South Park spent years as one of Comedy Central's most critically acclaimed and commercially successful products. The franchise is still going strong after over two decades of irreverent lampooning of cultural institutions and downright raunchy humor. As of late, the show has left its original home on Comedy Central and announced that South Park: The Streaming Wars would be released on Paramount+.
South Park: The Streaming Wars specials are hilarious hour-long episodes that, likely inspired by the series' own recent change of hosting service, seek to parody the rapidly expanding collection of streaming services available to modern-day media consumers. In the specials (and, unfortunately, in real life), Colorado begins to experience a crippling drought, and the folks who happen to own South Park's bountiful water supply compete to sell water rights to the increasingly thirsty population of surrounding cities.
The Streaming Wars are yet another example of series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone's brilliantly comedic minds. The duo serves as a much-needed reminder of just how ridiculous things have become in modern society while still having the same off-color humorous elements that have come to characterize the series. Here are some of the funniest moments from the new episodes of South Park: The Streaming Wars.
Cartman's Surprising Body Modification 
Since the show's inception, one of the most beloved characters has been Eric Cartman, a chubby boy who his friends detest for his liberal use of offensive insults. At times, Cartman is a manipulative genius, using his sociopathic energy to get exactly what he wants from those around him. However, when the character is on the receiving end of the joke, his anger can be one of the funniest facets of South Park.
In the Streaming Wars specials, Cartman undergoes a rather startling transformation. When a wealthy man moves across the street from the former hot dog stand Cartman and his mother moved into, Cartman decides that his best chance at a privileged life is to have his mother seduce said businessman. He believes the best way to accomplish this goal is to get his mother breast enlargement surgery. When she refuses, he spitefully opts to get the surgery himself, which makes for a hilarious sight gag.
Randy Marsh Transforming Into a 'Karen'
In recent years, the name Karen has taken on a negative life of its own. It has become a derogatory term for a busybody who becomes overly concerned with the actions of others. The South Park: The Streaming Wars specials see the always hilarious Randy Marsh, the father of one of the series' main characters, turn into a total Karen.
Complete with a short haircut, which has come to be characterized with the Karen moniker, Randy goes on a global rampage. He terrifies the planet with his insistence on speaking with the manager and a sassy distaste for even the most mundane goings-on.
The Castigation of Cryptocurrency-Hocking Celebrities
Since South Park's initial debut almost two decades ago, no one has been safe from the scorn of Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The duo is particularly harsh on celebrities. In South Park: The Streaming Wars specials, they turn their comedic chops on a handful of stars who have been public spokespeople for cryptocurrency.
When Colorado runs out of water due to the titular streaming wars, a nefarious water park owner named Pi-Pi seizes upon the crisis to advance his unsavory plan of converting water usage in the state over to another liquid: urine. Pi-Pi employs a group of celebrity spokespeople to help sell potable pee to a disgusted population. Some of the featured celebrities are Matt Damon, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Larry David, all of whom have publicly supported cryptocurrency.
The characters repeatedly utter a phrase that Matt Damon used in a crypto ad, "Fortune favors the bold." Though, at a time, cryptocurrency had the potential to be a lucrative investment, the market has taken a massive dip of late, and South Park's creators clearly take issue with high-profile celebrities hocking the unstable product to the masses.
Despite the constantly evolving comedic tastes of contemporary audiences, South Park has remained an unapologetic exercise in political incorrectness. South Park: The Streaming Wars is a two-part masterclass in parody, and no one is safe from the scorn of Trey Parker in Matt Stone. It is unclear what the show's creators will choose to lampoon in future episodes of the series. Nevertheless, South Park has been renewed through 2027, and fans of the series can rest assured that it will continue to make light of these increasingly turbulent times.
Both of the South Park: The Streaming Wars episodes are currently available to be streamed on Paramount+.