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Stanley Randell William Marsh is a
fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...
in the adult animated television series '' South Park''. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator
Trey Parker Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and '' The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Matt Stone. ...
. Stan is one of the series' four central characters, along with
Kyle Broflovski Kyle Matthew Broflovski is a fictional character in the adult animated television series ''South Park''. He is voiced by and loosely based on co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the series' four central characters, along with his friends Stan ...
, Eric Cartman, and
Kenny McCormick Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character and one of the four main characters in the adult animated television series ''South Park'' along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His often muffled and incomprehensible speech ...
. He debuted on television when ''South Park'' first aired on August 13, 1997, after having first appeared in '' The Spirit of Christmas'' shorts created by Parker and long-time collaborator
Matt Stone Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Trey Parker. Stone was interes ...
in 1992 (''Jesus vs. Frosty'') and 1995 (''Jesus vs. Santa''). Stan is an elementary school student who commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town life in his fictional hometown of South Park,
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
. Stan is generally depicted as logical, brave, patient and sensitive. He is outspoken in expressing his distinct lack of esteem for adults and their influences, as adult South Park residents rarely make use of their critical faculties. Like the other ''South Park'' characters, Stan is animated by computer in a way to emulate the show's original method of
cutout animation Cutout animation is a form of stop-motion animation using flat characters, props and backgrounds cut from materials such as paper, card, stiff fabric or photographs. The props would be cut out and used as puppets for stop motion. The world's e ...
. He also appears in the full-length feature film '' South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'' (1999), as well as ''South Park''-related media and merchandise. While Parker and Stone portray Stan as having common childlike tendencies, his dialogue is often intended to reflect stances and views on more adult-oriented issues and has been frequently cited in numerous publications by experts in the fields of politics, religion, popular culture and philosophy.


Role in ''South Park''

