Barbra Streisand Had Beef With South Park After Her Portrayal On The Show

"South Park" has endured a fair share of controversies throughout the show's 25-season-long run. The animated comedy series frequently gets in trouble for its hot takes and portrayals of serious subject matters such as religion, climate change, or racism, in ways that are considered vulgar and unacceptable by some. Certain episodes have even led to internal conflicts between members of the "South Park" cast and the show's creators. One notable example of this is the departure of Isaac Hayes, who voiced Chef. He left the show after the airing of an episode making fun of Scientology back in 2005 (via Esquire). 

The cartoon is also known for mocking portrayals of celebrities, many of whom have spoken out against the show for this. The list of famous people who were offended by "South Park" is rather lengthy, and includes figures such as Tom Cruise, Ed Sheeran, and Sarah Jessica Parker (via Metro). Another celebrity that seems to really have it out for Matt Stone and Trey Parker is Barbra Streisand, who has voiced her disapproval of the popular cartoon's treatment of famous figures on numerous occasions, after being one of the first celebs mocked by "South Park" in its very first season. 

When Season 1, Episode 12 of "South Park" took aim at Barbra Streisand with a storyline revolving around her turning into a Godzilla-like monster, few would have suspected that it would be the start of a long-running beef between Streisand and the comedy series. She referred to the episode in a 1998 interview with Mirabella, and suffice it to say, she wasn't impressed with her portrayal. "I wonder if shows like 'South Park' and 'Beavis and Butt-Head' don't add to the cynicism and negativity in our culture, especially in children, (...) maybe they come away feeling like any woman who dares to accomplish something is the incarnation of self-centeredness and greed," Streisand said (via Barbra Streisand Archives).

In response to Streisand's accusations, Trey Parker and Matt Stone doubled down on the mockery. In Season 2, Episode 15, titled "Spooky Fish," the singer's face was stuck on the sides of the screen for its entire duration. Streisand was portrayed in numerous episodes of "South Park" after that, most notably in Season 14, Episodes 5 and 6, which marked the return of Mecha-Streisand. 

Curiously enough, despite the bad blood between Streisand and "South Park's" creators, she didn't object to supporting Parker and Stone's other work, as the singer-actress was seen in the audience of "The Book of Mormon," the duo's critically acclaimed Broadway show, which came as quite a shock to the writers (via Esquire).