Randy and Sharon Marsh
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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 and 13-year-old daughter Shelley in the fictional town 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 ...
. Their first names are derived from the first names of 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. ...
's parents, and Parker describes Randy as "the biggest dingbat in the entire show". According to the season 16 episode " Reverse Cowgirl", the Marsh home address was 260 Avenue de los Mexicanos until their move to a farm. In tradition with the show's animation style, Randy and Sharon are both composed of simple geometrical shapes, animated with the use of a computer, and rendered to mimic the appearance 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 ...
cutout compositions 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 ...
, which was the technique used to animate the " Spirit of Christmas" shorts and the show's
first episode A series premiere is the first aired installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. In the United States, many series premieres are aired in the fall time or, for mid-season replacements, either in the spring or ...
. Randy is voiced by Parker, while Sharon was originally voiced by
Mary Kay Bergman Mary Kay Bergman (June 5, 1961 – November 11, 1999), also credited as Shannen Cassidy, was an American voice actress and voice-over teacher. She was the lead female voice actress on '' South Park'' from the show's 1997 debut until her death. Th ...
, then by
Eliza Schneider Eliza Jane Schneider is an American actress, voice actress, singer, playwright, dialect coach and dialectologist. She has appeared on television and as a voice over actress on video games and animations. She also performs various musical and ...
, and currently by
April Stewart April Stewart (born April 1, 1969) is an American voice actress. Career Stewart is best known for providing the voices of several female characters in the animated comedy series '' South Park'' alongside fellow voice actress Mona Marshall. She ...
. For most of season 23, Randy was the protagonist of ''South Park'' as the show focused on his work at the Tegridy Farms instead of the town of South Park and its elementary school. The four original main characters Stan Marsh,
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 ...
became
supporting character A supporting character is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline, but is important to the plot/protagonist, and appears or is mentioned in the story enough to be more than just a minor character or a cameo ap ...
s. Randy is also responsible for the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
after Mickey Mouse encouraged him to have sexual intercourse with a bat and a pangolin while he was sick during his trip in China ("
Band in China "Band in China" is the second episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series '' South Park''. The 299th episode overall of the series, it premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on October 2, 2019. The epis ...
").


Characters

Randy and Sharon have known each other since childhood. Taking liberties with its
floating timeline A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in long-running serials in comics and animation as well as other media, to explain why characters age little or not at all over a period of time— ...
, the show establishes Randy and Sharon as being young adults during the
flower power Flower power was a slogan used during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol of passive resistance and nonviolence. It is rooted in the opposition movement to the Vietnam War. The expression was coined by the American Beat poet Allen Ginsbe ...
era. They maintain steady friendships with the parents of Stan's friends, and are revealed as enjoying the act of watching pornography together to enhance their sexual relationship. However, their marriage has not been without its frequent arguments, which are usually instigated when Sharon is annoyed, ashamed, or disgusted by Randy's eccentricities. The two briefly divorced on two occasions, but quickly reconciled each time. Randy and Sharon tend to showcase liberal viewpoints, having protested the
2003 invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
and supported
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
during the 2008 presidential race.


