This is the production blog, where you can find notes from the Executive Producer, and the Production Assistant on duty the night before the show airs.
Newest Entry in the Production Blog
Kenny Lane, Production Assistant
Welcome back, South Park aficionados!
It's that time of year again. The new season of South Park is upon us, and I for one, couldn't be happier. Not only are the new episodes going to be great, but I am so happy to have a job right now. That makes me part of the exclusive club of 2% of Americans to be currently working. I'm not sure if my numbers are correct, but that's my guesstimation.
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night's episode, entitled "The Ring". It concerns what happens to Kenny when he takes his new girlfriend to a Jonas Brothers concert .
This episode is special to me because I think it is actually based on my life. In case you don't know, my name is Kenny. This makes for hilarious banter when I introduce myself at a party and someone asks where I work-
"What did you say your name was?.?"
"Kenny"
"?.and where did you say you work?"
"South Park"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago my girlfriend begged me to take her to the new Jonas Brothers 3-D movie that was in theatres. I said "Sure, absolutely. Who are the Jonas Brothers?" She said "They're like Dave Mathews meets the Rolling Stones crossed with a little bit of the Beatles". "Sold" I said.
The following Monday, Trey asked me what I did over the weekend and I told him all about it. He must have thought it would be a great idea for a show. So there you have it, ripped from my life and brought to you via the magic of television??
Just kidding, Trey never asks me about my weekends.
Okay, enough with the tomfoolery. All the departments here at South Park Studios are about to put in our weekly round the clock workday to bring you a great episode, and I must be getting back to business.
Thanks for checking in, and stay tuned for updates throughout the season.
Production Blog Entry for 03/17/2009
Nathan Chaffetz, Production Assistant
Dearest South Park fans,
This is my first Tuesday night at South Park. I'll be staying up all night helping our crew work on Episode 1302, "The Coon." I could not be more excited. It was not long ago that I would pull all-nighters studying for microeconomics exams. Now I'm getting paid overtime to stay up all night and work on an episode of South Park. Who's laughing now, Professor Herrera?
However, when I explain my job to outsiders (mainly my buddies who make 70 K + a year working for failing investment banks) they laugh at me. They call me a "coffee bitch." The truth is, they are correct. I am a coffee bitch; but at least I work for a viable TV show. Thanks to the insolvency of the very companies that pay inexperienced frat bros 70 K + a year to play with Excel all day long, our economy is ruined. People are depressed. They need a distraction from their miserable lives. They need South Park.
The coffee I brew every morning, as seemingly trivial as it might be to outsiders, does help bring South Park to the public. Furthermore, bleak economic forecasting suggests a continuing demand for South Park. Therefore, unless I mess up the coffee (or the toner?again,) I have some degree of job security. Whereas my banker buddies are likely to be unemployed shortly when their crappy employers downsize again.
If you think I'm just trying to talk myself up, then I say, "Screw you guys, I'm going home?.when the supervising producer lets me sometime tomorrow morning."
?I have a long ladder to climb, but at least my first rung is at South Park, not "Citi"Bank (Think: Mr. Liu Kim)
Newest Entry in the Production Blog
David Madson, Production Assistant
HEART OF TUESDAY NIGHT DARKNESS
The 24th of March, 2009
Day fifty-two here at South Park Studios. Damn it's hot. We have now traveled deep into the heart of Season Thirteen and there is no turning back. We have suffered no losses but I can see my comrades are tired and will be in need of coffee soon. Coffee I will have to make. Up ahead in the distance I can see the faint outline of a finished episode. It'll be a good one. It is not completely clear yet but my hunter instincts tell me the episode deals with Randy showing South Park how to live in this financially troubled era of ours.
If we continue on our present course we'll reach it by tomorrow. Tomorrow at 10pm Eastern Time. *cough cough* Excuse me. I need a glass of water.
Water's good. Beer would be better.
The darkness is closing in now. Soon it will be night and later it will be morning. I begin to hear the restless groans and stretching of animators, story artists, producers and editors. They'll be up all night...just like they are every Tuesday night. They are making the show and I will be here with them. Moving fast and silently among them, causing no disturbance. One false move and I'll have to buy them snacks. Lots of snacks. About one hundred and fifty dollars worth.
I have to go now. Danger lurks on every side. Everyone watch out for tomorrow's episode. If it airs, it means I made it and will speak with you again in about three weeks.