Prior to season 22, Stan lives in South Park at 260 Avenue de los Mexicanos with his parents
Randy and Sharon Marsh Randy Marsh and Sharon Marsh (née Kimble) are fictional characters in the animated television series ''South Park''. They are the most prominent set of parents on the show and a middle-class married couple who raise their 10-year-old son Stan ...
. During this period, Randy, who has an advanced degree in
geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...
, works for the federal government at an
earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
monitoring facility, and Sharon is a
secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...
at Tom's
Rhinoplasty Rhinoplasty ( grc, ῥίς, rhī́s, nose + grc, πλάσσειν, plássein, to shape), commonly called nose job, medically called nasal reconstruction is a plastic surgery procedure for altering and reconstructing the nose. There are two typ ...
, a
plastic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes cranio ...
clinic. From season 22 onward, the family lives at a farm on the outskirts of town, where Randy raises marijuana and forces his reluctant family to assist him. Stan's family includes his 13-year-old sister Shelly, who bullies and beats him, and his
centenarian A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100 years. Because life expectancies worldwide are below 100 years, the term is invariably associated with longevity. In 2012, the United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centen ...
grandfather, Marvin, who calls Stan "Billy". Stan attends South Park Elementary as part of
Mr. Garrison Herbert Garrison, formerly known as Janet Garrison, Ethan F Garrison, and the President, is a fictional character and occasional antagonist on the American animated television series '' South Park''. The character is voiced by cocreator Trey ...
's fourth-grade class. During the show's first 58 episodes (1997 through the
season 4 Season 4 may refer to: * "Season 4" (''30 Rock'' episode), an episode of ''30 Rock'' See also * * Season One (disambiguation) * Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * '' 2econd Season'' See also * ...
episode "
4th Grade Fourth grade (also called grade four, equivalent to Year 5 in England and Wales, and Year 4 in Australia) is a year of Elementary education in some countries. In North America, the fourth grade is the fifth school year of elementary school. St ...
" in 2000), Stan and the other main child characters were in the third grade. His birthday is listed as October 19 (the same day as co-creator
Trey Parker Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and '' The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Matt Stone. ...
), 2001 on his
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
page during the season 14 episode "
You Have 0 Friends "You Have 0 Friends" is the fourth episode of the 14th season of the American animated television series ''South Park'', and the 199th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 7, 2010. In the ...
". Stan is frequently embarrassed and annoyed by his father's antics and frequent acts of
public drunkenness Public intoxication, also known as "drunk and disorderly" and "drunk in public", is a summary offense in some countries rated to public cases or displays of drunkenness. Public intoxication laws vary widely by jurisdiction, but usually require an ...
. Stan's relationship to his uncle Jimbo received moderate attention in the show's first two seasons. While the show's other main characters have a defining characteristic (Kyle is the only
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
kid, Cartman is an obese
sociopath Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...
, and Kenny is poverty-stricken and suffers violent deaths), Stan was originally portrayed as the viewpoint character, being "a normal, average, American, mixed-up kid". However, beginning in season fifteen as part of the show's overall shift to more complex characterization, Stan has been cynical and depressed due to his dysfunctional family, particularly in Ass Burgers which shows him abusing alcohol on a daily basis simply to tolerate normal social interaction. Stan is modeled after Parker, while Kyle is modeled after Stone. Stan and Kyle are best friends, and their relationship, which is intended to reflect the real-life friendship between Parker and Stone, is a common topic throughout the series. The two do have their disagreements but always reconcile without any long-term damage to their friendship. As is the case with his other friends and classmates, Stan is frequently at odds with Cartman, resenting Cartman's behavior and openly mocking his weight. Stan also shares a close friendship with Kenny, while Kenny professes that Stan is one of "the best friends a guy could have". Stan can understand Kenny's muffled voice perfectly and typically exclaims the catchphrase "Oh my God! They killed Kenny!" following one of Kenny's trademark deaths, allowing Kyle to follow up with "You bastards!" Stan is the only character in the group to have had a steady girlfriend,
Wendy Testaburger Wendy Testaburger is a fictional character in the adult animated television series ''South Park''. She is best known for her on-again, off-again relationship with her boyfriend Stan Marsh, and for being more intelligent and mature than most child ...
, and their relationship was a recurring topic in the show's earlier seasons. Despite reconciling and declaring to be a couple again in the season 11 (2007) episode " The List" after Wendy had dumped him in the season seven (2003) episode "
Raisins A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the dar ...
", their relationship has received relatively less focus in recent seasons. As a
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
, a nervous Stan often vomits whenever Wendy approaches to kiss or speak to him. Stan is considered particularly attractive by the girls in the class, which is a subtle joke as all of the fourth-grade boys besides Cartman and the two disabled children use the exact same model before hair, clothing, and skin color are added. In many episodes, Stan contemplates ethics in beliefs, moral dilemmas, and contentious issues, and will often reflect on the lessons he has attained with a speech that often begins with "You know, I learned something today...".Arp and Jacoby, pp. 58–65


