- Band Members: Ween, Master P, Isaac Hayes, Matt Stone, Les Claypool, Robert Smith, Trey Parker, Elton John
- Genre: Miscellaneous
- Similar Artists: The Dead Milkmen, Primus, Ween, Frank Zappa, Sausage, D.V.D.A.
South Park exploded into the national consciousness in 1997, becoming the most popular, outrageous and controversial animated series to hit airwaves since Beavis and Butt-Head. The brainchild of creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park began in 1995 as a five-minute animated short commissioned by a Fox network executive and distributed throughout the industry as a video "Christmas card." The short, titled "The Spirit of Christmas," was endlessly dubbed as it passed hands throughout Hollywood, becoming an underground sensation; ironically, Parker and Stone -- fearing their depiction of hand-to-hand combat between Santa Claus and Jesus Christ would incense many viewers -- did not even add their names to the finished product to avoid controversy.
"The Spirit of Christmas" introduced both South Park's distinctively primitive animation style -- its figures and backgrounds all created on construction paper cut-outs -- as well as the show's primary characters, foul-mouthed third-graders Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny. Stone and Parker ultimately signed with the cable network Comedy Central to produce a weekly South Park series which debuted on August 13, 1997 with the episode "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe; " seemingly overnight the program became a national phenomenon, its characters even appearing on the cover of Newsweek magazine. The series' raunchy language and off-color plotlines also became the target of considerable controversy, which of course only made it more popular, particularly among the younger set.
By early 1998, South Park was everywhere -- the highest-rated program in Comedy Central history, it was also one of the highest-rated series on cable, drawing unprecedented viewership. A deluge of merchandising soon flooded the market, including T-shirts and home videos; rumors also circulated about a feature film. South Park's connection to the pop music scene was a major element of the series from its inception -- Primus' Les Claypool performed the theme song, Isaac Hayes voiced the recurring character Chef, and guest stars included the Cure's Robert Smith -- and so it came as little surprise when Chef Aid: The South Park Album was released in late 1998. The record featured contributions from Elton John, Master P and Ween, among others. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
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