Guitar Queer-O

"Guitar Queer-O!"
South Park episode
Stan and Kyle attempt to earn 1,000,000 points in Guitar Hero and achieve superstardom.
Episode no.	Season 11 Episode 13
Directed by	Trey Parker
Written by	Trey Parker
Production code	1113
Original air date	November 7, 2007
Episode chronology
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List of South Park episodes

"Guitar Queer-O" is episode 1113 (#166) of Comedy Central's South Park, which aired on November 7, 2007. The title and plot parody the video game Guitar Hero. The episode aired ten days after the release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock in the US.

Plot

Stan and Kyle are obsessed with the video game Guitar Hero. Randy is pleased that the kids enjoy music from his generation, and attempts to impress them by playing "Carry On Wayward Son" on a real guitar. He actually plays quite well (though his singing is less than stellar) but the kids are not impressed, and Cartman says that "real guitars are for old people."

That night, Randy sneaks downstairs in his underwear and tries to play Guitar Hero, but fails horribly, ending a song with a pathetic score of 40 and being booed offstage by the video-game crowd.

Together, Stan and Kyle manage to score 100,000 points and are immediately contacted by Charles Kincaid, a talent agent. They sign a recording contract and attend a "sex and coke" party with many Colorado celebrities. The record company organizes an event at a local arcade where the two are to score 1,000,000 points to "I Wanna Be Sedated" in front of a live audience; however, the pair's manager takes Stan aside and tells him that Kyle is holding him back. Stan is told that he should dump his friend in favor of a new partner; a kid named Thad Jarvis, who is so good he can play multiple songs on Guitar Hero "acoustically" (meaning that he has memorized what buttons to press at what time and can therefore play without actually playing the game).

Stan and Thad begin playing together. When Kyle finds out, the two get into a fight and break up their "band". When Stan becomes stressed out by the constant rehearsing of Guitar Hero, he goes to the local game arcade to buy a game guide for Guitar Hero. The clerk suggests that he should buy another game to help him "mellow out". He offers Stan Heroin Hero, a game in which the character does nothing but inject himself with heroin while literally chasing a dragon. There are no points and the dragon cannot be caught, only chased. At first Stan thinks the game is awesome, but grows rapidly addicted, and the addiction shortens his temper, and impedes his skill due to lack of practice. Just before their actual show, Stan gets into a fight with Thad, who loses patience and quits. Thad starts to sing "I quit, I quit" similar to Johnathon Schaech's character in That Thing You Do when he quits The Wonders. Stan now has to perform and score 1 million points solo. But Charles catches him the morning before the performance having spent three days straight playing Heroin Hero, and in terrible shape. He fails appallingly in the arcade, ending with a score of 220, before actually throwing up on the 'stage'.

Meanwhile, Kyle is upset about being dumped. Playing Guitar Hero in a bowling alley he is complimented on his skill and invited by the owner to play the game fto entertain his customers, in exchange for free Frescas and games, but has actually improved.

After his meltdown, Stan goes back to the video game store where he buys a different game, and although the clerk tried to get him to buy a game called Rehab Hero (in which a dragon chases you), he buys a simple driving game instead. Stan then sets up the game and plays with a radio playing next to him; when the radio begins to play "Carry On Wayward Son", he suddenly remembers all the good times he had playing with Kyle. He brakes hard, resting his head on the toy steering wheel breiefly, and "reverses" his vehicle (in the game, but looking backwards as if reversing in real life).

Stan seeks out Kyle, and after a brief confrontation with an angry Kyle, he admits that he was wrong and that he only enjoyed being a video game rock star when he was doing it with Kyle. Kyle forgives him and the two reunite and attempt to score 1,000,000 points to Wolfmother's "Woman" privately and only in front of their friends. They score their million points, and the game congratulates them, but rather than tell them they have unlocked "Super-Stardom" as they expected, the game announces "You Are Fags!" for having played the game together so much (explaining the title of the episode). Stan and Kyle angrily walk out, and Cartman and Butters start to play, with Butters eagerly requesting that he gets to "be the one to betray Cartman after the sex and drugs party."

Featured songs

These songs are either played or referenced during the episode, and all except for "Video Prick", "I Remember You", and "Pure Hate" have appeared in the real Guitar Hero series.

• "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas
• "Surrender" by Cheap Trick
• "John the Fisherman" by Primus
• "Pretty Vacant" by Sex Pistols
• "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison
• "Video Prick" by Deep Wound
• "Woman" by Wolfmother
• "I Remember You" by Skid Row
• "Jordan" by Buckethead
• "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones
• "Cherry Pie" by Warrant

Reception

The episode drew in 4 million total viewers (P2+) and was the most watched telecast of the year on Comedy Central, as well as the most watched program in all of television for Wednesday night among men 18-34 and the most watched program on cable among persons 18–49. The episode was the highest rating since "Cartman's Mom is Still a Dirty Slut", beating the previous record-holder "Imaginationland Episode III", the episode that aired one week before "Guitar Queer-o".

Despite good ratings, the episode received some mediocre reviews. IGN called it a "lackluster episode" saying that it was "based on a concept that could have proved fun - but ultimately doesn't seem to be enough for an entire episode." 411Mania also criticized the episode, saying that "the first twenty-one and a half minutes weren't funny at all" claiming that the last line of the episode was the best part. TV Squad, on the other hand, gave the episode a somewhat positive review.

Jay Cutler, who, at the time was the quarterback for the Denver Broncos, was insulted in the episode ("You kind of suck, but my dad says you might be good some day"), responded lightheartedly, saying "I thought it was funny. They can make fun of me if they want to."

The "sex and coke" party scene is a reference to "The Real Party" at Don Roritor's house in the The Kids in the Hall movie Brain Candy.^{[citation needed]}

A portion of the episode was used on NPR's Day to Day to discuss the idea that the popularity and interest in video games like Guitar Hero III or Rock Band could supplant traditional instruments for kids.

External links

• Guitar Queer-O at the Internet Movie Database
• Guitar Queer-O Full episode at South Park Studios
• Guitar Queer-O Episode guide at South Park Studios