South Park: A Character Analysis

When South Park first came on to television, my aunt declared that my cousins were not allowed to watch "such foul-mouthed garbage." That phrase didn't stop me from sneaking a tape of the show into their hands, then making them watch as Cartman produced a satellite dish from his rectum and Kyle cursed and swore at a group of aliens. My Aunt, however, walked in and nearly chopped my head off for showing her 17 and 15 year old children the "Great Satan" known as South Park.

Since the first episode, South Park has evolved, and gotten funnier. And more socio-critical, addressing such problems as job loss, conspiracy theories, the power of myth, and environmental problems (just to name a few). The main focus, however, doesn't lie in the situation that the boys are put into, but rather, how the boys react to the situation. And, as many of South Park's fans have noticed, the boys don't always agree on how to react.

For a better understanding of why they react the way they do, lets take a look at the characters themselves.

Stan
Stan Marsh is your typical little boy. He's basically the everyday man. The common, open-minded populous of America. And thats just what he represents. He's a good little Christian boy that everyone can relate with. And, he always hangs out with his best friend....

Kyle
Kyle Broflovski is extremely similar to Stan, except he's Jewish. While his viewpoint and, sometimes, gullibility, differ from Stan's, they are essentially the same person. Kyle's character is used to represent half of the United States population - essentially the "minority," since Kyle is Jewish in a predominately Christian area of Colorado. He tends to lean more towards the left side of political and social issues. As opposed to....