South Park has balls. Some are chocolate and salty. Others are mammoth and bouncy. They’ve even lost a pair along the way.

When South Park hits the air, there’s become an expectancy of ball-bustingly crude social commentary unlike any other program on television. Being a “ballsy” show goes beyond 4th graders from Colorado learning about proper condom use or saying the word “shit” 162 times. Matt Stone and Trey Parker have taken on celebrities, cultural institutions, religions, and at times shocked us really just for the hell of it. Through it all, they constantly redefine what to means to push the boundaries of their medium.

Debating the merits of each new episode is a pastime for us at Den of Geek and when it comes to the episodes that warrant the most discussion, “ballsy” comes to mind. We had six writers pick the episodes that elicit some of the series’ strongest responses and tell us why they think these episodes, for better or worse, stand out in South Park lure.

“Cartman Joins NAMBLA” (Season 4, Episode 5)

As “Cartman Joins NAMBLA”’s title might suggest, this brilliantly messed up piece of television doesn’t pull any punches. As Cartman finds himself feeling more mature than the rest of his friends, he ends up seeking more sophisticated playmates online using the keywords “Men Who Like Young Boys.” The repeated chat room sequences are inspired examples of escalating envelope-pushing (in a pre-To Catch A Predator world too, mind you) that culminate in not only Cartman joining the titular North American Man/Boy Love Association, but also becoming their spokes model.