With Apologies to Jesse Jackson: Difference between revisions
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{{Trivia}} |
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{{Infobox South Park episode |
{{Infobox South Park episode |
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| episode_name = With Apologies to Jesse Jackson |
| episode_name = With Apologies to Jesse Jackson |
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| episode_no = 154 |
| episode_no = 154 |
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| image = [[Image: |
| image = [[Image:09-2007-03-08-20-52-23.jpg|150px]] |
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| caption = |
| caption = Randy saying "niggers" on Wheel of Fortune. |
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| airdate = [[March 7]], [[2007]] |
| airdate = [[March 7]], [[2007]] |
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| season = 11 |
| season = 11 |
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| color = #DEDDE2 |
| color = #DEDDE2 |
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}} |
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"'''With Apologies to Jesse Jackson'''" is episode 1101 of [[Comedy Central]]'s animated comedy series ''[[South Park]]'' and the premiere of the show's 11th season. It first aired [[March 7]], [[2007]]. This episode referenced [[Michael Richards#Laugh Factory incident|an incident]] at the [[Laugh Factory]] in [[Los Angeles, California]], in which actor [[Michael Richards]] angrily shouted racial slurs at a black audience member who was heckling him. <ref name="Washington-Post">{{Cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/13/AR2007031301820_3.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns|title=The Show That Keeps Them Hanging On|accessdate=2007-04-11|publisher=[[The Washington Post]]|year=2007|author=[[Lisa de Moraes]]|work=The TV Column|format=HTML}}</ref> This episode is particularly notable for its use of the word ''[[nigger]]'', which appears a total of 42 times uncensored. Additionally, other strong profanity was left uncensored for the first time on downloadable versions available through the [[iTunes Store]] and on [[Xbox Live Marketplace]]. |
"'''With Apologies to Jesse Jackson'''" is episode 1101 of [[Comedy Central]]'s animated comedy series ''[[South Park]]'' and the premiere of the show's 11th season. It first aired [[March 7]], [[2007]]. This episode referenced [[Michael Richards#Laugh Factory incident|an incident]] at the [[Laugh Factory]] in [[Los Angeles, California]], in which actor [[Michael Richards]] angrily shouted racial slurs at a black audience member who was heckling him. <ref name="Washington-Post">{{Cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/13/AR2007031301820_3.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns|title=The Show That Keeps Them Hanging On|accessdate=2007-04-11|publisher=[[The Washington Post]]|year=2007|author=[[Lisa de Moraes]]|work=The TV Column|format=HTML}}</ref> This episode is particularly notable for its use of the word ''[[nigger]]'', which appears a total of 42 times uncensored. Additionally, other strong profanity was left uncensored for the first time on downloadable versions available through the [[iTunes Store]] and on [[Xbox Live Marketplace]]. |
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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{{spoiler}} |
{{spoiler}} |
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[[Randy and Sharon Marsh|Randy Marsh]] appears on ''[[Wheel of Fortune (US game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]''. He is presented with a bonus round [[puzzle]] whose category is "People Who Annoy You," and solved letters "N_GGERS." He thinks he knows the answer, but is reluctant to say it out loud. With five seconds to go and $30,000 on the line, he calls out his guess: "NIGGERS," on live national television, shocking his family, friends and millions of viewers. The answer, it turns out, is actually ''[[wikt:nagger|naggers]]'', and Randy not only loses but embarrasses himself and his family on national television. |
[[Randy and Sharon Marsh|Randy Marsh]] appears on ''[[Wheel of Fortune (US game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]''. He is presented with a bonus round [[puzzle]] whose category is "People Who Annoy You," and solved letters "N_GGERS." He thinks he knows the answer, but is reluctant to say it out loud. With five seconds to go and $30,000 on the line, he calls out his guess: "NIGGERS," on live national television, shocking his family, friends and millions of viewers. The answer, it turns out, is actually ''[[wikt:nagger|naggers]]'', and Randy not only loses but embarrasses himself and his family on national television. |
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[[Image:09-2007-03-08-20-52-23.jpg|Randy says "niggers" on national television.|thumb|left]] |
