South Park and The Homeless (Denver, Littleton: high school, live, bars)

[Beenhere4ever]

Just watched the hilarious episode about homeless people flooding into South Park. I think of it whenever someone approaches me for change. Not being Coloradan, it makes me wonder if there is any suburb or small town that is the basis for South Park (yeh, I know it must have been asked at some time or times in the history of the show). Somehow I think that episode is based on people the producers meet in or around LA. And maybe they are just creating a caricature of what they think people are like in Colorado.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

Just watched the hilarious episode about homeless people flooding into South Park. I think of it whenever someone approaches me for change. Not being Coloradan, it makes me wonder if there is any suburb or small town that is the basis for South Park (yeh, I know it must have been asked at some time or times in the history of the show). Somehow I think that episode is based on people the producers meet in or around LA. And maybe they are just creating a caricature of what they think people are like in Colorado.

South Park is a large open high-altitude valley (open valleys in the Rockies were referred to as "parks" by early residents) in the South Platte basin--the major town there is Fairplay, which is around 1,000 people.

The creators of the South Park TV series grew up in Evergreen, a mountain suburb of Denver. People who I know who went to high school with the South Park creators in Evergreen tell me that most of the kids in the cartoon are based on composite characters of the creators' schoolmates in Evergreen. Same with many of the adults--based on people the creators knew when growing up.

[Prodigal Native]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

South Park is a large open high-altitude valley (open valleys in the Rockies were referred to as "parks" by early residents) in the South Platte basin--the major town there is Fairplay, which is around 1,000 people.

The creators of the South Park TV series grew up in Evergreen, a mountain suburb of Denver. People who I know who went to high school with the South Park creators in Evergreen tell me that most of the kids in the cartoon are based on composite characters of the creators' schoolmates in Evergreen. Same with many of the adults--based on people the creators knew when growing up.

The creators have also said that growing up it seemed like any time they heard about something weird happening, it always seemed to have happened in South Park.

[Idunn]

Visit Fairplay, and head to the intersection of 4th Street and Front Street, one block off Main Street.

Take a camera.

[strawberrykiki]

I had no idea before I moved here how many things in South Park are real. Like Casa Bonita!

[Beenhere4ever]

Number 1, I love Eric Cartman! He is delightfully loathsome. Second, there is City Walk. I like to imitate him hassling with the Sushi guy. How many TV shows would put the friction among Asians right out there. The undercurrent of hostility between Japan and China has been papered over in the name of money. Must have been interesting during the War when Japanese were rounded up and Chinese got to watch. After all, the Nationalists were our allies.

Anyway, the episodes are so offensive and outrageous. I'm sure they are cable TV's biggest fans since broadcast TV wouldn't have gotten within thousands of miles of their content. I never looked up the creators, but it is even more fun if they grew up there.

[MadeItToColorado]

Change!?

[delta07]

I lived in Fairplay for almost 4 years, and I can tell you, many of the characters were based on people in that town. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators, were often spotted sitting in the few choice bars in town, scouting out characters. I actually ran into Matt Stone once at the local pizza joint in town.

[Beenhere4ever]

Makes me want to visit to see if I can detect any of the inspiration. But then it might make the satire less cutting,so I'd best leave it alone. By the way, I loved two episodes where someone tried to "reform" Cartman. The dog whisperer, who really tapped into Cartman's anger management problems. And then the one where a v-chip was implanted and every time he uttered a profanity he got a major electrical jolt. Lord, I'm lucky I didn't die both times.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

South Park is a large open high-altitude valley (open valleys in the Rockies were referred to as "parks" by early residents) in the South Platte basin--the major town there is Fairplay, which is around 1,000 people.

The creators of the South Park TV series grew up in Evergreen, a mountain suburb of Denver. People who I know who went to high school with the South Park creators in Evergreen tell me that most of the kids in the cartoon are based on composite characters of the creators' schoolmates in Evergreen. Same with many of the adults--based on people the creators knew when growing up.

Actually, only Trey Parker went to high school in Evergreen. Matt Stone, went to school in Littleton.