TVSquad

Can you believe that South Park is coming up on its tenth season already? I remember when I first watched it in 1997, taking a break with my buddies as they helped me move into my current home (which means that I've been in this apartment for almost ten years, too... gulp). Since then, the show has aired many episodes that have caused controversy, got people all over the world talking, and pretty much pissed off anyone in any position of power.

Comedy Central acknowledges this and, leading up to the tenth season premiere, will air the "Ten South Park Epiosdes that Changed the World," playing a different episode from the list every night at 10 PM starting on Sunday, September 24. I'm sure some of the more recent controversial eps, like "Trapped in the Closet," or "The Return of Chef!", but I'm also sure they'll play some of the earlier episodes, including the pilot, "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe." Sniff. I'm getting misty-eyed just thinking of that one.

[This episode review contains spoilers]

Isaac Hayes' time spent on South Park was no accident. He was the always the first and only choice to play Chef, and creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone worked hard to convince him their silly little cartoon would be worth doing. Over the better part of a decade, Hayes seemed to really embrace both the character and the show's brutal satire.

And until a few days ago, everything remained seemingly copacetic. Suddenly, however, Hayes left the show over its jabs at religion, leading many, including the show's creators, to believe he had actually left the show over the "Trapped in the Closet" episode which made fun of Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology, of which Hayes is also a member.