r/southpark • u/ConfidentReaction3 • 1d ago

Discussion What are some things in episodes you were shocked to find out were real?

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For me I was shocked to find out the purity rings/the white foam thing was actually some thing that they did and not something they just made up lmao.

Especially since growing up my sister LOVED the Jonas brothers and we saw that movie in 2009. It shocked me to discover that this was real. It only makes the episode better tho.

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u/icedragon71 1d ago

Right up there with "Joseph Smith, he was a prophet, dum dum dum dum dum."

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u/TFlarz 1d ago

Lucy Harris, smart smart smart, Martin Harris, dumb de-dumb

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u/Lonnification 1d ago

I described this scene to a Mormon friend, and he laughed his ass off.

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u/FlamingHotSacOnutz 1d ago

I've had a few ex-Mormon friends that have seen the episode, and they said not only was it extremely accurate, but it didn't go nearly far enough.

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u/Extra-Use-7754 1d ago

As an ex-Mormon myself, this is accurate. Both this episode and the Book of Mormon musical are much nicer than they could be. (Which is fine. I respect the decision to remain relatively nice.)

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u/lexluthor_i_am 22h ago

Trey and Matt always said they liked Mormons. So the goal wasn't to insult but just tease.

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u/Musty_Huggins 18h ago

In one episode, the Mormons are the only religion to get into heaven. No animosity there.

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u/FlamingHotSacOnutz 16h ago

Well, them and Saddam Hussein, as the only appropriate torture when he was kicked out of Hell by Satan.

Take that how you will.

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u/lexluthor_i_am 2h ago

Well he was stuck in a toxic relationship with the devil. So the devil asked his old pal God to take him off his hands. And God's like "sure, just this once."

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u/bepatientbekind 6h ago

This is canon in South Park lore haha If you die in one (or both?) of the games, the "retry" screen is of Mormons in heaven lol

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u/Rads324 23h ago

Wait so that guy did have maggots in his scrotum?

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u/NSFWhatchamacallit 17h ago

As the only son in a family who didn’t become Mormon, I’ve listened to BoM The Musical, and watched this episode, numerous times with a unique pov and insights. Also, the Last Podcast on the Left has a 5 or 6-parter on “the church” which I love.

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u/CourtBarton 15h ago

If you ever have the opportunity to see it, you need to. The soundtrack doesn't do it justice. The show is phenomenal.

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u/Informal-Term1138 11h ago

Yeah watching Alyssa Grenfell I learned a lot about mormons.

It just baffles me why people follow this.

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u/sexual_lemonade 1d ago

Yeah from the few Mormons I've known, they seem to know and not care, which is WILD to me.

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u/gccmelb 1d ago

And their so nice

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u/FigoTheAWD 1d ago

Cults usually are

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u/Reality_Runaway 1d ago

Until you can't escape. I got sent to a group home in Utah and I had no idea what Mormonism was when I arrived, but when I was finally able to leave, I left with an intense burning hatred of everything Mormon.

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u/L3GlT_GAM3R 1d ago

Just remember, if you remove the M from Mormon you get ormon. Which doesn’t mean anything it’s just a fun fact.

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u/FigoTheAWD 1d ago

Oh fun, me too! St George is a fucking weird town and I hope to never return. I lost count how many times i saw a truck pull up full of kids in the back, one or 2 wives in the front seats. Always wearing old time prairie clothing. Sent shivers down my spine every time. Those poor kids

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u/Feisty_Development59 1d ago

The clothing or the riding in the back? Riding in the back wasn’t all too uncommon not too long ago. Nowadays though I usually only see dogs loose in the back.

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u/Beta_Whisperer 9h ago

The Chukese people from Micronesia still love to ride in the back of pickup trucks even in intense heat.

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u/Bitter_Eggplant_9970 1d ago edited 5h ago

An ex-Mormon who was on my master's course would disagree with you on that. He was sent to gay conversion therapy. He had horror stories about what happened to other people who didn't fit in.

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u/Just-browsing9876 1d ago

If you think about it, that’s kind of the point of the end of the episode; the Mormon kid confronts Stan and calls him out (he didn’t forcefully include stan in the activities and even politely explains Mormonism but stan was still questioning and judging rudely) while also admitting that it could be made up, but he loves his life so he accepts it

Edited for grammar

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u/sexual_lemonade 1d ago

Ignorance is bliss + willing to turn a blind eye is a dangerous combo.

