The Tragic Loss of Chef

[@pokemonmanic3595]

Honestly the way Stan says “Chef, we love you” just gets me, Trey and Matt really did love Isaac.

[@wolfiethefurrygamer1908]

You ain't the only one, it breaks my heart

[@maybe8985]

Yeah I still find the initial beef particularly petty (before the release of this episode)

[@sandwichgod692]

He was the perfect character to say it too.

[@Dj87887]

I used to listen to Isaac every morning on 98.7. (Nyc)

[@mullaoslo]

​@@maybe8985we have to remember in the great scheme of things they didn't know each other that well.. It's not like they had a lifelong friendship so misunderstandings can and did happen..

[@liesebeam8910]

My favorite detail relating to chef is that he's the only adult that the kids see in the anime style in good times with weapons. It's genuinely sweet!

[@cailieisidro5758]

I remember that and he looks cool

The guy that sold the weapons was animated

[@shybie2798]

Yeah! It actually feels like he never lost a bit of his inner child thus why he saw them as that. Which to me adds that level of depth Chef had and his connection with the main boys TTOTT

[@stagnantlasagna]

When Chef says "ok Children we're almost to China" while on the South Park school bus makes me laugh so fucking hard everytime. The thought of a Colorado school bus driving all the way to China is just so fucking stupid and hilarious to me

[@animefan2454]

It's probably one of my favorite jokes, lol

[@ridensroom6957]

And I love how scared he is of Mrs Crabtree too.

[@mistertagomago7974]

Holy shit that one went completely over my head lmao.

[@delphoxhoopa7289]

It's honestly sad that we lost one of the most iconic characters in the show because of factors that were literally out of the voice actor's control. Hopefully he's at peace now.

[@Fapaljack]

ill never forgive scientology

[@Bunderboats]

He quit

[@bnbnism]

​@@Bunderboatsbecause he was made to by Scientology and they wrote statements pretending to be from him and caused his death real shame

[@bobbylasers]

He died a long time ago. Issac Hayes was much more than chef from south park. It's kinda lame this is all he is to some people.

[@losisansgaming2628]

​@@Bunderboats no he didn't! He was recovering from a stroke and under the care of some scientoligists who saw the episode and resigned for him. He had no say in the matter

[@TheCheat420]

6:30 I miss when Jesus was a regular resident of South Park with a talk show.

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

The 90s was a different time

[@hsbdbsjsjebbdbsbsb370]

I miss the devil

[@Jekyll_Jackal]

Oh yeah, Manbearpig took him out​@@hsbdbsjsjebbdbsbsb370

[@jessicahutchinson9347]

@@hsbdbsjsjebbdbsbsb370 he gave himself up to try to save the town from Manbearpig 😔

[@BugsyFoga]

At times I just think how with chef dead the boys lost the only true adult they could ever look up to, and that’s pretty heartbreaking, almost makes me wonder if Matt and Trey ever had any regrets with ending off the character the way they did after Isaac Hayes unfortunate passing.

[@SUDAGANGTV]

Yea thinking the same thing, it was pretty brutal... Edit: Was pretty funny at the time

[@LegendStormcrow]

I'm sure they have. There is a reason he shows back up a few times, even if he's being puppeted. Even using him turns him into a puppet, so that's why it's rarely done.

[@AvengedHate26]

I think I’m an interview after his passing they did display regret for how things ended especially once it was found out he actually had no say. Or what ever the deal was

[@CreoTan]

I always think about how chef was the only good and true father figure cartman ever had

[@maybe8985]

The only adults I see filling this void are Big Gay Al and Mr Slave tbh.

[@AdThe1st]

Issac Hayes III coming in to play Chef's son would genuinely make me cry

[@jackblack3718]

I think he's also talked about possibly coming back *as* Chef, though he says it's "too real" right now.

[@SixteesixMapping]

@@jackblack3718 what does "too real" mean?

[@jackblack3718]

@@SixteesixMapping too emotional/painful

[@CyPhaSaRin]

see a therapist maybe? fuck bro its a cartoon, like i get it, i was there for probably the first season, 99/00ish, but its a fkn CARTOON lol.

