This year, South Park used #cancelsouthpark in its advertising, and with Season 22 wrapping up on Dec. 12, fans may be concerned that it could be the end of their beloved Comedy Central show. But there's no need to worry, since South Park will return for a Season 23 in 2019. No premiere date has been announced, but Trey Parker and Matt Stone are not finished with South Park and that means Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and crew will have a whole new season to mock American culture.
Back in 2015, Comedy Central renewed South Park through 2019. That means that the series will have more than 300 episodes and 23 seasons. The premiere date for Season 23 isn't set yet, but since Season 17, South Park seasons have premiered in the month of September. That cutely coincides with when Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny start the school year, so it's reasonable to think that Comedy Central will continue with that schedule.
After Season 23, the future of South Park is unknown. But it has been a staple of Comedy Central, so it could continue on. And even if South Park doesn't return in the exact form that viewers are used to, there's no way Parker and Stone are done with their brand of humor that mercilessly spoofs society. Due to the current nature of South Park, it's impossible to predict what Parker and Stone will choose to lampoon when Season 23 does premiere. But in honor of the Season 22 finale, here's a recap of some of the topics they tackled in 2018.
School Shootings & Gun Culture
South Park Season 22 kicked off with a brutal reminder that school shootings have become almost an accepted part of society in "Dead Kids" and continued to highlight this devastating fact throughout the season.
Gun violence is particularly significant for the state in which South Park is set since, as CNN reported, two of the deadliest mass shootings in American history occurred in Colorado. (Stone even gave an interview for Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine since he is from Littleton where Columbine High School is located.) So while it's a subject that's impossible to laugh at, you could channel Sharon Marsh's rage at people becoming complacent about school shootings while watching South Park this season.
The Catholic Church & Sexual Abuse
Butters befriended Father Maxi in "A Boy and a Priest" since the boy took pity that he was being mocked for the sexual abuse perpetrated by other Catholic priests. South Park also addressed the Catholic church sexual abuse scandal in "Red Hot Catholic Love" back in Season 6. But after an August 2018 report documented that priests in Pennsylvania allegedly sexually abused more than 1,000 children, the topic is still all too relevant.
Political Correctness
Season 22 may mark the last time viewers will ever see Mr. Hankey because South Park cut ties with the Christmas poo due to his controversial "jokes." Like in seasons past, South Park didn't nail its criticism of political correctness, but "The Problem With A Poo" rightfully took shots at Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Roseanne Barr, and The Simpsons too.
Political correctness is also addressed by the quintuplets that PC Principal and Vice Principal Strong Woman have together. The PC babies cry whenever anything that's not politically correct is said or happens.
Vaping
In "Tegridy Farms," Butters and Cartman sold vape pens and flavors to the kids of South Park Elementary — including the kindergartners! — focusing on how these products are unsafely appealing to minors. The act of vaping outraged Randy since vaping isn't pure and he started his own cannabis farm to prove his integrity. (Which means the show also got to mock the legalization of marijuana in Colorado.) The episode brought back two excellent characters, Ike Broflovski and Towelie, as well, so "Tegridy Farms" really had it all.
E-Scooters
Are you living in a city where e-scooters have seemingly taken over the streets? Well then, the Halloween-themed episode, "The Scoots," probably really spoke to you as Mr. Mackey and Kenny tried to rid South Park of these mysterious and menacing vehicles.
Climate Change Deniers
Al Gore and his mythical ManBearPig returned for a two-part episode that targeted climate change deniers. The episodes came a couple weeks after President Donald Trump doubted (again) the existence of climate change and humans' involvement. Even as the ManBearPig tore apart the town of South Park, people still refused to believe in the creature, but Stan, Cartman, Kyle, and Kenny finally believed the warnings of the former vice president.
The real Al Gore told the audience of The Daily Show in November 2018 that he thought the new ManBearPig episodes were "a hell of a statement by South Park and I appreciated it a lot."
Cell Phone Dependency
Everyone loves quality time with their cell phones, but Cartman took it to another level with "Buddha Box." This zen-inducing cardboard box allows you to only pay attention to your cell phone and ignore the outside world. While you might not have agreed with the portrayal of anxiety, people's fixation with their cell phones is very real.
Amazon & Jeff Bezos
South Park ends its Season 22 with a two-parter that takes aim at Amazon and Jeff Bezos. The portrayal of the dominating force of Amazon (Amazon beer!), the dilapidation of the American mall (mall creatures!), and Bezos' Star Trek-like look and telepathy powers comes complete with a song about Amazon's fulfillment center leaving people unfulfilled. So the first part was bound to have you laughing all while feeling a guilty for using Amazon this holiday season.
What will become of the kids' bike parade and the Amazon fulfillment center in South Park will be revealed in the season finale on Dec. 12. And after that, take comfort knowing that there will be at least one more season of South Park that will mock nearly every aspect of our current cultural climate.
