When South Park first
premiered on Comedy Central on August 13th, 1997, those tuning in received,
what was for some, the shock of their lives. This "cartoon show"
was smutty, filthy, politically incorrect, and gross. In other words,
South Park was a breath of fresh air in a stale television landscape.
That first episode was called "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" and while the show was definitely
something ground-breaking, that title didn’t necessarily bode well
for a gay audience looking for a few laughs that weren’t at their
expense.
South Park was, and
still is, unapologetically rude, crude and not afraid to offend. But
it also turned out to be something else: one of the most gay-friendly shows ever seen on TV. Not in a sappy, mawkish,
"give a gay person a hug today" kind of way. But in a way
that cuts right through the hypocrisy and nonsense that enemies of gay
rights embrace. With every episode now available online,
AfterElton.com thought this a good time to look back at how the show
has handled its gay content.
The question that’s hard to
answer about Cartman and his friends is "does the gay acceptance
message in the show — sometimes hidden very deeply — reach its core
demographic of adolescent straight boys?" It’s hard to say. Certainly
they enjoy the gay stereotypes and love being appalled by the gay sexuality,
but whether the part about tolerance gets through is another matter.
Whether or not straight teen
boys get it, at the center of South Park is an undeniable decency
displayed in characters like Big Gay Al, and a message of pro-gay acceptance
that comes through loud and clear. Here are ten episodes from the series
that exemplify that message. Oh, and they’re pretty damn funny, too.
And please keep in mind that we’re talking about South Park here so some of these clips
are NSFW and might offend some readers, especially the one about Lemmiwinks the gerbil.
SEASON ONE
Episode #4: "Big
Gay Al’s Big Gay Boat Ride"
Original air date: 9/03/97
Synopsis: "When
Stan discovers his new dog Sparky is gay, he becomes so confused he
loses his will to play in the big Homecoming Football game against Middle
Park."
In a nutshell: "That
dog is a gay homosexual!"
This is the episode that introduced
us to the iconic Big Gay Al. Even though Al is one of the kindest, most
good-hearted gay characters ever seen on television, he somehow missed
making our list of the Top 25 Gay TV Characters, although Waylon Smithers
did make the list (which boggles the mind).
The episode revolves around
Stan’s realization that his dog Sparky (voiced by none other than George
Clooney) is gay. In desperation, Stan turns for advice to his teacher,
Mr. Garrison, who issues this helpful Clarence Darrow inspired warning:
"Gay people are evil. Evil right down to their cold black hearts,
which pump, not blood like yours or mine, but rather a thick vomitous
oil that oozes through their rotten veins and clots in their pea-sized
brains which becomes the cause of their Nazi-esque violent behavior."
Stan is crestfallen by the
news, and in a fit of rage, declares he "doesn’t want a gay dog!"
Sparky overhears, and in a scene that I’m not embarrassed to say still
gets to me, decides to run away. Stan starts searching for Sparky, and
in the middle of the woods comes across "Big Gay Al’s Big Gay Animal
Sanctuary," which is like the "Island of Misfit
Toys," but without the little gay dentist. Al explains
that the sanctuary is a place where gay animals can "be themselves."
Al decides it’s time for Stan
to learn a lesson in gay history, and they both board Big Gay Al’s Big
Gay Boat Ride, which turns out to be the gayest cruise we’ve seen on
television since Ethel Merman and Charles Nelson Reilly set sail on
the same episode of The Love Boat. During the cruise, we ’re
treated to images of gays throughout history, culminating in the ultimate
gay acceptance song, which I recite to myself every morning as a mantra.
Stan now fully accepts Sparky,
and makes an announcement that it’s "okay to be gay."
The gay animals are reunited with their now accepting owners, and Al
declares that his work is done, and disappears into his magic suitcase.
It’s true that Big Gay Al is
a Big Gay Stereotype, but he’s not the butt of the joke, and is in fact,
the hero of the story. As strange as it may sound, even with the "homo"
references and the jokes about Sparky the dog "pounding ass,"
this is one of the greatest episodes about gay acceptance that’s ever
been shown on television.
Ratings (on a scale of 1 to
10 Cartmans and 1 to 10 Big Gay Als):
Funny rating: 7 Cartmans
Gay rating: 10 Big Gay
Als
SEASON TWO
Episode #9: "Chef’s
Salty Chocolate Balls"
Original air date: 8/19/98
Synopsis: A film festival
comes to South Park.
In a nutshell: Lots,
and I mean lots, of poop jokes, plus one classic line.
A film festival has arrived
in South Park, and the kids are instructed to watch at least one independent
film. Cartman is less than thrilled, because according to him, all independent
films are about . . . well, see for yourself.
The film festival starts, and
sure enough, Cartman is right. If you get really drunk and squint your
eyes while you watch, you’d swear it was a scene from a certain other
movie.
Even though there’s nothing
especially gay positive about this episode, I’m including it because
of its iconic status. When Brokeback Mountain (2005) came out,
there were endless references to this episode, and I have to admit,
the only thing that could have made that movie even more special would
have been if Jack and Ennis had shared a pudding cup.