[@ravene9978]

​@@CyPhaSaRin????

[@KicktheSky34]

Chef’s departure really was kind of the turning point for this show. I feel like the kids really got a lot more cynical and self-reliant (in a bad way) after his death.

[@cailieisidro5758]

I could honestly see that especially since they always approached him for guidance as the other adults were hardly any help to them at all. Although, Stan gotten worse due to Randy’s shenanigans (Despite being my 2nd favorite character) along with the You’re Getting Old episode

[@tenacious645]

I disagree entirely. For me, the show's best episodes came after Chef was gone.

[@barkdawg]

​@@tenacious645he didn't say the show got worse after chef just that the kids got more shitty after he was gone

[@KicktheSky34]

@@tenacious645 Never said they didn't. Just saying Chef leaving impacted the characters, for better or worse.

[@ds2561]

A headcanon when I was binge watching the show when I was younger, the Cartman, Kyle, Stan, and Kenny were all orphans and were living with foster parents, and Chef was a father figure to them 4.

[@FakeTrashbags]

31:24 Having Ceric read that quote was absolutely DIABOLICAL 💀😂

[@weathermansam2]

Oh my GOSH what a perfect choice

[@alex-rw2yg]

That is so fucking funny omgggg I love that he’s getting better work now 😭😭

[@kittenishkitten]

lol I stopped in my tracks and checked to see if anyone else noticed 😂

[@nikkimvee4710]

Can someone provide context? All I know about Ceric Artman was it was an AI content mill. Did Johnny use the "voice"? What was relevant about the quote?

[@RealJohnnyAngel]

​@nikkimvee4710 the voice was an actual human voice actor. Blooms spoke to him over a call. But the channel owners may have cloned his voice for some things.

[@claytonrios1]

I always get a bit teary eyed when I have to face Zombie Chef in Stick of Truth. But that just makes me want to beat Clyde all the more. Isaac Hayes was a national treasure.

[@liamnehren1054]

before that fruity little club messed with his brain, we don't know what caused his heart attack for all we know it was the brainwashing his fruity little club did to him.

[@ZachariahMorningstar]

He wasnt just some Token Black guy , that was Tolkien. Chef was a strong male leader , who wasnt perfect, but he had always the children's best interest at heart..... until that last episode

[@ayafujimiya3220]

TOKEN NOT TOLKIEN PERIOD

[@TheFunkyFrogwastaken]

@@ayafujimiya3220what do you mean Token, what couple of black people would name their kid Token? They just like The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings

[@blacksmoke6292]

​@ayafujimiya3220 I'm confused...why are you calling him Token? It's spelt Tolkien.

[@neworldfool9625]

He just doesn’t know or didn’t like the joke they made in the show lol

[@giantturd5157]

​@@ayafujimiya3220dude, not cool. Just because he's the only black kid you're gonna call him Token?

[@will2316]

Damn I miss Chef. “Alright, everyone get in a line so I can whoop all yo asses”

[@tahleahtheegg]

Honestly, Chef is one of the first characters I think of when someone mentions Southpark, I wished we had more time with Isaac Hayes

[@chadsummerchild1120]

I thought it was funny that even if he’s just talking to one of the boys he still address them as children not child or by their own name.

[@StainsStainsStains]

except for the one time he called cartman "lil cracker"

[@jtszabo1691]

I can’t hear about the Loch Ness monster without thinking about chef’s parents, that bit has lived rent-free in my head for over 25 years

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Same 🤣

[@fsolisiii]

Tree Fiddy

[@redherronrecords]

That's how a whole generation of us learned that you never give the Loch Ness Monster no godddamn tree-fiddy. They were teachers, Matt and Trey.

[@richievibzztmsrichie5201]

Facts and I’m only 23

[@mathieuwilkens3721]

I.. I need about tree-fiddy...

[@Flower_Mom]

I miss Chef. RIP Issac Hayes. I love your idea of having a previously unknown son of Chef's voiced by Hayes' actual son becoming a part of the show. I think it'd be a sweet way to carry on the legacy of both the character and the man behind him.