Randy

Randy has black hair, a mustache, and a cleft chin. He carries a few pens in one of the two front pockets on his light blue, collared, button-up shirt, and wears dark gray pants. White
briefs Briefs (or a brief) are a type of short, form-fitting underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where material extends down the thighs. Briefs have various different styles, usually with a waistband attached to fabric that runs along the pe ...
are his underpants of choice. He is 45 years old, and like Parker's father, is a geologist, making his first appearance in the series while monitoring a
seismometer A seismometer is an instrument that responds to ground noises and shaking such as caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and explosions. They are usually combined with a timing device and a recording device to form a seismograph. The outpu ...
in the episode "
Volcano A volcano is a rupture in the Crust (geology), crust of a Planet#Planetary-mass objects, planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic gas, gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Ear ...
". He was depicted to work at the South Park Center for Seismic Activity, and was later shown to work for the U. S. Geological Survey. He was briefly fired from his geologist job near the end of the 12th season, and quit briefly during the end of the 14th season, but has since been rehired both times. Randy has not been shown at the earthquake monitoring office since he opened Tegridy Farms, and in-show events strongly suggest that he has abandoned his previous career to raise marijuana full-time. He also serves on the
city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
, specializing in the town's parks and public grounds. A recurring character trait of Randy's is his being prone to overreacting and obsessively seizing upon irrational ideas and fads, whether by himself or as part of a large contingent of the town's adult population. He frequently attempts to appear cool and popular, particularly to Stan, who finds his attempts embarrassing unless they benefit Stan's interests in some way. Among the endeavors on which he sometimes embarks are get-rich quick schemes or other strategies for economic or material gain. In "
Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes "Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes" is the ninth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series '' South Park'', and the 120th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on ...
", he took a job as an associate at
Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
. In " A Nightmare on Face Time", he buys the closed Blockbuster Video in town, hoping to turn it around. In " Black Friday", he takes a job as a security guard at the town's shopping mall during the Black Friday to infiltrate the mall before the stampede of shoppers. In later seasons, Randy is shown to have finally achieved a very high income from both his work as Lorde and his marijuana business, though this has not improved the underlying problems in his family relationships. Randy dropped out of high school and was a member of a boyband in his teens, as shown in "
Something You Can Do with Your Finger "Something You Can Do with Your Finger" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the animated television series ''South Park'', and the 56th episode of the series overall. It is the 9th produced episode of Season 4. "Something You Can Do with ...
", but he has mentioned that he attended college and has been indicated to hold a doctorate. The show frequently depicts him to be a moderate to heavy drinker, and numerous episodes have dealt with Randy's belligerent and negligent behavior brought upon by his severe intoxication. A few instances of personal achievement have made Randy a hero in the eyes of his friends and fellow townsfolk, such as being awarded a
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
and twice setting a record for producing the world's largest piece of human
excrement Feces ( or faeces), known colloquially and in slang as poo and poop, are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relat ...
. Randy has conversely been subjected to ridicule from the entire town, ranging from when he inadvertently accelerated the effects of
global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
by suggesting the entire populace take on a more uninhibited approach to passing gas to avoid the hazard of
spontaneous combustion Spontaneous combustion or spontaneous ignition is a type of combustion which occurs by self-heating (increase in temperature due to exothermic internal reactions), followed by thermal runaway (self heating which rapidly accelerates to high te ...
to when he reluctantly exclaimed "
niggers In the English language, the word ''nigger'' is an ethnic slur used against black people, especially African Americans. Starting in the late 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been progressively replaced by the euphemism , notably in ca ...
" while attempting to solve a puzzle during a live broadcast of '' Wheel of Fortune''. In addition to the professional singing he did in his youth, Randy can also play guitar, as seen in "
Guitar Queer-O "Guitar Queer-O" is the thirteenth episode of the eleventh season and the 166th overall episode of American animated television series '' South Park'', which first aired on Comedy Central on November 7, 2007. The episode was rated TV-MA L in the ...
". He can also speak a little Mongolian, having learned some in college, as seen in the episode "
Child Abduction Is Not Funny "Child Abduction Is Not Funny" is the 90th episode of the Comedy Central series '' South Park''. It originally aired on July 24, 2002. This episode mocks kidnapping, moral panics, and the Mongol conquest of China. The episode was also the last to ...
". The episode " Gluten Free Ebola" revealed that Randy produces music and performs as the noted musician Lorde, a fact that was explored subsequently in "
The Cissy "The Cissy" is the third episode in the eighteenth season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 250th overall episode, it was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker. The episode premiered on Comedy Central ...
". This has become a running gag that has continued through multiple episodes, such as suggesting much of the Marsh family's income comes from his music career as Lorde rather than his geology job. As of season 22, Randy quit his job and moved the family to the countryside, where he sets up Tegridy Farms to grow and distribute cannabis. Throughout Season 23, Randy engages in increasingly unethical business practices until he is sent to prison in "Season Finale"; though he is eventually released, he vows to no longer engage in illegal activities, though the cannabis season ends shortly after his release. In "Christmas Snow", he begins selling
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
during the winter, which he has legalized in multiple states so that he can farm it. Randy also makes a cameo appearance in the 2022 film '' Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers''.


