`SOUTH PARK' ON HOME VIDEO.

Byline: - Rob Lowman

Kids say the darnedest things. Unless they are the 8-year-olds on Comedy Central's hit ``South Park,'' in which case kids say the !! things.

For those of you who haven't caught the antics of these foulmouthed tykes - Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Kenny - Warner Home Video is releasing three volumes (two episodes each) of the series today. So now you'll be able to watch Kenny get killed over and over again. It's sort of like watching the local news - except Kenny is a cartoon character and gets brought back every episode.

And why does Kenny get killed in every episode? Because, as ``South Park'' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone say during one of their fireside chats that accompany each episode, they can do anything they want with him. And that pretty much sums up the pair's thumb-their-nose or extended-middle-finger attitude toward their critics, who are upset over the caustic and adult content of the series. ``South Park's'' phenomenal success has caused some parents and teachers to protest the show.

Actually, Parker and Stone's reply to critics can be found in one of the video episodes, ``Death'' (Volume 3). In it, Stan faces a moral dilemma - 102-year-old Grandpa's birthday wish is for Stan to aid him in his suicide. Meanwhile, Kyle's mom has organized a protest against the boys' favorite TV show, ``Terrance and Phillip,'' because of its inappropriate content. South Park parents then follow her to the network headquarters in the big city, leaving the kids on their own to confront the Grim Reaper.

In the end, the kids somehow survive (except Kenny, of course) and learn a lesson about the sanctity of life. The parents, however, succeed in getting ``Terrance and Phillip,'' canceled in favor of reruns of the lame ``She's the Sheriff,'' starring Suzanne Somers. The kids don't understand why their parents are so upset over ``T&P.'' They think it's just their parents' guilt over using television as a baby sitter, and now that their favorite show is off the air, they contemplate exploring crack cocaine and porno movies in its place.

Nothing like throwing it back in their critics' faces. Being confrontational is a time-honored artistic tradition. Like Antonin Artaud, who created the Theatre of Cruelty more than 60 years ago, said: ``I realized the fact that the only language which I could have with an audience was to bring bombs out of my pockets and throw them in the audience's face.''

Stone and Parker are hardly trying to be so artistic or subversive (though some of the ways that Kenny gets killed seem pretty cruel). But the bombs they're throwing are funny and smart, and ``South Park'' is right on target as both entertainment and social satire.

And there is no end to the series in sight. Recently, ``South Park'' had the highest ratings for any basic-cable program this year. It was also the highest-rated entertainment show on basic cable since 1990. And Comedy Central has a deal with Parker and Stone to write, produce and provide voices for another 40 episodes.

They're going to have to think of a lot of new ways to kill Kenny.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1) When the parents leave town to protest what they feel is an inappropriate TV show, the boys in ``South Park'' must face the Grim Reaper alone.

(2) ``South Park'' episodes on home video feature between-show chats with creators Matt Stone, left, and Trey Parker.