[@willow4371]

I just found out Issac Hayes took my Nana to homecoming when they were in school together. She said when they went he was sweet to her and she was shocked to hear he initially passed. They stopped talking before he started voice acting Chef tho.

[@cailieisidro5758]

Wait, that’s actually wholesome but it’s still sad to hear about Issac Hayes’ passing

[@KylerWulff]

That is so cool!

[@limehawk4989]

That's a cool story if its true! Rip Hayes anf chef

[@Paragonoflaziness]

She stopped talking to a music star?

[@willow4371]

@@Paragonoflaziness I was born in Flint, Mi and that’s where most of her children and grandchildren were born. My Nana just turned 80 this past year for reference and she said she always knew he was good at music. She had her first kid by the time she was 20/21 so I just think she wasn’t paying that much attention to him at that point till she heard he was making music and it was doing amazing. All she really said is they lost contact after school.

[@RealRainbowRapidash]

It’s silly, but whenever I come home, I greet my pets with “hello there children!”

[@miltonblipp]

31:23 broooo good call on having Ceric read the quote 😂

[@RobSavagejr]

brooooooooo i was dieing, this is incredible lmao

[@ZycheCiorre]

Great way to make it seem even more of a "Not written b y a real person" response lol.

[@chaoticintrovert947]

That VA they hired for the channel is probably taking whatever work he can get now that the Ceric Artman channel is pretty much dead.

[@niziggz]

💯

[@STEPHxCA]

Absolutely brilliant!

[@TheCheat420]

"Hello there children!" "Hey Chef." "How's it going?" "Bad." "Why bad?"

[@ConsciusVeritasVids]

"You see, children..."

[@generalbanana1885]

"Hello there children!" "Chef, what would a priest want to stick up our butts?" "Goodbye."

[@giantturd5157]

I read this in the exact cadence as the show. And always will. RIP Isaac.

[@qwoodz777]

Man my 7th grade year in 2006, Isaac Hayes came too my school and performed for us, right before he left he walked up to my row and said “Hello Children” just like Chef and had all of us rotfl 🤣. (RIP)

[@angelsartandgaming]

Man this video makes me realize just how much Chef meant to me as a kid. Because I was one of those kids who was allowed to watch South Park as long as I didn't copy the swears, and boy did a lot of those jokes fly over my head!! But Chef was someone I wanted as a dad because I didn't grow up with a dad for a while until later in my life. Someone who could sing, give good advice in a world I didn't get, just be the coolest dude out there. And I feel bad for my mom because yes I sang the chocolate salty balls song, no I didn't get it the innuendos, oh dear Lord my poor mom. But either way, it makes me wonder what would have happened if things were different.

[@The_Libationist]

Ima be honest, I didn’t know until this video that Isaac Hayes had a whole career in music and film before South Park. He’s always just been the guy who voiced Chef to me. Funny to think he was much bigger than South Park at the beginning.

[@mrq.1236]

This is so funny to me cause I only knew Isaac Hayes for music, for about 7 years now. It was only a few months ago I found out Chef was voiced by Hayes. I’ve only watched a handful of episodes and never really liked South Park so it was never something I picked up on

[@furonguy42]

I'd never heard the part about someone else quitting on his behalf. I suppose, based on what Isaac the Third said, if he was recovering from a stroke and couldn't speak nor even really comprehend a lot of things, someone would have _had_ to resign on his behalf, its just really unfortunate timing that it had to happen so close to the release of the Scientology episode and that the church would later take advantage of the situation with that bogus press release.

[@damienallbran]

Tbf I would think that instead of resigning it would've been that Hayes would've just needed to step away from the show for a while to heal before coming back, the fact that it happened after the Scientology episode and was done by a Scientologist does make me think that it was done in reaction.

[@nidohime6233]

There is even a urban legend around about how the scientiology church was behind his dead. There is no proves about it, but knowing how shady they are is not impossible.

[@thomasneal9291]

Isaac Hayes quit the show long before he had his stroke. His son is retconning. Jesus, are you clowns simply unable to tell time or something? watch the video AGAIN. It was Isaac himself who asked Matt and Trey to pull the episode originally.

