“South Park” fans went ballistic — in a good way — over Wednesday night’s typically topical (and randy) episode, “South Park: Not Suitable for Children,” on Paramount+.
It lampooned the online service OnlyFans and how people are so susceptible to influencers — particularly children — and to online pornography.
The episode’s logline read: “After it’s discovered that a teacher at South Park Elementary has an OnlyFans page, Randy is compelled to take a closer look at the seedy underbelly of the world of online influencers,” including peddlers of energy drinks, with a satiric nod to celebrity influencer Logan Paul and his KSI energy drink.
It’s a not-so-veiled reference to real-life OnlyFans creators who are also teachers and who’ve been pressured to quit their day jobs once their online activities are discovered.
“South Park” parents were infuriated by Randy’s discovery, shouting “This isn’t just softcore porn we’re talking about here! We’re talking about someone who influences our children!”
“If you’ve seen how some really kids want Prime [energy drink], you might feel a little different,” one commenter wrote on the show’s Reddit thread. “My friend’s kindergarten age kid begs for them all the time.”
“I love it when [series creators] Matt [Stone] and Trey [Parker] take a hard stance, or when an episode makes me reflect on the state of our society,” another fan chimed in. “They don’t assert their opinions forcefully very often, but when they do, it’s pretty great.”
Other viewers pointed out the episode’s graphic content.
“Spoiler. It’s pretty much all penises,” commented a fan.
The series is well-known for its biting commentary on celebrity culture, including a 2020 episode mocking the pandemic, and episodes ripping Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and, in 2005, up-and-coming superstar Ed Sheeran.
Last March, the series, which is in its 26th season, made even more headlines when it revealed the face of Kenny, the character who’s killed off in nearly every episode and, before that, a 2021 episode in which it killed off its grown-up characters.
Most “South Park” episodes originate on Comedy Central — unless they’re showing content of a graphic nature a la the “Not Suitable for Children” episode.
It’s been renewed through at least 2027 — so it’s not going anywhere.