South Parkis one of the most groundbreaking television shows of all-time, and has managed to retain its relevance by consistently bucking up against modern trends and satirizing recent events.Between its multiple running gags,hilariously extreme moments of violence, and occasional moments of genuine friendship between the boys,South Parkis every bit as groundbreaking as it was when it first began airing on Comedy Central in 1997.
South Parkis renowned for being particularly cruel towards celebrities,often insulting themwith hilariously over-the-top caricatures.South Parkmay have first gained attention for the considerable amount of controversy it earned from lampooning public figures likeTom CruiseandKanye West, but the show is packed with other, less appreciated celebrity impersonations that were just as clever and satirical. Here are the ten most underrated celebrity impersonations onSouth Park, ranked.
South Park
Follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
10Mark Zuckerberg, “Franchise Prequel” (2017)
Season 21, Episode 4
Mark Zuckerberghas been a controversial figure in recent years for the ways in which Facebook has impacted electoral events, with many accusing him of not doing enough tospread the advent of conspiracy theories.South Parkhad fun with this idea by exploring what would happen if Zuckerberg visited the “quiet mountain town,” where he viewed the citizens with a high degree of disgust.
South Parkmade fun of Zuckberg’s robotic sounding voice, but most critically lampooned the fact that he seemed not to care about the false information that was spread on Facebook. WhileJesse Eisenberg’s performance as Zuckerberg inThe Social Networkgrew iconic in its own right,South Parkproved to be a far more damning portrayal that examined the horrific legacy that Facebook had created in the years sinceDavid Fincher’s masterpiece was first released in theaters.
9Elon Musk, “The End of Serialization as We Know It” (2016)
Season 20, Episode 10
Elon Muskhas always been the subject of ridicule, but recent events surrounding the 2016 Presidential Election allowedSouth Parkto dig in deeper to the ways in which his technological programs have been perceived by the public. Musk may have shown up to portray himself in “Members Only,” butSouth Parkcertainly did not take it easy on him, as he is portrayed as a comically aloof bureaucrat with severe social handicaps.
South Parkcreates a rivalry between Musk and Eric Cartman, who wreaks havoc on his SpaceX program after discovering that it helped his girlfriend Heidi to become way smarter than she was initially.Considering that Musk bought Twitterand made a series of controversial statements in the years since, it would be very interesting to see howSouth Parkwould choose to portray him again if he reappeared in a subsequent season.
8Rob Reiner, “Butt Out” (2003)
Season 7, Episode 13
Rob Reineris one of themost accomplished directors of all-time,with a wide variety of all-time classics likeThe Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap, A Few Good Men, Stand by Me, The American President, Misery,andWhen Harry Met Sally…all under his belt. That being said, Reiner’s aptitude for social advocacy and politically motivated causes has been the subject of some serious derision, andSouth Parkmade fun of that fact in the episode “Butt Out,” when he leads an anti-smoking campaign that turns the town’s civilians into an angry and violent mob.
Reiner’s portrayal inSouth Parkis yet another example of the series satirizing Hollywood’s lack of awareness,as it indicates that a famous director would not be able to empathize with the issues that plague a working-class community that doesn’t normally interact with celebrities.
7Jeff Bezos, “Unfulfilled” (2018)
Season 22, Episode 9
Jeff Bezos served as the primary antagonist of the 22nd season ofSouth Park, in which his Amazon Warehouses cause chaos in the town and disrupt Randy Marsh’s weed growing business.South Parkis rarely kind on the wealthiest class of CEOs and business tycoons, but Bezos’ portrayal stands as one ofthe show’s finest critiques of capitalismand the oppressive culture surrounding Amazon’s employees.
South Parkhilariously chooses to portray Bezos as an alien who barely speaksin what became an extended tribute to the original aliens on theStar Trekseries. The show also chooses to have Bezos developing telepathic powers that make him incapable of moving his lips and speaking; it’s one of the few moments in the show that is downright chilling, especially given the grotesque way in which he is animated to look like an inhuman antagonist.
6George Lucas, “Free Hat” (2002)
Season 6, Episode 9
George Lucashas been the subject of significant backlash for the disappointing nature of theStar Warsprequels, butSouth Parkactually decided to look back at his decision to re-release the original trilogy in 1997 with the “Special Editions” that featured alterations and new scenes. The episode lampoons how ridiculous it would be for any artist to be able to change a film that is already well-regarded by the public, and concocts a compelling parody ofLucas’ work on theStar Warsfranchise.