Sincerely
Joseph "David Madson" Conrad
Production Blog for March 31, 2009
Steve Rippin, Production Assistant
Hey guys,
Happy March 31st!
PA Steve here to keep you updated on all things South Park. I don't want to give anything away about tomorrow night's episode so, I won't. Take that!
Instead, I want to tell you an epic tale of terror and amazement. Our story begins?
In last weeks episode Stan had a hard time returning Randy's Margaritaville machine. Now, most people think South Park is a cartoon and the material things and characters in the show are pure imagination. Well folks, I'm here to tell you you're wrong. The other day I went into the writer's room and there it was, gleaming with margarita making goodness THE Margaritaville?.. magically un-smashed and intact.
I picked it up and held it like you'd hold a baby with a "shaved ice" switch. After the choirs and angelic lights ceased to gleam down upon me I decided that I, Steve the PA, must steal the office Margaritaville and set it free.
I wouldn't be able to do it alone so I enlisted the help of a couple friends you might recognize. PA Kenny "Cartman Head" Lane and PA David "Satan Head" Madson (shown below).
Together we fought off all those who cruelly held such an innocent Margaritaville captive. Our quest to bring freedom to this innocent shaver of ice mixer brought us to Matt and Trey's heavily guarded offices. After realizing they weren't so heavily guarded we eluded both Matt and Trey. My arch nemesis PA Lord Chaffington The Fire Helmet was the only one who had the power to stop me now. In epic movie battle form we proceeded to head-butt each other across the entire office. It was a battle hard fought (shown below).
At the end of the hard fought battle (shown above) I was forced to utilize a cheap eye poke shot. Luckily his eye poke deflector was down at the time and I hit the target successfully with my pointer followed by my pinky finger. Left blind in one eye and partially blind in another, PA Lord Chaffington the Fire Helmet was forced to surrender the Margaritaville to me!
As Kenny "Cartman Head" Lane and David "Satan Head" Madson escorted me into the Rockies over looking our little Mountain town. As the sole protector of all things Margaritaville, I looked back on today's events here at South Park and thought to myself how lucky I am to be awake and alive.
And as I set the Margaritaville free...
I remembered I'm going to be up all night helping finish this weeks episode which, I promise, will not disappoint!!!
(No Margaritavilles were harmed in the telling of this tale)
Love,
PA Steve
Production Blog Entry for 04/07/2009
Nathan Chaffetz, Production Assistant
Episode 1305 is only hours away from its premiere. This is the fifth week of our seven week run. We may be a bit tired in the office, but that won't prevent another great episode of South Park from being produced. Be excited.
But what is it about South Park that gives it so much depth? I would argue that it's the combination of humor and socio-political commentary that makes South Park such a valuable part of American Culture. Not everyone would agree.
My grandmother believes that South Park consists entirely of toilet humor. However, Matt and Trey are one step ahead of her. Their creation of Terrance and Phillip, perhaps in defiance of more conservative viewers like my grandmother, underscores what a show with just "fart jokes" really would be like and contrasts with the nuanced themes written in to South Park episodes.
My grandmother is almost 90. She has lived through the depression , WWII, The Korean War, Vietnam, the Assassination of JFK, Watergate, and Michael Bay's entire career. She has seen true evil in this world and continues to live. Yet, she would (I pray she has never actually watched this) balk at the cartoon image of Martha Stewart "queefing" sparkles and ribbons from last week's episode. It is this sort of obtuseness that has prevented so many people from seeing South Park as not only an hysterical cartoon, but also an intellectual dialogue on many social and political issues during it's thirteen year long run.
That being said, the subject of toilets, if not toilet humor, has dominated the South Park office for some time now. After a few weeks of poor toilet etiquette, a sewer line broke; As a result, a certain PA had to mop up fecal water in the South Park HD Studio bathroom. That may not be as glamorous as recording back round voices for a show late Tuesday night, but shit needs to be taken care of.
That's exactly the attitude the South Park office has, which is why you, the viewer, will get a timely, hilarious, and insightful episode tomorrow night - and perhaps a fart joke or two. But, farts are funny. Sorry Grandma, it's true.
-Nathan R. Chaffetz, Production Assistant
P.S. We had lunch from a certain upscale China bistro today, so maybe we are full of shit after all.
