Trey Parker.

Trey Parker

THE SOUTH PARK CO-CREATOR EMBRACES JAPANESE STYLE AT HIS COLORADO RETREAT

At the risk of destroying his reputation as a shamelessly profane, scatologically minded man-child, here are a few things about South Park co-creator Trey Parker that most people don't know.

He majored in Japanese at the University of Colorado; by his own estimation he's traveled to Japan between 50 and 60 times. In person he's thoughtful, articulate, polite and self-effacing. When reminiscing about childhood summers spent with his grandparents in the Colorado resort town of Steamboat Springs, Parker grows quiet and wistful; when discoursing on the elements of Japanese ryokan -style architecture, he grows . . . well, one supposes the only word for it is animated .

Indeed, Parker spends most of his public life in an animated state. He's not …