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The next day at school, [[Eric Cartman]] warns [[Stan Marsh|Stan]] that [[Token Black|Token]] is going to be mad at him, so Stan attempts to explain to Token that his father meant no harm in uttering the "N-word" ("My dad isn't a racist, he's just stupid"), and that it's "not a big deal." Token counters that he (Stan) doesn't understand how black people feel about that word, and that he is "ignorant" for not understanding that even if it was a mistake, it is still a big deal. Despite Cartman's attempts to escalate the incident into a "[[race war]]," Token simply walks angrily away, after which Cartman lifts up Stan's hand and announces that "Whites win again!" |
The next day at school, [[Eric Cartman]] warns [[Stan Marsh|Stan]] that [[Token Black|Token]] is going to be mad at him, so Stan attempts to explain to Token that his father meant no harm in uttering the "N-word" ("My dad isn't a racist, he's just stupid"), and that it's "not a big deal." Token counters that he (Stan) doesn't understand how black people feel about that word, and that he is "ignorant" for not understanding that even if it was a mistake, it is still a big deal. Despite Cartman's attempts to escalate the incident into a "[[race war]]," Token simply walks angrily away, after which Cartman lifts up Stan's hand and announces that "Whites win again!" |
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Randy continues trying to redeem himself by founding a scholarship for African-Americans, hoping that by doing so he will finally erase his identity as "the nigger guy." However, he is soon accosted by a gang of [[progressivism|socially progressive]] [[redneck]]s, who hunt the "nigger guy" and threaten to kill him for "insulting an entire race on national television." Soon a group of other "nigger guys," including [[Michael Richards]] and [[Mark Fuhrman]], show up with guns, and the rednecks leave.[[Image:Michael_Richards.PNG|[[Michael Richards]] and Randy Marsh.|thumb|right]] They invite Randy to join their organization, telling him that they are all "nigger guys", people who have become pariahs for the use of the word ''nigger''. They devise a plan to end the discrimination against them. They successfully lobby Congress to ban the term "nigger guy" and a law is passed saying that the word ''nigger'' must always be separated at least seven words from the word ''guy'', causing a news broadcaster to be arrested when he says that the term "nigger guy" is banned. |
Randy continues trying to redeem himself by founding a scholarship for African-Americans, hoping that by doing so he will finally erase his identity as "the nigger guy." However, he is soon accosted by a gang of [[progressivism|socially progressive]] [[redneck]]s, who hunt the "nigger guy" and threaten to kill him for "insulting an entire race on national television." Soon a group of other "nigger guys," including [[Michael Richards]] and [[Mark Fuhrman]], show up with guns, and the rednecks leave.[[Image:Michael_Richards.PNG|[[Michael Richards]] and Randy Marsh.|thumb|right]] They invite Randy to join their organization, telling him that they are all "nigger guys", people who have become pariahs for the use of the word ''nigger''. They devise a plan to end the discrimination against them. They successfully lobby Congress to ban the term "nigger guy" and a law is passed saying that the word ''nigger'' must always be separated at least seven words from the word ''guy'', causing a news broadcaster to be arrested when he says that the term "nigger guy" is banned. |
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[[Image:Sp1101watjj.jpg|Randy Marsh on [[Wheel of |
[[Image:Sp1101watjj.jpg|Randy Marsh on [[Wheel of Fortune]]|thumb|left]] |
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While Stan and Token still struggle to make up, Cartman and Dr. Nelson begin their final showdown: a wrestling match. Cartman manages to maintain the upper hand throughout the fight, pins Dr. Nelson, and forces him to submit by saying both "uncle" and "[[Poltergeist (1982 film)|Carol Anne, don't go into the light!]]" for his amusement. After Cartman has clearly beaten him, Dr. Nelson gets up and knocks Cartman down while he's not looking, and claims to have won; however Cartman is only dazed for a few seconds and then continues to laugh at Dr. Nelson. |
While Stan and Token still struggle to make up, Cartman and Dr. Nelson begin their final showdown: a wrestling match. Cartman manages to maintain the upper hand throughout the fight, pins Dr. Nelson, and forces him to submit by saying both "uncle" and "[[Poltergeist (1982 film)|Carol Anne, don't go into the light!]]" for his amusement. After Cartman has clearly beaten him, Dr. Nelson gets up and knocks Cartman down while he's not looking, and claims to have won; however Cartman is only dazed for a few seconds and then continues to laugh at Dr. Nelson. |
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[[Image:Nelsonvscartman.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Dr. Nelson and Cartman fight each other.]] |
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Dr. Nelson leaves the scene of the fight remarking that he has proved his point. Stan and Kyle say that they have no idea what his point is, but then Stan concludes that not knowing the point ''is'' the point. He explains to Token that, as a white person, he will ''never'' understand why Token is so upset by the word, and why it can make black people mad when a white person says it in any context. Token is finally satisfied that Stan gets that he doesn't get it, thus creating an understanding between them. |