Character


Creation and design

An unnamed precursor to Stan first appeared in the first ''The Spirit of Christmas'' short, dubbed ''Jesus vs. Frosty'', created by Parker and Stone in 1992 while they were students at the
University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...
. The character was composed of
construction paper Construction paper, also known as sugar paper, is coloured cardstock paper. The texture is slightly rough, and the surface is unfinished. Due to the source material, mainly wood pulp, small particles are visible on the paper's surface. It is used f ...
cutouts and animated through the use of
stop motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...
. When asked three years later by friend Brian Graden to create another short as a video
Christmas card A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to Christmastide and the holiday season. Christmas cards are usually exchanged during ...
that he could send to friends, Parker and Stone created another similarly animated ''The Spirit of Christmas'' short, dubbed ''Jesus vs. Santa'', in which Stan also appeared. Stan next appeared on August 13, 1997, when ''South Park'' debuted on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programmin ...
with the episode " Cartman Gets an Anal Probe". In the tradition of the show's animation style, Stan is composed of simple geometrical shapes and
primary color A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a ...
s. He is not offered the same free range of motion associated with hand-drawn characters; his character is mostly shown from only one angle, and his movements are animated in an intentionally jerky fashion. Ever since the show's second episode, "
Weight Gain 4000 "Weight Gain 4000" is the third episode of the first season of the American animated television series '' South Park''. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on August 27, 1997. In the episode, the residents of South Park excited ...
" ( season one, 1997), Stan, like all other characters on the show, has been animated with computer software, though he is portrayed to give the impression that the show still utilizes its original technique. Stan is usually depicted in winter attire which consists of a brown jacket, blue jeans, red gloves/mittens, and a red-brimmed blue knit cap adorned with a decorative red
pom-pom A pom-pom – also spelled pom-pon, pompom or pompon – is a decorative ball or tuft of fibrous material. The term may refer to large tufts used by cheerleaders, or a small, tighter ball attached to the top of a hat, also known as a ...
. In the rare instances, Stan is seen without his cap, he is shown to have shaggy black hair. He was given his full name in the season one episode " An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig", sharing his surname of "Marsh" with Parker's paternal step-grandfather. Parker specified that he came up with the voice of Stan while he and Stone were in film class, where they would speak in high-pitched childish voices, much to the annoyance of their film teachers. They would reuse these voices when ''South Park'' debuted. While originally voicing Stan without any computer manipulation, Parker now speaks within his normal vocal range while adding a childlike inflection. The recorded audio is then edited with
Pro Tools Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture ( sound design, audio post-produ ...
, and the pitch is altered to make the voice sound more like that of a fourth grader. Stan's birthday is October 19, which is also Trey Parker's birthday.


Personality and traits

Stan is foul-mouthed (a trait present in his friends as well) as a means for Parker and Stone to display how they claim young boys really talk when they are alone. In responding to certain situations, particularly during earlier seasons, Stan often exclaims "Dude, this is pretty fucked up right here". While Stan is
cynical Cynicism is an attitude characterized by a general distrust of the motives of "others". A cynic may have a general lack of faith or hope in people motivated by ambition, desire, greed, gratification, materialism, goals, and opinions that a cynic ...
and profane, Parker still notes that there is an "underlying sweetness" to the character, and ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine described Stan and his friends as "sometimes cruel but with a core of innocence". He is amused by bodily functions and
toilet humor Toilet humour, or potty or scatological humour (compare scatology), is a type of off-colour humour dealing with defecation, diarrhea, constipation, urination and flatulence, and to a lesser extent vomiting and other bodily functions. It sees sub ...
, and his favorite television personalities are
Terrance and Phillip The following is a list of recurring characters in the animated television series ''South Park''. The list does not include the List of students at South Park Elementary, school children, List of South Park families, family members or List of Sou ...
, a Canadian duo whose comedy routines on their show-within-the-show revolve substantially around fart jokes. Stan is an avid animal lover. He is highly against his uncle Jimbo's hunting, and was also known to commit to vegetarianism after feeling compassion for baby calves in a farm, even going as far to hide them in his room to protect them from being slaughtered. Later, he was forced to quit vegetarianism because of a severe illness he developed, however, he still fights for
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their Utilitarianism, utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding s ...
, becoming a member of PETA in "
Douche and Turd "Douche and Turd" is the eighth episode of the eighth season of the animated television series '' South Park'', and the 119th episode overall. Written by series co-creator Trey Parker, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on Oct ...
" as well as saving whales and dolphins in "
Whale Whores "Whale Whores" is the eleventh episode of the South Park (season 13), thirteenth season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 192nd overall episode of the series, it aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October ...
". The only adult on the show that Stan liked was Chef, the cafeteria worker at his school, as Stan generally holds the rest of the show's adult population in low regard due to their tendency to both behave irrationally when subjected to the scams, cults, and sensationalized media stories of which he is often
skeptical Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the p ...
, and engage in hypocritical behavior. He doubts the legitimacy of holistic medicine, declares cults to be dangerous, and regards those claiming to be psychic mediums as frauds, specifically by declaring
John Edward John Edward McGee Jr. (born October 19, 1969) is an American television personality, author and a self-proclaimed psychic medium. After writing his first book on the subject in 1998, Edward became a well-known (and controversial) figure in the ...
to be "the biggest douche in the universe". Stan's friendships with the other main characters ended, his parents divorced and he moved out of his home. This episode formed a
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
and set off widespread speculation that the series was coming to an end, but the premiere of the second half of the season resolved the arc as Stan was erroneously diagnosed with
Asperger's syndrome Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, is a former neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavio ...
and discovers
Jameson Irish Whiskey Jameson ( or ) is a blended Irish whiskey produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. Originally one of the six main Dublin Whiskeys at the Jameson Distillery Bow St., Jameson is now distilled at the New Midleton Distiller ...
cures cynicism. After struggling to repair his life, he finally explains he doesn't want things to go back to normal, when his parents get back together and his life is repaired, although the end of the episode implies Stan may be permanently bound to whiskey to continue an everyday life.


