Former South Park writer Bill Hader has shed light on the creative origins of the show’s legendary Fishsticks episode. While inducting series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in Los Angeles, Hader recounted the serendipitous moment that sparked the storyline, which famously drew the ire of Kanye West.

Hader, who served as a writer on the long-running animated series between 2008 and 2017, explained that the idea was born during a writer’s retreat in Seattle. While the team was observing salmon at the Ballard Locks, a casual observation from Matt Stone regarding a fish performing a stunt led to a bizarre, rapid-fire exchange between the creators.

“Matt said to Trey, ‘Man, imagine if one of these fish just was on a motorcycle and just Evil Knieveled all the other fish.’ And then Trey said, ‘Yeah, and he has a big fish dick.’ Silence. And Matt said, ‘Did you say fish stick or fish dick?’ Trey went, ‘Fish dick,’” Hader recalled during his speech.

The writers quickly realized they had stumbled upon a unique joke. After confirming via a Google search that the pun had not been used before, the team began brainstorming how to weaponize the joke against a celebrity known for lacking a sense of humor. “In unison we all said, ‘Kanye West,’” Hader noted.

The resulting episode, which featured the rapper struggling to understand the joke before eventually accepting his identity as a “gay fish,” became a cultural touchstone. Hader reflected on the duo’s writing process, noting that Parker and Stone approach every script with intense dedication, ensuring that the emotional stakes of the narrative are just as sharp as the comedy.

Over the years, the episode has remained a point of contention for West, who has referenced the parody in several tracks, including ‘Gorgeous’ and ‘Made In America.’ Despite the artist’s continued confusion regarding the joke, the episode remains one of the most memorable installments in the history of the show.