BASEketball: Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s Obscure Non-South Park Flick Deserves Some Love
Matt Stone and Trey Parker are two names that almost immediately conjure thoughts of their beloved animated series South Park, a cultural institution that has made audiences laugh, cringe, and reflect on the absurdities of life for over two decades. However, in the midst of their wild success with South Park, there’s another movie from their early career that often gets overlooked: BASEketball.
Released in 1998, BASEketball is a live-action sports comedy written and directed by Stone and Parker, who also star in the film. The movie is a bizarre and absurd take on the world of sports, blending basketball with baseball to create a fictional game—BASEketball—that is both ridiculous and oddly entertaining. Despite its cult status among fans of the duo, BASEketball is often dismissed or forgotten when discussing Stone and Parker’s body of work. However, BASEketball deserves more attention, as it showcases their sharp wit, subversive humor, and unique approach to comedy outside of South Park.
A Hilarious and Insane Concept
The premise of BASEketball centers around two childhood friends, Joe Cooper (Trey Parker) and Doug Remer (Matt Stone), who invent a hybrid sport—BASEketball—by combining basketball with elements of baseball. The game is played on a basketball court, but instead of dribbling the ball and shooting for points, players have to “throw” the ball to hit various bases, with all the eccentric rules that come with it. The catch is that they’re not particularly skilled at the sport, making their antics even funnier.
As the duo’s new game quickly becomes a national sensation, the movie introduces a hilarious ensemble of characters, including a rich and absurdly selfish owner (played by Robert Vaughn) and a slick, greedy businessman (played by Yasmine Bleeth). These characters and their antics satirize the commercialization of sports, an idea that would become a central theme in Stone and Parker’s later South Park episodes.
Subversive Humor: Parker and Stone’s Signature Style
While BASEketball isn’t as well-known as South Park, it contains much of the same sharp, satirical humor that made their animated series such a phenomenon. The film expertly mocks the culture of professional sports, the bloated egos of athletes, and the absurdity of commercialization. There’s a running gag about how the players have to act like “sports stars,” with the game being marketed like the next big thing. Stone and Parker use their comedic lens to expose the silliness of how sports can be treated as both a business and a cultural phenomenon.
But the humor isn’t just confined to the world of sports—it transcends that. The dialogue is quick and witty, filled with zingers and ridiculous one-liners that fans of South Park would instantly recognize. The absurdity of the film itself—especially the bizarre sport at the center of it all—feels very much in line with the off-kilter, anti-establishment tone that Stone and Parker are known for. It’s unapologetically ridiculous, and that’s what makes it so charming.
The Performances and Chemistry of Parker and Stone
One of the film’s greatest strengths is the undeniable chemistry between its two leads, Parker and Stone. As the two childhood friends who unwittingly become sports legends, their performances feel natural and effortlessly funny. Their delivery of the outrageous lines and physical comedy gags is impeccable, and it’s clear that they had a blast making the movie.
The film doesn’t take itself seriously at all, and Parker and Stone fully embrace the absurdity of their characters. They play up the immaturity of their personas, which adds to the fun. Their partnership on-screen is as entertaining as it is endearing, and it makes the film’s chaotic energy feel cohesive. Their offbeat charm elevates the material, making it far more enjoyable than a typical sports comedy could have been.
The Cult Following and Legacy
Though it didn’t set the box office on fire, BASEketball has gained a cult following over the years. Fans of Stone and Parker’s humor appreciate its over-the-top absurdity and its willingness to not take itself seriously. For those who appreciate offbeat, satirical comedies with an anti-establishment flair, BASEketball fits the bill perfectly.
It also showcases the duo’s knack for blending sharp, irreverent humor with a love for the oddball, goofy side of pop culture. Much like their later work on South Park, BASEketball subverts expectations, poking fun at the things we hold dear—sports, fame, and the American obsession with entertainment. It’s an important film in the broader context of Parker and Stone’s career because it reflects their early commitment to pushing boundaries and defying conventions, something that would become a hallmark of South Park.
Moreover, BASEketball serves as a great entry point for fans of South Park who might not be familiar with Parker and Stone’s earlier work. The film offers a taste of the type of comedy that would evolve into the biting, satirical, and frequently controversial style that defines South Park. Watching it is almost like seeing the seeds of the duo’s later success, and it’s a glimpse into how they would use humor to tackle issues like corporate greed, celebrity culture, and the absurdity of American life.
Conclusion: A Diamond in the Rough
In the shadow of South Park, BASEketball might never receive the same level of recognition or acclaim, but it remains an essential part of Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s creative journey. The film may not be a cinematic masterpiece, but it offers exactly what fans of the duo would expect—irreverent humor, ridiculous situations, and a good-natured satire of everything from sports to fame.
If you’re a fan of South Park or simply enjoy a good laugh that doesn’t take itself seriously, BASEketball is worth revisiting. It might be an oddball, obscure gem in the duo’s catalog, but it’s a film that showcases their humor and subversive wit in its purest form. So, give it the love it deserves—it may not have the fame of South Park, but it’s undeniably fun, funny, and refreshingly absurd.
