Warning: Spoilers ahead for South Park season 26, episode 2.
Although South Park’s intense topicality can sometimes be a problem for the series, season 26, episode 2 did a good job of both conceding and mocking this issue. South Park has a unique production process that is unlike any other animated television show’s creation. As chronicled in the fascinating 2011 documentary 5 Days To Air, every episode of South Park is written, performed, directed, and animated from scratch in the five days before the outing airs. As a result, South Park is uniquely able to satirize current events as they unfold in a way that no other animated show can.
In the show’s 321 episodes, only one South Park episode aired late (and even that instance was due to a power cut at the studios that could hardly be blamed on the show’s creators). However, South Park can’t possibly parody every news story as it occurs, so the show always has to ignore some events to focus on others. This results in South Park sometimes missing out on the chance to mock major news stories when the show is busy directing its focus elsewhere. This problem is exacerbated considerably by the lengthy gaps between the show’s seasons, with South Park only airing for a few weeks every year.
Kyle’s Fight With Ike Highlights A South Park Problem
When a huge news event happens in between seasons of South Park, the creators often feel the need to address it despite how long it has been. South Park season 26 fixed this problem when as Kyle pointed out that the issue is unavoidable in one outing. In the opening scenes of South Park season 26, episode 2, “The Worldwide Privacy Tour,” Kyle repeatedly demanded that his little brother Ike stop re-watching the Queen of Canada’s funeral since “It’s been like, 4 months!” Kyle’s demands went unheard by Ike, but the line did effectively inform South Park viewers that the show’s creators knew Queen Elizabeth’s death was no longer topical as of February 2023.
The creators of South Park evidently wanted to address the death of the Queen, one of 2022’s biggest news stories. However, there was no way to justify a character bringing up the event without acknowledging how long ago it occurred. Like South Park season 26’s surprisingly smart Kanye West episode, “The Worldwide Privacy Tour” skirted around this issue by openly admitting that the story was no longer relevant from the outset. From thereon out, the episode focused its satirical ire on Meghan Markle and (to a lesser extent) Prince Harry, which allowed South Park season 26 to avoid feeling too irrelevant and outdated.
South Park’s Shorter Seasons Make An Old Problem Worse
South Park's shorter seasons (which run around four to six episodes rather than the usual ten to fifteen) mean that the show is now on the air for less time than ever before. This, in turn, means that more big stories (such as Kanye West’s breakdown or the Queen’s death) take place while South Park is between outings. As a result, South Park season 26 changed the show’s approach slightly by focusing less on specific events and more on their larger impact on the cultural landscape. The Queen’s death was mentioned as part of a larger story about the PR industry and its toxic influence, allowing South Park to spoof the event without dating itself.