South Parkattracted much more controversy for a later episode that included Lucas and Steven Spielbergsexually assaulting the character ofIndiana Jonesin what was intended to be a parody of the extremely negative reaction thatIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skullreceived from fans for introducing flying saucers and aliens into the franchise.
5Alton Brown, “Crème Fraîche” (2010)
Season 14, Episode 14
Alton Brown received considerable fame due to the popularity of his reality cooking showGood Eats,which popularized the notion of a celebrity cheflong beforeGordon BrownandBobby Flaybecame widely popular. Brown factors into a storyline in the fourteenth season ofSouth Parkwhere a group of celebrity chefs challenge Randy Marsh for control of the school cafeteria’s menu.
Brown’s appearance isn’t actually that insulting inSouth Park,as the episode is more intent on parodying how incompetent Randy is at anything that he sets his mind on. However, Brown does receive some serious insults from Eric, Kyle, Kenny, and Stan after an episode ofGood Eatsstarts cutting off their transmission ofThe Terrance and Phillip Show, an in-universe comedy program that had been established as their favorite show in 1999’sSouth Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.
4Michael Bay, “Imaginationland” (2007)
Season 11, Episode 10
Michael Bayis a true “love him or hate him” director, as his films in theTransformersandBad Boysfranchises have received scathing reviews from critics, despite being wildly popular with audiences.South Parkdecided to make fun ofthe recurring hallmarks in Bay’s filmsin the “Imaginationland” storyline, where Bay decides to disrupt the dreamscape paradise by throwing in a ton of unnecessary explosions and battles featuring computer generated imagery.
South Park’s parody of Bay hit just at the right time, as it aired right before the firstTransformersfilm was released in 2007 and kickstarted a new franchise for Paramount Pictures. Considering how many explosions are featured in the fourTransformerssequels directed by Bay that have been released since,South Park’s parody of the manner in which Bay decides to make his movies has aged very well.
3Tom Brady, “Faith Hilling” (2012)
Season 16, Episode 3
Tom Bradyhas been routinely mocked bySouth Parkfor the scandals surrounding his temporary suspension from the National Football League, which are used to lampoon the cliches that arecommon within inspirational sports movies.Brady initially appears to be endorsing Butters’ strange new supplement project, and later begins to defecate in his pants after being handed the wrong medication before a critical game.
Brady later appears in several dream sequencesin which Cartman has nightmares about the ways in which he could be punished if he was caught up within a similar scandal. Considering that Brady was willing to be roasted on a live special that aired on Netflix, he hopefully managed to have a little bit of a sense of humor about the highly insulting way that he was characterized in some of the dirtiest episodes ofSouth Park.
2Jimmy Buffett, “Tonsil Trouble” (2008)
Season 12, Episode 1
Jimmy Buffett was an icon of the music industrywhose songs could be described as a mix of rock, soul, funk, comedy, and folk genres. Buffett made his first appearance onSouth Parkin the episode “Tonsil Trouble,” in which he takes part in an AIDS benefit concert that is held in Cartman’s benefit after he is found to be HIV-positive. It was a cheeky reference to the fact that Buffett performed several charitable venues for admirable organizations before his tragic death in 2023.
Buffett reappeared as one of the various celebrities suingSouth Parkin a controversial series of episodes that were widely censored. Buffett comes off as a little bit ignorant in these installments, but he doesn’t come across that bad when compared tothe much darker jokes thatSouth Parkhas proven itself capableof delivering on a regular basis.
1John Cena, “W.T.F.” (2009)
Season 13, Episode 10
John Cenahas actually proven to be a very talented actor,and has given strong performances inThe Suicide Squad, Ricky Stanicky, The Wall,and two installments inThe Fast and the Furiousfranchise. However, Cena is still best known forhis work in the World Wrestling Entertainment competitions, whichSouth Parkeffectively parodied in the episode “W.T.F.”
South Parkmade fun of the petty ways in which wrestlers spar with each other, and how easy it can be for fans to perceive what they are watching to be real. Cena only briefly appears at the beginning of the episode, but his legacy comes to fruition when Cartman starts to begin molding his new self-image on his favorite wrestler. Considering how self-aware Cena appears to be in his comedy roles, it is impressive thatSouth Parkwas still able to provide an effective parody.
