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About Last Night... (South Park)
Encyclopedia
"About Last Night…" is the twelfth episode of the twelfth season
of the animated series South Park
, and the 179th episode of the series overall. The episode was first broadcast on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:00 PM EST
, less than a day after Barack Obama
was declared the winner in the 2008 presidential election
. Excerpts from speeches given by Obama and John McCain
the night before are included in the episode. In the episode, Obama wins the 2008 Presidential Election, setting off mass uncontrollable partying by Obama supporters and driving McCain supporters to desperation and suicide, a guise of chaos that serves as misdirection for the presidential candidates to set off their true plot: an intricately planned jewel heist.
The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States. The episode parodies heist movies
, in particular the Ocean's Trilogy
.
results, Barack Obama
(Trey Parker
) and John McCain
(Matt Stone
) address their supporters on nationwide TV as the South Park townspeople gather to watch. Randy and the other Obama supporters (including the Marshes and Broflovskis, except for Ike, who supported McCain) celebrate drunkenly in the streets, cheering and screaming his name as well as his campaign slogans, while McCain supporters (including the Stotches, Mr. Garrison and Mr. Mackey) sit despondently inside, fearing that it is the end of the world. Ike attempts suicide
by jumping out a first-story window; he survives but appears to be badly injured, so Stan
and Kyle
try to take him to the hospital. The two boys search through the partying crowd to find anyone who can drive Ike to the hospital, but without success. Randy, believing that Obama's win means he will be financially secure forever, insults and punches his boss (also an Obama supporter) in the face, breaking his nose. Other revelers tip over Officer Barbrady's police car when he tries to restore order.
Stan and Kyle find the Stotches building an "ark
" to hold some of the McCain supporters, thinking that Obama's win will bring about the end of civilization. The boys' plea for help leads to a brawl among the adults, so they head for the hospital on foot. The emergency room is packed with patients who have either partied too hard or tried to kill themselves to the point that the hospital nurse (who is alone because one doctor was partying and one hanged himself) can determine what has happened to Ike by simply asking which candidate he supported. Randy is found here as well, trying to still party while singing Barry Manilow
's "Mandy
" (replacing "Oh, Mandy" with "Obama").
Meanwhile, it is revealed in that Obama and McCain were actually jewel thieves and staged the entire election so that one of them could gain access to the Oval Office
. This was to access a tunnel that would lead to the Smithsonian Institution's
National Museum of Natural History
, where they would steal the Hope Diamond
. They were able to accomplish the mission with the help of Michelle Obama
, a computer hacker who had also faked her marriage with Obama to fool the press, and Sarah Palin
, who is not only English
, but actually more intelligent than the episode's original portrayal of her would suggest (she says to a bewildered press corps that she'll come back and beat Obama in 2009, then leaves saying "Oh, my phone's goin' ringy!"). Once the plan was complete, a private jet that contained dummies of the criminals was blown up near the hospital in South Park. This gives Ike, who had been working with McCain and Obama and had faked his earlier injury, a chance to alter hospital records to declare everyone involved legally dead. The next day, as the gang is at Dulles Airport about to leave the country, Obama decides that he does not want to go with them. Instead, he and his wife decide to stay behind to "give this President thing a try."
At the end of the episode, the McCain supporters emerge from their "ark" to find that society has not collapsed overnight. They admit that they may have overreacted to the election results and decide to give President Obama a chance (rationalizing that if he's a bad president that they could just vote him out in four years). As for Randy, he wakes up on his couch with a hangover
to find that his pants are missing and his TV is gone (Cartman
had stolen it, having taken advantage of the chaos to steal TVs from people's houses and was selling them from a cart strapped to his Big Wheel earlier in the episode). Stan then walks in and tells Randy that he has been fired. Not realizing it was for insulting and punching his boss, Randy scowls and exclaims "Goddamnit! Obama said things would be different! That son of a bitch lied to us! I knew I should've voted for McCain!"
" situation at a later time, perhaps redubbing lines in which characters mention the election results, purposely doing it badly in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000
. Stone also explained some of the rationale behind deciding which characters would be depicted supporting which candidate, though he admitted that some of these choices were arbitrary.
South Park (season 12)
Season twelve of South Park, an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, began airing on March 12, 2008. The twelfth season concluded after 14 episodes on November 19, 2008...
of the animated series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, and the 179th episode of the series overall. The episode was first broadcast on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:00 PM EST
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
, less than a day after Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
was declared the winner in the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. Excerpts from speeches given by Obama and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
the night before are included in the episode. In the episode, Obama wins the 2008 Presidential Election, setting off mass uncontrollable partying by Obama supporters and driving McCain supporters to desperation and suicide, a guise of chaos that serves as misdirection for the presidential candidates to set off their true plot: an intricately planned jewel heist.
The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States. The episode parodies heist movies
Heist film
A heist film is a film that has an intricate plot woven around a group of people trying to steal something. Versions with dominant or prominent comic elements are often called caper movies. They could be described as the analogues of caper stories in film history...
, in particular the Ocean's Trilogy
Ocean's Trilogy
The Ocean's Trilogy is a series of three caper comedies directed by Steven Soderbergh and produced by Jerry Weintraub for Warner Bros., between 2001 and 2007. The first of the films, Ocean's Eleven was a remake of the 1960 film of the same name and was followed, due to an immense commercial...
.