[@honeyOTU_]

⁠@@thomasneal9291i think im gonna take the word of his son over some random on youtube lmaoooo

[@oz_jones]

Why are you defending a cult?

[@DougSalad]

It took until this video for me to realize: Chef did the Braveheart speech against the turkeys. Braveheart is about Scottish history. So it would then make sense that he's actually Scottish, and that's where his parents live.

[@TheCheat420]

I didn't realize how much I genuinely miss Chef

[@loganayotte3471]

Hearing ceric artmans voice artist threw me off so hard 31:52

[@AdThe1st]

I was so confused lol

[@Grvphte]

It’s kinda funny what Johnny says after the ceric read lmao. I see what you did there.

[@sharkyyy134_bs2]

Dude frrrrrrr im glad he is getting work lol

[@bimbodoki]

I lost my mind 😂😂😂😂

[@elstovon]

The episode is one of their best commentaries for me. Their genuine sadness over a loss of a friendship and collaborator led them to write one of the most heartbreaking episodes. It really is what it’s like to lose a loved one to a cult, a religion, or a radical political belief.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

South Park without Isaac Hayes is like The Simpsons without Phil Hartman, although I think Trey and Matt have done much better at trying to fill the void.

[@polocatfan]

Yeah I love Gil Gunderson, but he's no Lionel Hutz.

[@guldmattbb473]

This is a perfect comparison tbh. Neither show was ever really the same after those losses.

[@giantturd5157]

​@@polocatfanPoor Gil

[@anthonygordon9483]

Man I miss Phil Hartman. That was the prime of me watching the SImpsons. They would change up the character sometimes but you knew it was always Phil Hartman.

[@DomSharpeXL]

Ceric Artman cameo is hilarious

[@BuddhaBot]

4:05 I mean, yeah, this is back then when Kenny died every episode. Matt and Trey loved their one note formulas back then. To their credit they switched up Chef’s deal long before they decided to do anything else with Kenny. Now it’s so rare that Kenny he dies, it’s a treat.

[@oz_jones]

They killed Kenny? You bastards!

[@weik-2936]

One thing I noticed about the show post Chef is how much nastier Cartman (and Stan and Kylt too but mostly Cartman) became, like he never was a saint, and he did some pretty terrible stuff before Chef died (Scott Tenorman Must Die), but after something changed in Cartman, he became truly sick, twisted, bigoted, and hateful, like without the calm and reasonable Chef to look up to and seek advice from, Cartman lost any inhibitions on his worst behaviors

[@gracesreadsalotayy182]

If you think about it. He lost a father figure.

[@weik-2936]

@gracesreadsalotayy182 he lost his ONLY father figure

[@nikkimvee4710]

I really hope Season 27 can like, correct this even a little. It's insane to me Jimbo never connected more with Cartman, and the two being the "father/son" pair for paintball in Help, My Teenager Hates me felt really important and just right. He could always have connected a little with Liane or something. Would make for a great episode where Cartman starts to get on Stan's nerves becoming closer to being cousins with him.

[@weik-2936]

@nikkimvee4710 I can't see that happening, cartman's fundamental problem is that in any relationship he has its all take and no give, he expects people to cater to HIS whims at all times, it's why his relationship with his mom has been deteriorating of late, she's sick of it, and I can't see Jimbo putting up with Cartman either, not for long in any case, that's what made Chef unique and irreplaceable (both in the show and in his relationship to cartman), he was able to put up with cartman's shit (which of course wasn't as bad before chef died) and be firm with Cartman in putting a stop to his crap

[@chancedream1583]

Actually, I feel like the main boys were already starting to become cynical a little before Chef died with Stan and Kyle becoming more mature by season 7 and with Cartman becoming an full blown sociopath by season 5 plus Chef was starting to appear less and less on the show in his last three seasons with him only having one speaking role during season 9

[@FairyPrincessNia]

That “Return of Chef” episode fucked me up as a teenager.

[@rubenrodriguez3252]

Yeah I saw it as a 8 year old as one of my first episodes to the show. Crazy to say I loved it

[@BrigetteMichaelis]

When I was a teenage the episode I saw Paris Hilton go up Mr. Slaves ass fucked me up for a short time.