Funny rating: 5 Cartmans
(depending on your tolerance for scatological humor)
Gay rating: 7 Big Gay
Als (only two very brief scenes, but they will live forever in infamy)
SEASON 3
Episode #8: "Two
Guys Naked in a Hot Tub"
Original air date: 7/21/99
Synopsis: Mr. Mackey
throws a party, and Kyle’s and Stan’s Dads "experiment" in
the hot tub.
In a nutshell: "Just
because two men watch each other masturbate doesn’t mean they’re gay
. . . does it?"
Relaxing together in the hot
tub, the two dads start talking about experimentation, and what would
be considered "gay." They both decide that
masturbating in front of each other is not.
Stan’s dad is filled with shame
and regret, until he blurts out the truth about what happened, and all
the other men at the party make their own startling confessions.
What could have been a lame
gay panic and shame episode (and would have been, in lesser hands) actually
ends with a simple message, "we’re all a little gay."
Funny rating: 4 Cartmans
Gay rating: 8 Big Gay
Als
SEASON 4
Episode #12: "Fourth
Grade"
Original air date: 11/8/2000
Synopsis: Mr. Garrison
confronts the gay within.
In a nutshell: "I’m
gayer than a gymnast on shore leave."
Mr. Garrison enters the "tree
of insight," and comes face to face with his gay
side.
He returns to the school, newly
enlightened, and announces to his fellow teachers that he’s a proud
gay man.
Another gay positive episode
with a South Park twist. Mr. Garrison is living like the Unabomber,
and on the verge of insanity, but accepting the truth about himself
sets him free, and he’s able to function normally again. Of course,
his colleagues are happy for him, but cheerfully remind him that as
an out gay man, they couldn’t possibly rehire him.
Funny rating: 4 Cartmans
Gay rating: 4 Big Gay
Als
SEASON 5
Episode #3: "Cripple
Fight"
Original air date: 6/27/2001
Synopsis: Big Gay Al
returns to South Park, only to be thrown out as Scoutmaster to the boys
for being gay.
In a nutshell: "What
if I promise not to be gay anymore? Pinky swear!"
The boys arrive at their Scout
meeting to find that their new Scout leader is their old friend Big
Gay Al!
After complaints from parents,
the scout organization informs the heartbroken Al that he can no longer
be a Scout Leader.
The scouts appoint a new scoutmaster,
a married heterosexual man. That means he must be safe, right?
Al is depressed about being
dumped by the scouts and Marc Shaiman playing sad songs on the piano
isn’t helping!
The boys visit a despondent
Al, and urge him to "get his big gay ass off the couch,"
but he informs them that the Scouts don’t allow gays, so
they decide to protest on his behalf.
Al and the boys take it to
the Supreme Court and win, but Al has a shocking announcement to make.
Probably the greatest gay acceptance
episode of South Park, it successfully skewers Scout hypocrisy
and Gloria Allred, but also has Al give an impassioned speech as to
why the Scouts should be allowed to deny who they want. It also features
a hilarious cameo for Marc Shaiman, Trey and Matt’s out songwriter pal.
It’s South Park at its best taking on stupid, homophobic practices
while acknowledging everyone has the right to how they feel.
Funny rating: 8 Cartmans
Gay rating: 10 Big Gay
Als
SEASON 6
Episode #14: "The
Death Camp of Tolerance"
Original air date:
11/20/2002
Synopsis: Mr. Garrison
returns to teaching, but he has an "agenda."
In a nutshell: Poor
Lemmiwinks.
Mr. Garrison, who had been
demoted to teaching kindergarten after he came out, is offered a new
job teaching the fourth grade. At first, he’s ecstatic and grateful,
until he learns that if he’s fired again for being gay, he can sue
. . . for millions of dollars.
Mr. Garrison decides to do
everything he can to get fired for being gay, so he enlists the aid
of a new . . . teacher’s assistant.
After the boys tell their parents
of their discomfort, their parents decide a trip to the "museum
of tolerance" is in order.
Mr. Garrison decides it’s time
to up the ante in his quest to get fired, so he uses Mr. Slave and Lemmiwinks,
the gerbil, to . . . well, you know how this ends.
Refusing to go back to class,
the kids are sentenced to spend time at the dreaded "tolerance
camp."
Mr. Garrison is incensed
to find out that not only is he not getting fired, but he’s getting
an award at the Museum, and hatches a plan. Meanwhile, Lemmiwinks begins
his magical journey.
Elsewhere, the boys are being
forced to do hideous things at tolerance camp . . . like
finger-paint.
Mr. Garrison shows up at the
awards show, and finally, the parents of the boys realize why they were
upset.
The boys leave the tolerance
camp as someone else arrives, and Lemmiwinks is at the end of his adventure.
