Former South Park writer Bill Hader has revealed the origins of the show's 'Fishsticks' storyline. Hader shared the details last Thursday, August 13, in Los Angeles while inducting the show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
Hader, who wrote for the animated series from 2008 to 2017, recalled that the idea for the season 13 episode emerged during a writer's retreat in Seattle. Parker and Stone were observing salmon at the Ballard Locks when the initial concept for the joke, playing on the words "fish sticks" and "fish dicks," came about.
The team then developed the storyline where Cartman's joke becomes globally popular, leading to Kanye West taking it seriously and becoming upset. The episode culminates with West's character accepting he is a "gay fish" and jumping into the ocean.
Kanye West has referenced the episode in several songs and interviews over the years, reportedly showing hostility towards it and demonstrating a lack of understanding of the joke.