bags checked for anthrax, parents paralysed by fear while watching news updates, and how the townsfolk have draped every building with American flags.
Even though South Park dealt with 9/11 the way we expect, it's still incredible that they didn't attempt to tiptoe around the issue.