Trey Parker

Occasionally a TV show insinuates itself into popular culture shortly after its premiere, lending itself to parody and punchlines and giving the world catchphrases. Such was the case with "South Park" (Comedy Central, 1997- ), a crude and crudely animated series about four foul-mouthed third-graders in a fictional Colorado town. From its debut, "South Park" courted controversy and was variously described as "'Peanuts' on acid" and "a cartoon from hell." The substandard animation utilizing construction paper cut-outs masked the subversive comedy at the heart of the show. Nothing and no one was sacred; the show took demented glee in being politically incorrect as well as skewering cultural icons (like Barbra Streisand and David Caruso). The series was an offshoot of a short film made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, "The Spirit of Christmas," which features a confrontation between Santa Claus and Jesus Christ over the holiday's true meaning. The pair also collaborated on the irreverent feature "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" (1999).