“A witless offering,” slammed The Hollywood Reporter. “If only the kids’ jokes were as fresh as their mouths,” Entertainment Weekly remarked. “A general air of malicious unpleasantness,” blasted The Washington Post. The scathing response to its opening episode in August 1997 suggested South Park wouldn’t make it past a single season, let alone still be churning out episodes at 25. And yet, this month, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker will appear alongside the likes of Ween and Primus for a concert celebrating the cartoon’s silver anniversary.