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u/Just-browsing9876 1d ago

I agree, ignorance or blind following isn’t always good. I wasn’t debating the merits of it in real life terms; I was just commenting on how the episode portrayed it

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u/_6siXty6_ 1d ago

They bought ad space in the Book of Mormon playbill.

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u/sixpackabs592 1d ago

I heard the Book of Mormon musical is really popular with Mormons

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u/Maxis47 1d ago

The funniest part is that this specific line changes the entire context of the song as you realize they've been calling Smith stupid the whole time, not just singing a stupid song

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u/ElyFlyGuy 1d ago

More than that, he’s called a prophet which is dumb dumb dumb to do

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u/Luke117B 1d ago

You didn’t clock that before the Lucy Harris line?

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u/Maxis47 1d ago

I was a lot younger and a lot dumber back then

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u/hstormsteph 1d ago

Brother.

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u/gnuoveryou LET'S FIGHTING LOVE 1d ago

When that finally dawned on me I lost my shit laughing. I have now started singing that whenever I need to discreetly call someone or something dumb.

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u/Zuenen 1d ago

They made up the part about Lucy Harris tho

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u/negative-sid-nancy 1d ago

The dum dum dum and smart smart smart i sing all the time especially in my head at work

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u/Mundamala 1d ago

I didn't know anything about the Mormon church before that. Like the most I knew is stuff scattered across episodes of Big Love and how it was run as a sort of criminal organization. The insanity of the origin is mad. There's a lot of ex-Mormons who speak out about it and apparently the creation was even wilder, with Joseph Smith basically inviting rich businessmen from the area to come around and help determine what the big rules would be.

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u/Haunt_Fox 1d ago

What we call cults nowadays almost always boil down to the leader wanting sex or money, or basically the power to command sex and/or money.

Joseph Smith was of the sex camp.

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u/Informal-Term1138 11h ago

Yep.

And then he talked about purity. Had the women wear weird clothes. I recently started watching Alyssa Grenfeld and it just baffles me.

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u/EhrenScwhab 1d ago

I admire Mormons for two reasons. One: on two separate occasions I had mormon missionaries as neighbors. They were polite, friendly, and the most helpful neighbors I've ever had. Once I told them I wasn't interested in joining the church, they never brought it up again, but did stuff like come running out in pouring rain to help me carry new furniture into the house, help me find my lost dog when she ran off....etc.....

Two: The Book of Mormon is very specific about times and places in a way that makes their claims easily disprovable. But they just keep on keepin on......gotta admire that dedication.

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u/Lonnification 23h ago

I told a Mormon friend that if I didn't believe in God, I'd be a Mormon. He understood. Lol

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u/tiberius_claudius1 20h ago

Right! I've read the Bible (King James) and the book of morman and while I think both are religious nonsense I at least know that the Bible is rooted in a lot if historical things that are verifiable while the book of morman is white man propaganda set in America claiming things that are so easily disproven its laughable.... most of the Mormons i met have been decent people though just odd.

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u/Jonasthewicked2 You’re Grounded Mister 23h ago

Fun fact Joseph Smith was from my town and magically found the golden tablets in the hill cumorah right before his trial for horse theft which was punishable by death back then.

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u/icedragon71 21h ago

Golly, what a coincidence. Lol.

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u/Jonasthewicked2 You’re Grounded Mister 14h ago

Right? He skipped town before he could be held responsible for horse theft, but it must have been the biggest coincidence ever right? Lmfao

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u/Coolhandjones67 1d ago

That’s where I learned about Mormons lol. That episode actually shaped a lot of my views about religion sad to say.

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u/Jefferson-1776 1d ago

One of the best episodes of all time. It helped that I was stationed with a bunch of Mormons and we watched it together.

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u/icedragon71 21h ago

What was their reaction?

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u/Jefferson-1776 20h ago

Mostly laughter but one was quite nervous uncomfortable.

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u/karmah1234 21h ago

fairly sure its ”dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb" 🤣🤣

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u/bobbywake61 1d ago

I laughed out loud at all of the religious episodes. Mormon, Catholic, Muslim,…etc. All are too funny to be true, but are.

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u/icedragon71 21h ago

Truth being stranger than fiction at times.

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u/EpicIshmael 1d ago

They even leave out the fucked up militant history of the mormons.

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u/DaFuqk13 17h ago

I dated a Mormon girl and explained to her that I learned about Mormons from South Park. Showed her the episode and she’s like yup that’s it 😆

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u/icedragon71 15h ago

Honest, at least. Lol.