Uncensored and unabashed language, border-line vulgar takes on sex and drugs, outrageous plot lines and a short fat megalomaniac fat-ass; the perfect ingredients for a cartoon loved by adults the world over. Written by Matt Stone and Trey Parker South Park evolves around the foursome of South Park Elementary students; Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick. Debuting in the year 1997 on comedy central, the show has since grown into one of TVs most outrageously humorous cartoon series’. True there’s the Family Guy and the Simpson’s; but with its rebelliousness, outspoken and controversial themes and hilarious storylines; South Park rocks harder than any of them. The Backdoor takes a look at the top 10 episodes of South Park.

10. Rainforest Schmainforest

One of South Park’s better episodes from the early seasons; the kids of South Park Elementary travel to Costa Rica as part of the singing children’s group “getting gay with children”, in a bid to save the regions rainforests. After a bout of typical Cartman rants about San Jose ‘smelling like ass’ and Kyle’s sense of rhythm coming under doubt (because he is a Jew as pointed out by Cartman) the children embark on a tour of the rainforest. However,  following a series of brutal attacks by the rainforest’s inhabitants, the group; including their group leader and rainforest activist Miss Stevens; start bitterly hating the rainforest. The episode was reportedly based on Matt Stones own feelings towards rainforests after a disastrous vacation in Costa Rica with his girlfriend.

9. The passion of the Jew

The kids at South Park are introduced to Mel Gibson’s masterpiece The Passion of The Christ with hilarious consequences. With Kyle feeling compelled to ask for an apology for crimes against Jesus by the Jewish community, Stan and Kyle demanding their money back for the movie from Mel Gibson and Cartman’s having more brutal ambitions of becoming the second coming of Adolph Hitler and cleansing South Park of the Jews. The outrageous yet devilishly funny sense of humor of writers Matt Stone and Trey Parker exhibits itself in the episodes portrayal of Mel Gibson as a raving lunatic who has a serious fetish for being tortured.

8. The Simpsons already did it

In this episode where the slightly gay Butter’s more evil alter ego ‘Professor Chaos’ is revealed and a slight jibe at the Simpson’s long run on TV is played out, Trey Parker and Matt Stone deliver one of their most comical and ridiculous plot lines of all time. With confusions galore between seamen and sea-people Eric finally ends up the supreme god of a miniature underwater civilization. Our favorite moment of the episode? Cartman’s equation that states that Seamen + Sea People = Sea-ciety.

7.  Christian Rock Hard

The episode kicks off with the gang kicking out Cartman out of their recently formed band because he suggests they ‘do a creed’ and become a Christian rock band and sell millions of records to Christians and get rich. An outraged Cartman starts his own Christian rock band after betting Kyle Ten Dollars that his band will go platinum before Kyle’s does. This spoof episode on the music industry takes a funny twist when Kyle Stan and Kenny are arrested for downloading music illegally off the internet and are forced to learn of the troubles faced by musicians such as Lars Ulrich and Brittney spears because of music piracy.  All in all it is a solid and satire filled plot that deserves its spot in the top 10 list.

6.    Cartman Joins Nambla

The lighter side of child molestation and a twist on Marlon Brando. With Eric feeling that he has intellectually outgrown his friends and needs the company of much older mature individuals, searches for new “mature” friends on internet chat rooms that specialize in ‘older men who love little boys’. After a series of disappointing encounters (for Eric) where his internet “buddies” are accosted by the FBI as soon as he meets them, Eric finally gets the opportunity to join NAMBLA (the North American Man Boy Love Association) as their new poster child. The episode reaches its side-splitting climax with a face off with the other NAMBLA (the North American Marlon Brando Look A-likes) and the pedophiles, and the children trying to escape some very nasty sexual encounters.

5.    Tsst

In our opinion the funniest South Park to date. The episode pokes fun at nanny themed reality shows and overly complacent parents with a story line that will leave you gasping for breath while banging your fists on the ground. In ‘Tsst’ Cartman’s mother desperate to reign in his uncontrollable nature and raise him well, seeks help from a series of reality show nanny’s who fail miserably at the task of controlling him. But Eric is finally dominated, quite literally, by a dog trainer who’s brutal yet hilarious techniques finally crush Eric’s spirit.

4.    The death of Eric Cartman

Eric Cartman finally goes too far in the gangs mind when he steals all the skins from a bucket of KFC chicken that Kyle’s mom buys for the kids. Outraged by Cartman’s selfishness Stan Kyle and Kenny decide to ignore Cartman and the whole school delightedly follow suite. As chance would have it Butters is left unaware of the recent development in South Park elementary and Cartman faced with the whole school ignoring him is led to believe that he is actually dead, and starts a quest with Butters to find out why his soul is not at peace and has not made its way to heaven. It is one of the most hilarious episodes surrounding Cartman.

3.     Gingers

Ginger’s is an episode where writers Parker and Stone take a swipe at Racism, white supremacy and red haired freckled people. Starting with Cartman launching a Cleansing campaign to rid South Park of gingers, who according to him have no souls, is faced with a disastrous situation when Stan and Kyle die his hair red and bleach his skin in his sleep to make him look like a ginger kid. But Cartman being the manipulative and shrewd megalomaniac he is manages to squirm his way out of the situation with a brilliance that is both hilarious and dastardly.

2.     Trapped in the closet

South Park’s outrageously humorous satire at its best. With a hilarious story line involving Tom Cruise, John Travolta and R. Kelly, the writers give audiences their own take on the topic of Scientology. With Scientology introduced as a way to have great fun for free (a jibe at Scientology’s controversial auditing process that actually costs a lot) and a sardonic portrayal of its beliefs, trapped in the closet was the most controversial episode of South Park. The episode also prompted the voice actor of the character Chef, Isaac Hayes who is also a Scientologist to leave the shows cast.

1.    Scott Tenorman Must Die

Without a shard of doubt the most compelling and chilling episode of south park that would define its ethos for the seasons to come. While before the main characters were more naïve than anything and were occupied with more trivial childish pursuits, after this episode they were really freed to do absolutely anything. The dark and absurd plot line of Cartman being conned into buying pubic hair from a sixth grader Scott Tenorman to achieve puberty before his friends, his unsuccessful attempts at getting his money back which result in him being further humiliated and his unceasing efforts to get back at Scott Tenorman, culminate in one of TVs most brutal and astonishing endings. The episode really shows Cartman for the twisted and depraved little monstrosity he really is.