For over 25 years, South Park has delivered some of the most biting and profane satire on television, but behind the chaos lies a surprisingly disciplined creative process. The masterminds behind the phenomenon, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have revealed the one strict rule that governs the writing of every single episode.
The 'Therefore' or 'But' Principle
Back in 2017, during a visit to New York's Tisch School of the Arts, the duo pulled back the curtain on their unique methodology. Parker explained that their entire writers' room features a massive whiteboard, split into three acts, where they map out scenes with markers. The fundamental rule they discovered is deceptively simple.
'Each individual scene has to work as a funny sketch, and we found this really simple rule,' Parker stated. 'We can take these beats of your outline, and if the words, 'And Then' belong between those beats, then you're f***ed.'
He elaborated that the correct connective tissue between story beats must be either 'therefore' or 'but'. This ensures that each event logically follows from or is complicated by the previous one, creating a propulsive and coherent narrative rather than a series of random events.
'So what I'm saying is, you come up with an idea and THEN this happens. No no no, it should be 'this happens' and 'therefore, this happens.' BUT 'this happens' therefore 'this happens',' Parker clarified. The team sometimes literally writes these words out to ensure their scripts adhere to this foundational principle, a rule they say is often broken by new writers.
Voicing the Chaos and Shifting Satire
Beyond their writing duties, Parker and Stone provide the voices for the show's four central boys. Parker, now 56, voices Stan Marsh and Eric Cartman, while Stone, 54, brings Kyle Broflovski and Kenny McCormick to life.
The pair also recently explained their notable pivot to directly satirising figures like Donald Trump after a decade of avoidance. Speaking to The New York Times, Parker argued that the show didn't become more political; rather, 'politics became pop culture'. Stone added that they are naturally drawn to taboos, stating, 'Oh, that's where the taboo is? Over there? Okay, then we're over there.'
Recent Production Hiccups
This disciplined writing process doesn't make them immune to last-minute production challenges. Earlier this year, the team was forced to delay an episode following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who had been lampooned in a previous episode.
In a characteristically candid statement, they admitted, 'Apparently when you do everything at the last minute sometimes you don't get it done. This one's on us. We didn't get it done in time.' They thanked Comedy Central and their fans for their understanding.
Since its debut in 1997, South Park has produced over 350 episodes, proving that a firm structural rule can be the perfect container for anarchic comedy. The 'therefore/but' principle remains the invisible engine driving the outrageous adventures in the fictional Colorado town.