[@joolsmacgrools1288]

I actually hate that episode and always have. And I'm a die hard South Park fan, but that episode has never sat well with me.

[@OfLanceTheLonginus]

Horrible episode

[@PoopdeckPatty]

The splicing of clips of chefs dialogue is hilarious. One of the funniest, yet bittersweet, episodes of the show.

[@reubenisaac702]

8:10 if you pause it at the right moment, you can see either Matt or Trey's hand animating Chef. I've never noticed that before.

[@HeavenIsEmpty1031]

Tbh it’s probably Eric Stough (an animator friend, big head at South Park and inspiration for Butters) he helped with the animation for the first episode as well.

[@waa_baa_kee]

I thought I was getting Tyler Durden-ed for a minute.

[@mathieuleader8601]

it would be good if we got an It's A Wonderful Life episode where Stan or Cartman wishes they where never born & Chef appeared as the guardian angel to guide them through the alternate South Park.

[@guldmattbb473]

Sadly, I don’t really think they’d really want to use Chef in a role that big anymore without Isaac.

[@elite3DIY]

I love the idea of Issac’s son playing a Chef jr. I feel like it would be a great addition to the show

[@cailieisidro5758]

Hope it does come true

[@heartache5104]

I really like to think that chef helped me not turn into a south park character, not be up my own ass and have some empathy, he was always the character I could trust that when he was helping the boys he was actually worth listening to and his death really did hurt, especially when I learnt about why..doubly so after learning the true reality. I was way too young to be watching the show but if I wasn't that young I might have let those circumstances taint the memories and lessons, instead I did just what the kids did...hate the stupid cult that stole him from us, still feel weird about Tom Cruise all these years later. Hope you're resting well Isaac, or making sweet love in the afterlife if it does exist, you deserve it.

[@noah_farmer]

I remember I always thought the episode that was “recapped” at the beginning of return of chef was real and being mad I couldn’t find it when I was a kid

[@rvawildcardwolf2843]

That was a really fun little trick.

[@AngelPerez-tu1nk]

Chef's absence can still be felt today. He really was special and it's blatantly obvious the kids still need an adult figure they can trust. It's not fair and I will always hate that fruity little club for taking Chef away from us

[@oz_jones]

Interestingly, the boys are nastier now. I know it has nothing to do with Hayes' departure, since it was so long ago but in-universe it's quite obvious - they lost a father figure. Cartman lost his ONLY father figure.

[@AngelPerez-tu1nk]

@@oz_jones Yeah, Chef really was an achor and shield for the boys

[@SoundwaveSC]

There's been more South Park without Chef than with him, and yet the show has never felt the same without him.

[@ciy_ro]

31:41 not the ceric artman voice

[@MexicanMan-nx7ku]

Im glad im not only one who noticed 😂😂😂

[@überatzig]

I mean the voice actor actually seems to be a pretty nice dude…the rest of the guys from this channel not really tho😅

[@maxhadanidea]

who is that guy

[@matthewgwyn123]

Hahahah I was like waaaaat lol

[@rickysprangle4523]

Wait, is that voice not AI? I'm so confused by all the Ceric Artman stuff 😂

[@123theprodigy5]

Man, South Park isn’t the same without chef. they should get Isaac Hayes three to voice one of his lost children. That would be a great way to pay tribute to chef.

[@tomaO2]

21:22 I remember back when Kids React was a thing. There was an interracial couple for an ad they watched, and they had to guess why it was controversial. None of them were able to figure out the answer. The idea of not seeing colour, while not an absolute, is a real thing.

[@tomcurl8034]

Chef was a pillar of his community and I’m sad that both the character and the actor Isaac Hayes are sadly no longer with us and I’m mad at Scientology for forcing Isaac to quit the show when he couldn’t make decisions fully by himself after his stroke and I’m sad that he had a stroke. But it’s better that we had both the performer and the character in our lives in the first place, then to never have them at all, and the fact that everybody misses him so much is because we love him so much.

[@smokepotion6981]

33:45 Fun fact, the super adventure club was actually real, and had a website and everything. it was dropped after the 'Chef Return's' episode due to the spotlight being on them.