Production Blog Entry for 04/14/2009
Steve Rippin, Production Assistant
Welcome one and all to week six of Season 13. It is true we are tired. It is true we only have two more episodes to share with you until the fall. It is true I like Baby Blues BBQ (which we had for dinner). It is true that the Easter Bunny is real. He came to South Park and delivered candy apples and oddly Season 12 on DVD.
People often call up and ask what we do with our time when we work on holidays such as Easter. South Park town shuts down for no one! NO ONE! Not even Jesus! This Easter, while working, I had the privilege to interview someone very special here at South Park?PA Kenny. The transcription is as follows via good ole' fashion G-chat:
Steve: So Kenny, happy Easter.
Kenny: Happy zombie Jesus day to you sir.
Steve: Where you from?
Kenny: Milwaukee
Steve: Oh, I'm sorry! Moving on. -Audience laughs-
Kenny: So what's the scoop on the episode this week?
Steve: Well honestly I'm very pumped because I once raced a pinewood derby car.
Kenny: I love pinewood derby cars!!!! They're my third favorite derby car!
Kenny: How was it coming in to work on Easter?
Steve: It was weird considering I've never worked on Easter... wait aren't I the one interviewing you?
Kenny: Well, what made you want to interview me?
Steve: Frankly I'm fascinated by the way you answer phones and your food choices are terrific. How do you go about selecting the crew's snacks?
Kenny: Why thank you! You're no slouch yourself! Well, I think about what I want to eat, and then I consider how much money I can spend on the stuff that I want, then if I have any money left over I try to buy snacks for the rest of the crew.
Steve: Ok. Fair enough. What's your favorite color?
Kenny: So basically if I get $100 to buy snacks with, I spend $98 dollars on Lean Pockets and $2 on fruit and veggies. Orange.
Steve: Delicious and healthy!
Steve: This was a weird interview. I'm not exactly sure why we just did that.
Kenny: Well Steve, great question!
Steve: What?
Kenny: What's your favorite thing about working at South Park?
Steve: The interviews over.
Kenny: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT WORKING AT SOUTH PARK?
Steve: I guess it's the free food and the millions of fans that ask for my autograph.
Kenny: Nice?no one asks for your autograph do they?
Steve: Kenny?
Kenny: Ok fine.
Steve: Good.
Kenny: one more thing?
Steve: No.
Yes, I agree that was weird. I also agree it was possibly a bit pointless, but I wanted to give the faithful blog readers some insight as to what we do with the little down time we have here.
PS? a congratulatory mention in next weeks blog to the person who pokes Nathan Chaffetz (PA Nate) the most this week on the Facebook. If you have to friend him first, do it! Please be relentless in your poking 17 to 15 times a day is suitable. And also a mention for the person who has the weirdest hometown name (I have no idea why I wrote that but I am curious.) Enjoy this week's show?
DOUBLE PS: If you race pinewood derby cars let me know!!! I will kick your asses!!
Love and Hugs and ?
PA Steve
Production Blog Entry for Season 13 Mid-Season Finale
David Madson, Production Assistant
In 1968 Paul Anka rewrote the lyrics to Claude François' "Comme d'habitude," into the song "My Way" for Frank Sinatra. The song "My Way" had many reincarnations including renditions by Elvis Presley and Sid Vicious.
We here at South Park felt that this week's episode 1307, the last episode of the first half of season thirteen, was especially special and deserved a tribute.
Sparing no expense we brought Paul Anka in to rewrite the lyrics once more changing the song from "My Way" to "Wednesday." Unfortunately Sid Vicious was unavailable for a recording session, and by unavailable I mean uninterested and by uninterested I mean dead by heroin. Here are those Paul Anka lyrics.
And now the end is near
As we reach our last spring show
To all the fans, we hold so dear
We promise that the jokes will not blow
We've worked, such crazy hours
On what's new by Matt and Trey
And now we'll be, up all night
To air it Wednesday
Six weeks we've enjoyed
The Jonas Brothers rings of purity
The Coon became annoyed
With Mysterion and his own obscurity
We now know, queefing is cool
And rappers can be fish sooo gay
Never break Pinewood Derby rules
We learned last Wednesday
Tomorrow night
We'll watch Cartman,
Run away
With a few friends,
They'll try to live the pirate way
For right now that's all I'll say
So from the crew
We hope that you
Enjoy this Wednesday