I’m including this episode
because it’s certainly one of the most controversial and misunderstood
episodes of South Park. It’s easy to assume, reading the premise
and finding out that the show perpetuates a particularly vile urban
legend, that it goes too far over the top to work, but I think the show
does what it intended to do — show that "tolerance" does
have a limit. Everyone is squarely on Mr. Garrison’s side, until he
starts doing things in class that are inappropriate, and would be no
matter what his sexuality was. Now that’s treating gay people just
like straight people.
Funny rating:
7 (it earns extra points just for the Lemmiwinks song)
Gay rating: 10 Big Gay Als (it doesn’t get much gayer)
SEASON 7
Episode #8: "South
Park is Gay"
Original air date: 10/22/2003
Synopsis: The town of
South Park celebrates the hip new metrosexual craze.
In a nutshell: "When
the girls at school see how gay we are, they’re going to be all over
us."
Stan, Cartman and Kenny have
gone metrosexual and want to share their knowledge with Kyle.
Mr. Garrison can’t believe
that the straight men of the town have stolen the "gay identity."
Mr. Garrison and Kyle travel
to New York to confront the Queer Eye guys . . .
but they learn that the Fab Five are not what they appear.
The Crab people reveal their
plan for world domination.
The women of South Park succeed
in defeating the Crab people’s attempt to use TV to take
over the world.
One of the funniest, and gayest
episodes of the series. From the opening few minutes, which references
"Boy Meets Boy" and pricelessly parodies the opening of
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (with Cartman filling in for Carson),
to the shocking denouement (c’mon, didn’t we ALL believe that the Fab
Five were really aliens?), this episode took on the novelty (at the
time) of gay themed reality shows.
Funny rating: 10 Cartmans
Gay rating: 10 Big Gay
Als
Episode #10: "Follow
That Egg"
Original air date: 11/02/2005
Synopsis: Mrs. Garrison
realizes she still has feelings for Mr. Slave. But, Mr. Slave has moved
on. He plans to marry his new love as soon as the Governor signs the
same-sex marriage bill. Mrs. Garrison leads the charge against gay marriage.
In a nutshell: "Slave
honey . . . is that the pizza?"
When Mrs. Garrison learns that
Mr. Slave and Big Gay Al are together now and planning to get married
on Saturday, she gets angry.
Mrs. Garrison tries to convince
South Park to harm gay people to send a message, but settles on appealing
to the Governor of Colorado to veto the same sex marriage bill.
Mrs. Garrison switches up the
egg parent couples, putting Kyle and Stan together, with the intention
of proving that two boys can’t raise an egg.
Stan and Kyle get their baby
egg to the Colorado State House safely, proving gays are capable of
being parents. Naturally, there is then a big gay wedding.
By this time in the series,
Mr. Garrison had become Mrs. Garrison, and was becoming increasingly
deranged, and less funny and insightful. This episode works, though,
for the inclusion of our old pal Big Gay Al, and the message that two
same sex people are just as capable of raising a child as a straight
couple.
Funny rating: 3 Cartmans
Gay rating: 10 Big Gay
Als
Episode #12: "Trapped
in the Closet"
Original air date: 11/16/2005
Synopsis: Religious
leaders recognize Stan as the second coming.
In a nutshell: Trey
and Matt have huge cojones.
In one of South Park’s
more infamous episodes, Stone and Parker slyly take on the topic of
Tom Cruise’s sexuality.
John Travolta arrives and tries
to get Tom Cruise to come out of the closet, only to wind up going in
himself.
Need I explain? South Park
hit the bullseye again with this episode, which not only had
the gumption to go after Scientology, but its two most vocal supporters
and the rumors of their sexuality. Even though there’s nothing exactly
gay positive about it, like the episode "Chef’s Salty Chocolate Balls," I’m including it for its iconic
status.
Funny rating: 10 Cartmans
(A television classic)
Gay rating: 5 Big Gay
Als
SEASON 11
Episode #2: "Cartman
Sucks"
Original air date: 03/14/2007
Synopsis: Butters has
to go to a special camp where they "pray the gay away."
In a nutshell: Required
viewing for all Focus on the Family members.
After Butters is caught in
a compromising position with Cartman, his father decides to send him
to an ex-gay camp.
Pastor Phillips gives an unconvincing
sermon about how he is cured of being gay.
Butters and his accountabilibuddy
are confronted about a 1979 Sears men’s underwear catalog
found in their room.
Bradley becomes suicidal after
confessing his romantic feelings for Butters.
Butters gets in trouble after
Bradley runs away to commit suicide.
Butters gives an impassioned
speech and convinces Bradley not to jump from the bridge.
Funny rating: 7 Cartmans
Gay rating: 10 Big Gay
Als
This last episode is the perfect
representation of what makes South Park such a milestone in gay
culture. In 22 minutes, it uses biting satire and wit, coupled with
a healthy dose of potty mouth to send a message of gay acceptance while
taking on one (some?) of the more nefarious anti-gay movements out there.
It does more than any heavy-handed drama or sermon could
ever do to further our agenda . . . not a "gay"
agenda . . . but a "human" agenda.