[@kaiserv88]

Omg, this is crazy… I searched Isaac Hayes music. And his most famous song is used in a Dutch children series, Bassie en Adriaan. The nostalgia is real.

[@kaiserv88]

Wow, this is still coming back to me, suddenly I feel very happy

[@km5384]

Shaft

[@malcolmsnormaladventure]

Literally binging through South Park rn(season 4 rn) and it breaks my heart every time chef is on screen knowing he’s gonna die soon

[@thesodorsamurai2002]

You have to admit that after he died, it felt like a huge chunk of the show was missing after that. It's also a surprise that Chef still continues to be an iconic character in the franchise, shows how much of an impact he and Hayes had on the show.

[@jsb7778]

I've always been a little bitter about Matt & Trey never fully addressing the truth when Isaac III spoke out (even if it was 8-9 years later). I've always thought we needed 1 more episode (maybe a P+ movie?) revolving around Chef to truly put everything to rest, especially because there's still "fans" out there who think Isaac "left because he's soft". I've always loved the pitch of Isaac III coming in & voicing Chef's long lost son (I was surprised Johnny had the same pitch), revealing some truth about everything that happened in someway. It'd be a perfect finale to Chef's story & would be even better if Isaac's/Chef's son continued being prominent in the show, to carry on both their legacies in a way.

[@harryfromends]

Lmao the Ceric Artman voice actor use is brilliant - great vid Johnny & a touching tribute to Chef!

[@ar1456]

I vividly remember being like 7 and seeing Chef's death scene on TV, completely out of context. It is an unfortunate core memory.

[@ChaserNeos]

It was sad losing Chef and I think having someone to be a trustworthy adult may have helped the boys. But I wouldnt necessarily change what we got. Also, I loved how you got Ceric tovread that statement from Isaac Hayes. That was brilliant.

[@InfiniteSkiegh]

Glad I'm not the only one that caught that. 😂

[@Lynn17]

I remember being shocked to the core when they killed off Chef, and finding out the truth about Isaac Hayes' departure (not to mention his death) makes it all the sadder. Chef really WAS the best adult character on the show. I also never made the connection between his death and the kids' struggles getting harder, but if Chef had still been around, "You're Getting Old" might have ended differently. (YMMV on whether or not that'd be a good thing.)

[@Spitfyre1011]

Somehow I missed the fact that the statement was probably not written by Isaac and that he had had a stroke by then and was basically being puppeted by that fruity little club. That's devastating. I hope his family has found some peace because that's an awful thing to go through.

[@chancellorjake]

I totally forgot that Chef's parents introduced the legendary Tree Fiddy Loch Ness Monster joke.

[@MiamiMarkYT]

For me the death of Chef is where my feelings towards South Park really begin to shift from deeply devoted fandom for the show to something I’ll watch every now and then. I’ve seen all of the first 11 or 12 seasons but I haven’t watched a single season from start to finish in a very long time now. I know the old South Park can’t come back, not just because of Hayes’ passing but because the show has grown and changed in a way that tons of fans genuinely love. I’m happy the creators still find a passion to make this show all the same and I’ll still watch it here and there. But for me it hasn’t been a gold standard of can’t miss cartoons for a while and losing Chef played a big part in that.

[@anabanaification]

I absolutely agree. I grew up watching South Park and would rewatch each season from beginning to end. But watching Chef returns just changed the tone for me. It really messed me up as a teenager seeing a beloved character essentially being rewritten as a pedophile and then brutally killed. I couldn't see the humor of it, even if it was trying to make a jab at Scientology. I think the tone of the series just became bitter and disturbing.

[@JK-gm6kk]

My silly cover band i was in in my early 20's. We covered "Chocolate Salty Balls", and we ended up being goaded into playing it every show we did. Despite not always wanting to play it. Looking back, was some of my favorite memories

[@ericsmith5770]

My uncle used to say “Hello Chillin” like chef when my cousins and I were little. I didn’t know where it came from until watching South Park in High School.

[@jackiedan2450]

15 years later, this has finally been put to rest in my thoughts. I always wondered what happened after the send off episode they gave chef. Great video.

