How South Park Grew-Up to be The League

A few weeks ago I started watching a new show; The League.  My co-workers have raved about it for quite some time, but I didn’t feel like I would enjoy it since the show centers around a fantasy football league and I don’t do that kind of stuff.  So The League sat in my Netflix que for almost a year before I checked it out.  And after I started it I couldn’t stop watching!  I’m halfway through season 4, and I know that season 5 has already started.  I feel like The League has filled a void on television that was left when Entourage stopped airing.  The male-friend interactions seem very accurate and I enjoy the hilarity of their idiocracy. 

Around season 2 I started to break-down the framework of the show.  You have the two lead characters, Pete and Kevin, who are the more sensible ones.  Ruxin is the selfish/mean friend you’re not sure why they hang out with.  Then Andre is the wide-eyed dork they always poke fun of.  Then it hit me!  I had seen this formula before, and that’s when I realized The League are the kids from South Park; all grown-up!

Pete is Stan

As the most down-to-earth character of both shows it made sense to pair these two up.  They’re the smartest of both their shows and can’t seem to figure out why everyone is so stupid.

Kevin is Kyle

First of, they're both red-heads, so that’s a good pairing.  Also, Kyle seems to freak out about little things like being Jewish, or his Jersey roots.  Yes, Kevin isn’t Jewish but he does freak-out about little things, just like Kyle.

Jenny is Wendy

I know what you’re saying, “But Wendy and Stan are a couple, so why did you pick Pete as Stan and Kevin as Kyle?”  Well, think of all the times Stan has gotten sick ON Wendy.  How much vomit do you think that girl can take before she thought, ‘enough is enough’ and got rid of Stan.  So who better than to help her get over Stan than his best friend?  Wendy would want someone she can control a little bit after her relationship with Stan.  She’d want to be the dominant person in her new relationship which would be why she chooses Kyle/Kevin. 

As I watch The League I also noticed a few looks between Pete and Jenny.  This would make sense since the two actors are married in real life, but also for their characters if, say, they used to date. Just think about it in terms of how other real-life relationship start and it makes sense.

Ruxin is Cartman

Gee, the asshole friend who always tries to screw everyone else so he can get ahead, I wonder who that would be?  The way I see it Ruxin is Cartman’s revenge for be fat all those years.  He lost the weight, became successful, got a super-hot wife, and now holds it over everyone’s head.

Andre is Butters

Every episode of The League it always makes me laugh when Andre shows up in some ridiculously weird outfit that he thinks is cool.  After spending years with his friends you think he’d learn his lesson and know he is just going to get made fun of.  This reminds me so much of Butters.  He’s the friend that drums to his own beat, but his beat is totally out-of-sink with the rest of the group.  Both characters are extremely gullible and seem very innocent.  Butters would have continued being a dork well into his 30’s I’m sure.

Taco is Ike

Remember all those South Park episodes when Kyle said, “kick the baby” and then sends his little brother flying?  What kind of brain damage do you think that would cause?  We all think that Taco’s stupidity stems from him being a stoner, but what if it goes back further?  What if is low I.Q. comes from his brother kicking him in the head when he was little?  I think that would stunt is intellectual growth.  Kevin/Kyle feels a little guilty about it all, and now looks after his little brother.  Plus, Taco is always so nice to everyone, and Ike is technically Canadian so you have those similarities as well.

I’ve been watching South Park since it premiered in 1997 and I am currently zooming through the first couple of season of The League.  The more I watch, the more it just seems to fit together.  Yes, I have left out Kenny, but with all those deaths throughout the years do you actually think the poor boy survived his teen years?  Go back and re-watch some episodes of both shows and I think about it all.  Then you’ll say, “Shawn was right!”