# South Park question: Is there a real Terrance & Phillip? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603 "2004-01-04T06:18:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/1 "2004-01-04T06:18:57Z")
In the movie _South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut,_ the action is driven by a pair of Canadian comedians, “Terrance and Phillip,” who speak very with a very elegant accent, and whose material consists mainly of fart jokes and elaborately obscene insults. They also appear in several episodes of the TV series. Are Terrance and Phillip based on any real-life Canadian comedy act? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/2 "2004-01-04T07:08:58Z")
Um, actually aren’t they based on _Beavis and Butthead_? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/3 "2004-01-04T07:17:58Z")
Everybody knows Canadians don’t fart, silly. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/4 "2004-01-04T07:28:47Z")
I always figured that Terrance and Phillip was the crude cartoon that South Park kids watch, just as South Park is the crude cartoon we (well, some of us) watch. Presumably T&P watch a cartoon starring a pair of nauseated amoebae. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/5 "2004-01-04T07:42:02Z")
Yeah, that’s what I figured too, but they appear in person in the movie. And Kyle’s mom refers to them as actors. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lodoen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@Jeff\_Lodoen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lodoen)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/6 "2004-01-04T07:59:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > \*\*Yeah, that’s what I figured too, but they appear in person in the movie. And Kyle’s mom refers to them as actors. \*\* Of course they are! CTV can’t afford animation. I saw an E! show about Mike Myers. As a teen he was on a children’s western show on some local Canadian station. Good grief was it ever cheap. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/7 "2004-01-04T08:06:09Z")
They also refer to the T&P movie having ‘crappy animation’. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/8 "2004-01-04T08:38:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GuanoLad \* > They also refer to the T&P movie having ‘crappy animation’. Ha ha, yeah, I love that line, because immediately after, you see the four boys walking down the street, animated crappily. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/9 "2004-01-04T14:53:44Z")
I saw the _South Park_ creators on Dennis Miller’s talk show one time. They said that T&P came about because of the abuse they were getting that _South Park_ had crappy animation and was nothing but fart jokes. They came up with a cartoon that was **super** crappy animation and literally nothing but fart jokes. Certainly T&P don’t closely resemble anything on actual Canadian TV, although I’m sure something hilarious could be done with a parody of our bizarre National Film Board cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/10 "2004-01-04T17:34:01Z")
Essentially, they’re an exaggeration of certain elements in South Park itself, much like Itchy & Scratchy on the Simpsons are an exaggeration of certain elements of Tim & Jerry. Archenar: > [@](#): > > Yeah, that’s what I figured too, but they appear in person in the movie. And Kyle’s mom refers to them as actors. I guess the show is animated versions of real people. I recall there was a Mr. T animated show once, and he’s real. I’m sure there are numerous other examples. ---
**Author:** ![RahRahMah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@RahRahMah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RahRahMah)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/11 "2004-01-04T17:39:08Z")
Naw, Terrance and Phillip are “real people” to the South Park kids. It’s not supposed to be shoddy. Well, it is. But in the South Park world they’re just Canadians. Remeber the line “You canadians, with your beady eyes, and flapping heads!”? I always loved that one… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/12 "2004-01-06T02:49:32Z")
But why Canadians? I mean, why did the creators decide to make T&P Canadians? (Which leads to a U.S.-Canadian war in the movie.) Do Canadian comics have a reputation for over-the-top crudity? I never heard of such a thing, outside of _South Park._ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/13 "2004-01-06T02:54:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RahRahMah \* > \*\*Naw, Terrance and Phillip are “real people” to the South Park kids. It’s not supposed to be shoddy. Well, it is. But in the South Park world they’re just Canadians. Remeber the line “You canadians, with your beady eyes, and flapping heads!”? I always loved that one… \*\* Love them flapping heads. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/14 "2004-01-06T02:59:03Z")
T&P regularly switch back and forth between being refered to as cartoon characters and actors. They started out as animated characters, but in **Bigger, Longer, Uncut** they were both, depending on the situation. They made fun of this in the _Behind the Music_ parody episode (_Behind the Blow_ I think?) They showed a really well done Saturday-morning-style animated version of them as astronauts, but with different voices! The narrator then says how, “This lead to a lot of confusion as to whether Terrence & Phillip were real people or just cartoons”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/15 "2004-01-06T03:07:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrainGlutton \* > \*\*But why Canadians? I mean, why did the creators decide to make T&P Canadians? (Which leads to a U.S.-Canadian war in the movie.) Do Canadian comics have a reputation for over-the-top crudity? I never heard of such a thing, outside of _South Park._ \*\* Otherwise it wouldn’t make any sense when Terrance calls Phillip “the biggest dick in Canada.” ---
**Author:** ![teemingONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@teemingONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teemingONE)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/16 "2004-01-06T03:26:07Z")
[hijack] I have a quesiton, in the rainforest episode (getting gay with kids), the woman was supposedly voiced by Jennifer Aniston. It sounded a lot like her, a lot a lot, was it really her? [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/17 "2004-01-06T05:41:47Z")
**TeemingOne** , according to [IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000098/#guest-appearances), that was Jennifer Aniston. Robin ---
**Author:** ![DogsLunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DogsLunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogsLunch)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/18 "2004-01-06T05:49:54Z")
In a recent(?) episode of South Park the boys go up to Canada to rescue Kyle’s adopted brother Ike. They run into a guy name Scott. All the other Canadians say “Scott is a dick.” Are they referring to that guy in the Alliance party??? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lodoen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@Jeff\_Lodoen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lodoen)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/19 "2004-01-06T08:25:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DogsLunch \* > \*\*In a recent(?) episode of South Park the boys go up to Canada to rescue Kyle’s adopted brother Ike. They run into a guy name Scott. All the other Canadians say “Scott is a dick.” > > Are they referring to that guy in the Alliance party??? \*\* And here I thought they meant Scott Thompson! ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603/20 "2004-01-06T12:57:27Z")
I get the feeling that T&P started out as cartoons with no real national origin. Then the creators realized, “Hey, they’ve got the same flapping head that Ike has, and we’ve already established that Ike is Canadian. So why not make all flapping-head people Canadian?” That’s my impression of it anyway. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-question-is-there-a-real-terrance-phillip/222603.md?page=2)