[@Taliysin]

I genuinely didn’t wanna watch this video because of how sad I knew it was gonna make me, but I knew it was gonna be an incredible quality video so I kind of had to. We miss you chef, we miss you, Isaac

[@hootinthedark]

I was disappointed that Darth Chef wasn't a thing later on. But it's cool that Chef returned in Stick of Truth. Also, I hated PC Principle when he first arrived, but became a better character later on. And I agree that Issac's son would be great as Chef's illegitimate son.

[@AngryKidaardman1998]

Every now and then I think about how if chef never died or just returned, how he’d react to iconic characters that came after him like butters’ grandma, pc principal, bucky bailey, scott, the mormon family, nathan and mimzi, etc. it’s really sad how long it’s been since his death. It’s also

[@StarKaiser2]

Yeah if anything after Chef died it turned Cartman even more evil Chef was the real father figure for Cartman and losing him only caused him to slip further and further into the darkness

[@ANIpJs]

Chef's chocolate salty balls actually got some radio play when I was growing up.

[@davidabraxas]

As an adult and a father, I love chef now more than before. Remembering him hits hard.

[@oz_jones]

He was a father figure to the boys, especially Cartman.

[@Neckbeardlevel]

That Elton John song "Wake up Wendy" from the Chief Aid album is really underrated.

[@crescentfreshsongs]

I miss a lot of the early characters and dynamics that have been sidelined or outright ditched, but Chef's exit was a massive blow that changed the series forever. I'm just glad that the story got cleared up before Isaac passed, it would have been heartbreaking if everyone was still blaming him when he died. R.I.P. Isaac Hayes, a legend before, during, and forever after South Park.

[@Fringles_The_First]

18:46 Demoman: I got a manky eye. I'm a black, Scottish cyclops. They've got more feckin sea monsters in the Great Lochness and they've got the likes of me.

[@barrythemoviedemon]

I always loved the bit where he called them "children" even when it was just one of them and he knew their name.

[@TheCopyNinja733]

I’ve only watched the Return of Chef once, and every time it comes up in my run, I skip it. That’s the only one I skip

[@CaptainCat101]

I still can't believe that we have more seasons of South Park without Chef than with. We'll miss him and Isaac Hayes

[@SirLiamTheGreat]

I honestly hope Chef gets brought back some how. Hes just such an iconic part of the show

[@CharlieSimmer27]

i grew up watching south park and definitely noticed chef's departure before i was old enough to fully understand everything that had gone on behind the scenes. chef is one of the most interesting south park characters and he actually had a lot of depth compared to a lot of new characters. i had never heard the statement from isaac hayes' son until watching this video, and it just made me feel sadder about the whole situation. rip isaac

[@OHPancrat]

If you think about it this was the first we all heard about what scientology is capable of

[@lucasvincent3021]

Hayes died a little less than 2 years after I was born but going back and watching early South Park, I understand why he was so beloved. May he rest in peace

[@alexvaughan1013]

In The Succubus, Kenny low-key saves the day. Even though you can't understand him, he actually figures out how to defeat the Succubus. Sadly, the only recognition he gets is Cartman stealing his eyes!

[@whatsupranchdubois]

not ashamed to say I cried my eyes out at chef's final episode. growing up, my mom got sucked into a scientology rabbit hole when tom cruise lost it on matt lauer, and I went in with her. we're still absolute fiends for documentaries and stories about it. the scientology south park is such a masterpiece, and chef's goodbye is too. I will also continue to quote the loch ness monster bit as long as I'm alive lol

[@Madmankey13]

You know a character was amazing when even Cartman is sad that they died

[@he-lium]

31:23 Using Ceric Artman's voice is pretty wild!!!

[@AngryMothNoises]

Chef was always my fav character. To me, South Park feels a bit empty with out him. I am glad to know that Chef no longer being in South Park isn't because of Issac Hayes not wanting anything to do with the show because of that episode. But its sad to think someone spoke for him.

[@leonardoavalos1]

Funny thing, I used to do yard work in a house near Memphis when I was in college. They said it belonged to someone famous used to live in that house, but I didn’t recognize the name. Then I started watching South Park and it hit me, oh that’s Issac Hayes’ old house (this was way after he passed).