Dr. Nelson leaves the scene of the fight remarking that he has proved his point. Stan and Kyle say that they have no idea what his point is, but then Stan concludes that not knowing the point ''is'' the point. He explains to Token that, as a white person, he will ''never'' understand why Token is so upset by the word, and why it can make black people mad when a white person says it in any context. Token is finally satisfied that Stan gets that he doesn't get it, thus creating an understanding between them. |
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{{endspoiler}} |
{{endspoiler}} |
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==Trivia== |
==Trivia== |
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| ⚫ | |||
*During the ''Wheel of Fortune'' round, when the first few letters appear, the panels turn blue and Vanna touches them to make them appear. When the A in NAGGERS pops up, however, Vanna turns the panel, as in the game's old format. |
*During the ''Wheel of Fortune'' round, when the first few letters appear, the panels turn blue and Vanna touches them to make them appear. When the A in NAGGERS pops up, however, Vanna turns the panel, as in the game's old format. |
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*This episode's initial few runs' [[closed captioning]] changed every incidence of ''nigger'' to ''n-word'' or ''n-guy''. Later runs had the captions uncensored. |
*This episode's initial few runs' [[closed captioning]] changed every incidence of ''nigger'' to ''n-word'' or ''n-guy''. Later runs had the captions uncensored. |
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Revision as of 21:30, 2 May 2007
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. |
Template:Infobox South Park episode "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson" is episode 1101 of Comedy Central's animated comedy series South Park and the premiere of the show's 11th season. It first aired March 7, 2007. This episode referenced an incident at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, California, in which actor Michael Richards angrily shouted racial slurs at a black audience member who was heckling him. [1] This episode is particularly notable for its use of the word nigger, which appears a total of 42 times uncensored. Additionally, other strong profanity was left uncensored for the first time on downloadable versions available through the iTunes Store and on Xbox Live Marketplace.
Plot
Template:Spoiler Randy Marsh appears on Wheel of Fortune. He is presented with a bonus round puzzle whose category is "People Who Annoy You," and solved letters "N_GGERS." He thinks he knows the answer, but is reluctant to say it out loud. With five seconds to go and $30,000 on the line, he calls out his guess: "NIGGERS," on live national television, shocking his family, friends and millions of viewers. The answer, it turns out, is actually naggers, and Randy not only loses but embarrasses himself and his family on national television.
The next day at school, Eric Cartman warns Stan that Token is going to be mad at him, so Stan attempts to explain to Token that his father meant no harm in uttering the "N-word" ("My dad isn't a racist, he's just stupid"), and that it's "not a big deal." Token counters that he (Stan) doesn't understand how black people feel about that word, and that he is "ignorant" for not understanding that even if it was a mistake, it is still a big deal. Despite Cartman's attempts to escalate the incident into a "race war," Token simply walks angrily away, after which Cartman lifts up Stan's hand and announces that "Whites win again!"
Randy attempts to rectify his mistake by making an official apology to Rev. Jesse Jackson. Jackson accepts his apology after getting a picture of Randy literally kissing his ass, which is published in the newspaper. Stan thinks everything is okay now, but Token doesn't accept this, angrily telling him that "Jesse Jackson is not the emperor of black people!" (despite Jackson apparently telling Randy that he was). Meanwhile, Randy goes to a comedy club and the black comedian recognizes him in the audience. He points him out and makes jokes, calling him "the nigger guy," which soon catches on as Randy's new epithet.
Back at school, a dwarf by the name of Dr. David Nelson is called in to give a presentation on sensitivity. Having written several books about acceptance and tolerance, he insists that "words are like bullets; they go through me" and that no word or insult can hurt him. However, as soon as Cartman sees him he begins to laugh hysterically and loudly, disrupting the assembly so that Dr. Nelson cannot speak. Dr. Nelson decides to teach Cartman a lesson, and does this by first showing one-on-one his technique of not being offended; and when that doesn't work, by making the other kids mock his weight problem (by saying "Hello, fatso!"). Neither of these techniques are successful.