Cultural impact

In 2014, Stan was ranked by
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
at third place on their list of "The Top 25 South Park Characters", commenting that he "often acts as the voice of reason in the midst of the show's insane events, and in many ways he's more mature than his father Randy". The website concluded that "his history as one of the more stable and thoughtful characters in the series made him the perfect choice for the voice of Trey and Matt's own creative/professional frustrations". Stan frequently offers his perspective on religion, and he was at the center of one of the most controversial episodes of the series, "
Trapped in the Closet ''Trapped in the Closet'' is a musical film, musical soap opera series by American contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter & producer R. Kelly, with 33 "chapters" released sporadically from 2005 to 2012. Written, produced, and directed by Kelly, ...
" (
season nine A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, 2005), where he was recognized as the reincarnation of
Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a Scientology as a business, business, or a new religious movement. The most recent ...
founder
L. Ron Hubbard Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored '' Dianeti ...
before denouncing the church as nothing more than "a big fat global scam". In the show's 25 seasons, Stan has addressed other topics such as
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...
, hate crime legislation, civil liberties,
parenting Parenting or child rearing promotes and supports the physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the intricacies of raising a child and not exclusively for ...
, illegal immigration,
voting Voting is a method by which a group, such as a meeting or an electorate, can engage for the purpose of making a collective decision or expressing an opinion usually following discussions, debates or election campaigns. Democracies elect holde ...
,Arp and Gray, pp. 121–128
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
, and
race relations Race relations is a sociological concept that emerged in Chicago in connection with the work of sociologist Robert E. Park and the Chicago race riot of 1919. Race relations designates a paradigm or field in sociology and a legal concept in the ...
. His commentary on these issues have been interpreted as statements Parker and Stone are attempting to make to the viewing public,Fallows and Weinstock, p. 165 and these opinions have been subject to much critical analysis in the media and literary world. The book '' South Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something Today'' includes an essay in which East Carolina University philosophy professor Henry Jacoby compares Stan's actions and reasoning within the show to the philosophical teachings of William Kingdon Clifford,South Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something Today
, Blackwell Publishing, ''Series: The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series'', Retrieved January 21, 2008
and another essay by
Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of Tr ...
philosophy professor John S. Gray which references Stan's decision to not vote for either candidate for a school mascot in the season eight (2004) episode "
Douche and Turd "Douche and Turd" is the eighth episode of the eighth season of the animated television series '' South Park'', and the 119th episode overall. Written by series co-creator Trey Parker, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on Oct ...
" when describing
political philosophy Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, ...
and the claimed pitfalls of a
two-party system A two-party system is a political party system in which two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape. At any point in time, one of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is usually refe ...
. Essays in the books '' South Park and Philosophy: Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating'', ''Blame Canada! South Park and Contemporary Culture'', and ''Taking South Park Seriously'' have also analyzed Stan's perspectives within the framework of popular philosophical, theological, and political concepts.


References

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External links


Stan Marsh
at South Park Studios {{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Stan Child characters in television Child characters in animated films Television characters introduced in 1992 Fictional characters from Colorado Fictional characters based on real people Fictional elementary school students Fictional victims of domestic abuse South Park characters Comedy film characters Male characters in animated series Male characters in film Animated characters introduced in 1992