[@Johnastona]

How dare KZbin gatekeep me from this video for a minute

[@perrytheplatypus4620]

i love how there's been more and more videos covering chef as of recently, talk about a character who's getting the attention he truly deserves

[@ElArchivodeDarkSpider094]

It's so insane how by this point Chef has appeared less than half of the show Legitimately sobering Curse you, fruity little club of Xenu

[@WHIKKEDDDD]

40 minutes of gold. great video Johnny. sad that we lost such a vital character so soon, but i’m so glad we got chef for as long as we did

[@marcusmyers4822]

I’m sure Matt and Trey must have thought about having his son play Chef’s son, but I’m guessing either they feel like it’s better to leave Chef’s legacy as is, or his son just isn’t interested in playing Chef’s son and they don’t want to offer the part to anyone else.

[@tonywa7272]

I am now pissed off by the Issac's assistants/relatives who under the influence of Scientology to tell Mark and Tray on the behalf of Isaac that he is not interested in voice acting as Chef anymore, even though internally Issac didn't leave his role at all. Mark and Tray should have directly talk to Issac, and things would have been more smoother.

[@veezopolis]

Ive been waiting for this video for YEARS

[@smashbattle6969]

To this very day I have never gotten over chef’s death one of the most saddest death of a fictional character I have ever witness in my life wish the character was still around

[@AddisonSandoval]

I know you dressed it up nice, but I always thought it was so sad the way Matt and Trey responded in such a reactionary petty way. Because I think we all know the episode wouldn't have turned out that way if they'd known what really happened to Issac's legacy.

[@exowars]

Episodes 200 and 201 were the perfect episodes South Park created against Scientology and much more. I wish they weren't taken down

[@BadhatHarry-t3l]

They haven't, you must be broke lol

[@SamMacYT]

The pronunciation of Edinburgh at 18:59 is killing me 😭

[@mattyl8746]

We finally got the video! Chef was such a great character and a staple of the show for the first 9 years. It's unfortunate events unfolded the way they did, but it's also such a shame to realize that even if it hadn't been for his stroke(assuming he truly didn't intend to quit the show)we probably still would've lost the character at around the same point. If I'm not mistaken I think his health may have continued to decline in the years leading to his passing. Great video Johnny. Happy New Year.

[@edogelbard1901]

One day, people will forget that operation "Human Shield" was a commentary on the KIA disparity in the Vietnam war, and they will think it is genuinely racist lol 24:20 random hand. Fight club memories.

[@oz_jones]

I mean... the whites were operation behind [word i cannot use, starts with a d]. But yeah, true to Parker&Stone fashion they are making several points all at once.

[@arsonist7013]

To this day I still think of Chef of being one of the main characters even though he's been gone for almost 20 years. RIP Isaac Hayes.

[@MusicalSavior23]

Randy was NOT Stan's father yet in "Volcano". He was just the town geologist. Trey's father is a geologist so it was based on him. His father's name is Randolph, "Randy". Trey's mother's name is Sharon. A little esoteric. Yet, I have a feeling you know this lol.

[@oz_jones]

And Sheila is 100% accurate representation of Trey's sister. Allegedly.

[@darby2314]

Chef has a replacement, his name is Mr. Derp. "If you like Chef, then you're gonna love, Mr.Derp!" We don't like to talk about him...

[@EdwinShy3200]

I admit Chef's Death is the only one in the entire show I couldn't stomach and tramatized me when I was 13 when the episode first aired And still does its why I always skip The Return of Chef episode whenever it reruns on Comedy Central, since Chef was my favorite on South Park and I was a fan Issac Hayes fan growing up as a kid Still miss Issac Hayes and Chef but at least both live on in the many older episodes and songs he sang

[@undisclosedidentity9893]

Chef was a father figure to all the boys (especially Cartman, who lacked a father figure in his life) Chef was the voice of reason for the entire town, and he looked after the boys like they was his own.

[@KCbricks21]

Happy holidays Johnny2cellos! Chef’s actors death is such a sad loss to everyone, even people that didn’t know him in real life.