Rick and Morty vs. South Park: Which is better?

Tyler (South Park)

South Park is undoubtedly the most authentic and innovative show to hit screens. The cartoon's unorthodox production style pairs with the writer's subversive and satirical sense of humor to create a visual masterpiece that is boundary-defying, timely, comedy gold.

South Park's cultural significance towers over that of Rick and Morty. The show allows just one week of writing before each episode, guaranteeing that the content covered in the episode will be relevant to the current times. Throughout the last two elections, South Park was able to provide up-to-date commentary referencing any conflict that arose within a few days of that week's episode. The show's unconventional methods allowed it to cover prominent social dilemmas as they unfolded, like the Elian Gonzalez raid or the Catholic Church molestation scandals. 

South Park proves its originality and authenticity in how it unabashedly stands its ground even against much pushback. Despite numerous lawsuits and threats, creators Trey Stone and Matt Parker have stayed true to their original sense of humor. Although the show belittles and disparages politicians on both sides on a regular basis, the creators stress they have no political agenda whatsoever. Throughout the 2016 election, the two presidential candidates were referred to as 'Giant Douche' and 'Turd Sandwich,' respectively. The show aims to point out inconsistencies from all angles, rarely favoring an opinion on any cultural issue.

South Park is better because its 'cast' is way deeper and more developed. Token and Craig are only the 7th and 8th most popular characters but still have full episodes dedicated to them. Each season, the show rolls out an episode strictly featuring the adventures of Jimmy and Nathan, two mentally handicapped characters on the show. Many people, including celebrities like Joe Rogan, see South Park for what it is: “the best show ever made.' 

Aaron (Rick and Morty)

Originally spoofing Back to the Future's Doc and Marty, over the last couple of years, Rick and Morty have scored notoriety for being one of the funniest and most notable cartoons ever to be produced. Rick and Morty remains one of the most popular shows on TV, not only based on the opinion of fans but the numbers brought in by the hit show. According to Adult Swim's watch history, the show has an average of 2.51 million same-day viewers, while South Park only had 1.4million same-day viewers. Rick and Morty is not only a better show than South Park, but it is more effective at reaching a broader audience as it continues to grow more popular.

Its ability to effectively reach a broader audience stems from the unique style used to write the show. The storytelling style used in the show has affected how cartoon shows and sitcoms were viewed. For a moment, cartoons were underrated, and popular belief defined them as a stepped-down form of animation. South Park, however, features a more choppy rigid form of animation, which services their goal of satirizing and comment on current events. But Rick and Morty add a level of substance to the cartoon genre through the moral lessons embedded through the comical adventures explored in the show. 

The fact that this show is crazy unique—featuring 'trippy visuals,' a dynamic duo of awkward grandson Morty and evil-genius grandpa Rick who travel the universe together, and hilarious, existential, self-aware writing—sets this show apart to hook its audience on a whole new level, blowing others, like South Park, out of the water.