Creek (fandom)
Romantic pairing of Tweek Tweak and Craig Tucker from South Park.
Creek is the name given by fans to the romantic relationship between Tweek Tweak and Craig Tucker, two characters from *South Park* who are in elementary school. They first clashed as rivals in the season three episode "Tweek vs. Craig." The pairing grew out of shipping culture, with fans creating artwork of the two together, and it became official in the season nineteen episode "Tweek x Craig." Within the *South Park* fandom, Creek is one of the most beloved ships, especially in fan-made works. Critics have largely praised it for offering a positive depiction of homosexuality.
The first major interaction between Tweek and Craig—and the only one before "Tweek x Craig"—was in "Tweek vs. Craig," which is often seen as the starting point for the ship. Fan art showing them as a couple first appeared on DeviantArt in 2005, and since then, fans have produced a large amount of artwork and stories featuring the pair. Creek has remained a highly celebrated ship in the fandom, with its popularity on FanFiction.net rivaled only by Style, the pairing of Stan and Kyle. In the season nineteen episode "The City Part of Town," which aired before "Tweek x Craig," Mayor McDaniels refers to Craig as possibly gay. After learning about the ship's popularity, the show's writers asked fans to submit yaoi artwork of Tweek and Craig for "Tweek x Craig," receiving about 1,500 pieces. In that episode, the boys are reluctant to start a relationship but eventually agree to be boyfriends to satisfy the town, leaving it unclear if their feelings are genuine. Later episodes confirm they stay together. Creek was the first piece of fan fiction ever featured on *South Park*. The video game *South Park: The Fractured but Whole* includes both characters as superheroes, with a side quest to collect yaoi portraits of them, a couples therapy session with Mr. Mackey, and a special move called Eros Eruption.
Collider ranked Creek as the second best relationship in the series, calling them a "normal and happy" couple and noting they remained together in the adult-focused specials "South Park: Post COVID" and "South Park: Post COVID: The Return of COVID." Kayla Cobb of Decider saw the ship, especially in "Tweek x Craig," as a satire of how political correctness can force someone into a group they don't agree with. Heidi MacDonald of The Beat described the show's use of yaoi as "close to mainstream"
- Field
- Fandom / Shipping
- Known for
- Romantic pairing of Tweek Tweak and Craig Tucker from South Park
- First major interaction
- Season 3 episode 'Tweek vs. Craig'
- Canon episode
- Season 19 episode 'Tweek x Craig'
- Popularity
- One of the most celebrated ships in the South Park fandom, rivaled only by Style
Lore & Background
Tweek Tweak and Craig Tucker are two background characters in South Park, whose first major interaction—and only one prior to 'Tweek x Craig'—was in season 3's 'Tweek vs. Craig'. The episode is often cited as the catalyst for the ship. The pairing of Tweek and Craig, commonly referred to as 'Creek', dates back to 2005, when fan-art depicting the two as a romantic couple began appearing on DeviantArt. 'Countless' pieces of fan-art and fan-fiction depicting Tweek and Craig have been created by fans. Since its inception, Creek has remained one of the most celebrated ships in the South Park fandom, maintaining a level of popularity on FanFiction.net rivaled only by Style, the romantic pairing of Stan and Kyle.
A reference to Craig's possible homosexuality appears in the season 19 episode 'The City Part of Town', in which Mayor McDaniels introduces him as such; the episode aired prior to 'Tweek x Craig', where the boys become romantically involved. Once the show's writers became aware of Creek's popularity, they posted to the series' official blog asking fans to submit yaoi artwork of Tweek and Craig to be featured in 'Tweek x Craig'; roughly 1,500 pieces of art were submitted. In the episode, Tweek and Craig are initially hesitant to begin a relationship, overwhelmed by the enthusiastic support they receive from the town of South Park. Ultimately, they decide to become boyfriends in order to appease South Park's residents. The episode's ending did not make it clear if the two were sincere in their relationship or if they were only putting on a facade for the town. Subsequent episodes confirm that Tweek and Craig remain in a relationship following 'Tweek x Craig'. Creek was the first piece of fan-fiction to ever be featured on South Park.
Reader's Guide
The pairing has been praised by critics for its positive representation of homosexuality, avoiding gay stereotypes and keeping the characters true to their established personalities. Tweek and Craig's differing personalities have been a point of discussion, with one critic analyzing their clashing behaviors in 'Put It Down' as representative of differing public opinion on potential nuclear warfare with North Korea. The ship's cultural impact extends to the video game South Park: The Fractured but Whole, which includes a side quest collecting yaoi of the two and a couples therapy session. Two episodes revolving around the ship—'Tweek x Craig' and 'Put It Down'—earned South Park two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Creek has been credited as one of the reasons for Yaoi's popularity in the United States, and Heidi MacDonald of The Beat called the show's use of yaoi as 'close to mainstream' as the genre has gotten.
Did You Know?
- Roughly 1,500 pieces of yaoi artwork were submitted by fans for the episode 'Tweek x Craig'.
- The video game South Park: The Fractured but Whole includes a side quest collecting yaoi portraits of Tweek and Craig.
- Two episodes revolving around Creek earned South Park Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
More in Characters & Voices
Elsewhere in South Park
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