A Case Study of Musical Elements and Musical Development of Eschatological Scenes within South Park from 1997-2000

This thesis aims to answer the question of how South Park uses music to effectively satirise Hell. With the analyses of animated materials and its music being largely reduced to the more mainstream areas of study such as Disney and Warner Brothers, less attention has been given to the more ‘low brow’ animated shows such as South Park. The goal for this thesis aims to fill in the academic gap in the music of South Park as well as music’s role in satirical animation. This is supported by providing previously published insights into the underlying semiotic links between the music and cinematics within the animated show. With careful examination of five primary case studies and supplementary episodes selected for their dual inclusion of negative eschatological audio-visual elements, conclusions were drawn to support that music played a significant role in the cinematic satirization of South Park.