Plot
Following the announcement of the 2008 presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
results, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
(Trey Parker
Trey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
) and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
(Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
) address their supporters on nationwide TV as the South Park townspeople gather to watch. Randy and the other Obama supporters (including the Marshes and Broflovskis, except for Ike, who supported McCain) celebrate drunkenly in the streets, cheering and screaming his name as well as his campaign slogans, while McCain supporters (including the Stotches, Mr. Garrison and Mr. Mackey) sit despondently inside, fearing that it is the end of the world. Ike attempts suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by jumping out a first-story window; he survives but appears to be badly injured, so Stan
Stan Marsh
Stanley Randall "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
and Kyle
Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
try to take him to the hospital. The two boys search through the partying crowd to find anyone who can drive Ike to the hospital, but without success. Randy, believing that Obama's win means he will be financially secure forever, insults and punches his boss (also an Obama supporter) in the face, breaking his nose. Other revelers tip over Officer Barbrady's police car when he tries to restore order.
Stan and Kyle find the Stotches building an "ark
Retreat (survivalism)
A retreat is a place of refuge for those in the survivalist subculture or movement. Retreats are also sometimes called Bug-Out Locations...
" to hold some of the McCain supporters, thinking that Obama's win will bring about the end of civilization. The boys' plea for help leads to a brawl among the adults, so they head for the hospital on foot. The emergency room is packed with patients who have either partied too hard or tried to kill themselves to the point that the hospital nurse (who is alone because one doctor was partying and one hanged himself) can determine what has happened to Ike by simply asking which candidate he supported. Randy is found here as well, trying to still party while singing Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
's "Mandy
Mandy (song)
"Mandy", originally titled "Brandy", is a song jointly written and composed by Scott English and Richard Kerr."Brandy" had been a hit in 1971 for Scott English in the UK and in 1972 for Bunny Walters in New Zealand...
" (replacing "Oh, Mandy" with "Obama").
Meanwhile, it is revealed in that Obama and McCain were actually jewel thieves and staged the entire election so that one of them could gain access to the Oval Office
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
. This was to access a tunnel that would lead to the Smithsonian Institution's
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
, where they would steal the Hope Diamond
Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond, also known as "Le bleu de France" or "Le Bijou du Roi", is a large, , deep-blue diamond, now housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. It is blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within its crystal structure, but exhibits red...
. They were able to accomplish the mission with the help of Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
, a computer hacker who had also faked her marriage with Obama to fool the press, and Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
, who is not only English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but actually more intelligent than the episode's original portrayal of her would suggest (she says to a bewildered press corps that she'll come back and beat Obama in 2009, then leaves saying "Oh, my phone's goin' ringy!"). Once the plan was complete, a private jet that contained dummies of the criminals was blown up near the hospital in South Park. This gives Ike, who had been working with McCain and Obama and had faked his earlier injury, a chance to alter hospital records to declare everyone involved legally dead. The next day, as the gang is at Dulles Airport about to leave the country, Obama decides that he does not want to go with them. Instead, he and his wife decide to stay behind to "give this President thing a try."
At the end of the episode, the McCain supporters emerge from their "ark" to find that society has not collapsed overnight. They admit that they may have overreacted to the election results and decide to give President Obama a chance (rationalizing that if he's a bad president that they could just vote him out in four years). As for Randy, he wakes up on his couch with a hangover
Hangover
A hangover describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dysphoria, diarrhea and thirst, typically after the...
to find that his pants are missing and his TV is gone (Cartman
Eric Cartman
Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
had stolen it, having taken advantage of the chaos to steal TVs from people's houses and was selling them from a cart strapped to his Big Wheel earlier in the episode). Stan then walks in and tells Randy that he has been fired. Not realizing it was for insulting and punching his boss, Randy scowls and exclaims "Goddamnit! Obama said things would be different! That son of a bitch lied to us! I knew I should've voted for McCain!"
Production
According to interviews with Matt Stone and Trey Parker, this was the only version of the episode produced, as a McCain version proved "too daunting a task." The overreaction of supporters of both Obama and McCain informed the episode's content. The episode was completed the morning of the day it was broadcast, with Comedy Central seeing only excerpts of the show beforehand. The heist plot was chosen because it was neutral with respect to who won the election, though the plot depicted Obama winning because the creators felt in the final weeks before the election that Obama would win. The scenes depicting the victory and concession speeches were animated with generic speech filler in the place of lines from the actual speeches and the backdrops behind the candidates that would be added after the real Obama and McCain gave their actual speeches, though Stone expressed amazement at how the filler they wrote matched the content of the actual speeches later heard on Election Night. The animators stated that they used a temporary lip-sync animation because of time constraints. The creators explained that had McCain won, they would've dealt with their own "Dewey Defeats TrumanDewey Defeats Truman
"Dewey Defeats Truman" was a famously inaccurate banner headline on the front page of the Chicago Tribune on November 3, 1948, the day after incumbent United States President Harry S. Truman beat Republican challenger and Governor of New York Thomas E...
" situation at a later time, perhaps redubbing lines in which characters mention the election results, purposely doing it badly in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
. Stone also explained some of the rationale behind deciding which characters would be depicted supporting which candidate, though he admitted that some of these choices were arbitrary.
External links
- "About Last Night..." Full episode at South Park Studios
- "About Last Night..." Episode guide at South Park Studios