Sharon

Sharon is a 42-year-old receptionist. Sharon has never been portrayed in a work capacity on the series, but was depicted as the receptionist at Tom's Rhinoplasty, a local surgical clinic, in '' South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'' and '' South Park: The Stick of Truth''. She has close-cropped brown hair, and wears a brown long-sleeved pullover adorned with red ruffles at the
cuff A cuff is a layer of fabric at the lower edge of the sleeve of a garment (shirt, coat, jacket, etc.) at the wrist, or at the ankle end of a trouser leg. The function of turned-back cuffs is to protect the cloth of the garment from fraying, an ...
s and collar, and dark blue pants. She is referred to by the name 'Carol' in the episode 'Death' when Sheila Broflovski hands her the phone at the protest with Cartoon Central.


Family

Randy and Sharon are the parents of two children: 10-year-old son Stan and 13-year-old daughter Shelley. Randy is generally a doting, well-meaning father to Stan, though their relationship has become strained in the several instances when Randy's irrational behavior and periodic alcoholism aggravate his son. As a result, Stan is usually led to question his father's intelligence. Randy has also taken an interest in learning how to play the same computer and video games Stan enjoys. Though Randy is often shown as being more fanatical in their upbringing efforts, Sharon has also been represented as an overzealous parent, such as when she kidnaps Officer Barbrady after he comes to investigate the disappearance of those Sharon had buried in her yard because she mistakenly thought they were Stan's murder victims. Randy has a habit of temporarily favoring alternatives to
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and imposing his new beliefs on his family. He easily persuaded Sharon to become an atheist, but was less successful in getting his entire family enthused about converting to
Mormonism Mormonism is the religious tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to various aspects of ...
. Although not shy about explaining
puberty Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a bo ...
to Stan, both Randy and Sharon are uncomfortable with the idea of having to talk with their son about sex and drugs. The relationship between the couple and their daughter Shelley has yet to receive significant attention on the show, although the episode " An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig" depicts them as taking Shelley's word over Stan's, at least at first.
Jimbo Kern The following are fictional characters in the American animated television series ''South Park''. The Marshes Stan Marsh Randy Marsh Randy Marsh is the most prominent parent on the show. He is named after the father of series co-creator Trey ...
had been portrayed as being both Sharon's and Randy's brother during the show's run, but an interview with series cocreator
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 ...
established him as being Randy's half-brother. According to 2020's "Pandemic Special", however, Jimbo is indeed Sharon's brother. As is the case with Shelley, whatever relationship either might have with Jimbo has not been the subject of any of the show's subplots. A similar situation exists with Marvin Marsh, a 102-year-old who lives with Randy and Sharon. Though he shares the same family name as Randy, both Randy and Sharon have acknowledged Marvin as their own father. The episode "
Spookyfish "Spookyfish" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series '' South Park''. The 28th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 28, 1998. The epi ...
" briefly featured Aunt Flo, an elderly aunt of Sharon's who is the personification of a woman's
period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Randy and Sharon South Park characters Animated duos Comedy film characters Fictional characters from Colorado Fictional cannabis users Fictional farmers Fictional geologists Fictional Democrats (United States) Fictional married couples Television characters introduced in 1997 Animated characters introduced in 1997 hu:Randy Marsh ru:Шерон Марш ru:Рэнди Марш