Randy continues trying to redeem himself by founding a scholarship for African-Americans, hoping that by doing so he will finally erase his identity as "the nigger guy." However, he is soon accosted by a gang of socially progressive rednecks, who hunt the "nigger guy" and threaten to kill him for "insulting an entire race on national television." Soon a group of other "nigger guys," including Michael Richards and Mark Fuhrman, show up with guns, and the rednecks leave.
They invite Randy to join their organization, telling him that they are all "nigger guys", people who have become pariahs for the use of the word nigger. They devise a plan to end the discrimination against them. They successfully lobby Congress to ban the term "nigger guy" and a law is passed saying that the word nigger must always be separated at least seven words from the word guy, causing a news broadcaster to be arrested when he says that the term "nigger guy" is banned.
While Stan and Token still struggle to make up, Cartman and Dr. Nelson begin their final showdown: a wrestling match. Cartman manages to maintain the upper hand throughout the fight, pins Dr. Nelson, and forces him to submit by saying both "uncle" and "Carol Anne, don't go into the light!" for his amusement. After Cartman has clearly beaten him, Dr. Nelson gets up and knocks Cartman down while he's not looking, and claims to have won; however Cartman is only dazed for a few seconds and then continues to laugh at Dr. Nelson.
Dr. Nelson leaves the scene of the fight remarking that he has proved his point. Stan and Kyle say that they have no idea what his point is, but then Stan concludes that not knowing the point is the point. He explains to Token that, as a white person, he will never understand why Token is so upset by the word, and why it can make black people mad when a white person says it in any context. Token is finally satisfied that Stan gets that he doesn't get it, thus creating an understanding between them. Template:Endspoiler
Cultural references
- The comedy club in this episode, The Laugh Factory, is the same place where Michael Richards made his infamous racial slur. Although the real Laugh Factory is located in California, it was in Colorado in the episode. Also, because of the Michael Richards incident, The Laugh Factory has banned the use of the word "nigger", a word the stand-up comic on stage uses a few times.
- Eric Cartman makes a reference to the popular video website YouTube, saying "Dude, that was the funniest thing I've ever seen. I watched it on YouTube about 60 times." Ironically, on March 15 Viacom, Comedy Central's parent company, sued YouTube and its owner, Google, for $1 billion, after having forbidden the site from hosting its copyrighted material and demanding that the videos be taken down.[2]
- The song that plays during the fight scene and the end credits is "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed.
- The way in which Michael Richards scolds Randy about being "just another damn nigger guy" is a reference to a scene from the movie Glory.
Trivia
- During the Wheel of Fortune round, when the first few letters appear, the panels turn blue and Vanna touches them to make them appear. When the A in NAGGERS pops up, however, Vanna turns the panel, as in the game's old format.
- This episode's initial few runs' closed captioning changed every incidence of nigger to n-word or n-guy. Later runs had the captions uncensored.
- Had Randy appeared on the real Wheel of Fortune, he would have received a free "N" in addition to "R", "S", "T", "L", and "E".
- Wheel of Fortune is usually filmed in the day and aired at night. Had this been the case in this episode, Wheel of Fortune would not have aired the show, and thus, Randy would not have been embarrassed.
- According to South Park Studios, Dr. Nelson is voiced by Trey Parker while inhaling helium. [1]
Reception
This episode had news broadcasts on the CNN programs Showbiz Tonight and Paula Zahn Now[3] [4] in the days following the airing of this episode. Kovon and Jill Flowers, who co-founded the organization Abolish the "N" Word, praised this episode, saying it was a good example of how it felt to be called nigger. However, the Parents Television Council founder L. Brent Bozell claimed that there was a lack of protest against this episode compared to radio host Don Imus's comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, even challenging the Flowers's comments that the episode's use of nigger was not intended to be racist. [5]
References
- ^ Lisa de Moraes (2007). "The Show That Keeps Them Hanging On" (HTML). The TV Column. The Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
- ^ Viacom International Inc. (2007-03-13). "Viacom Files Federal Copyright Infringement Complaint Against YouTube And Google [press release]". Retrieved 2007-04-16.
- ^ Video of CNN report on the episode
- ^ Transcript of "Paula Zahn Now" from March 8, 2007. CNN. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
- ^ L. Brent Bozell. "The Incomplete Anti-Imus Lobby". Parents Television Council. April 12, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2007.