Breast Cancer Show Ever
Encyclopedia
"Breast Cancer Show Ever" is the ninth episode of the 12th season
of the animated series South Park
, and the 176th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central
in the United States
on October 15, 2008. In the episode, Cartman's disrespectful behavior puts him on the wrong side of Wendy Testaburger when he mocks her presentation on breast cancer awareness
.
The episode was written and directed by series co-founder Trey Parker, and was rated TV-MA in the United States.
mocking Wendy's presentation on breast cancer
awareness, but Mr. Garrison does little to stop him. After class, Cartman continues to mock her efforts for breast cancer awareness, and Wendy announces she is going to fight Cartman after school which only makes him frightened and reluctant after hearing Butters mention that he will be a reject to his peers if he gets beat up. Cartman tries to call off the fight with quiet apologies (attempting to keep the rest of the school from hearing it and pretends that he is brave and "hardcore", in order to avoid being called a coward), bribery
, and desperate claims. When Wendy tells him she will "shove your ass down your throat and make you eat your underwear!" he painfully chokes down his underwear in an attempt to appease her, but this only disgusts and angers her.
Cartman tries to convince Stan
to talk Wendy out of it, but Stan does not believe he can do anything to stop her. Desperate to avoid the fight, Cartman defecates
on Mr. Garrison's desk, earning him a detention and Butters
, Craig and Jimmy tell him there are rumors that he got detention to avoid the fight, which Wendy has rescheduled for the following morning.
Later, Cartman has his mother convince Wendy's parents not to let her fight by pretending to be tormented and bullied by her at school, but continues to taunt her, as do the other students. When Cartman continues to taunt her in class, she nearly fights him but is called to Principal Victoria's office. Much to Wendy's surprise, Principal Victoria encourages Wendy by explaining that she is a breast cancer survivor and implies that Wendy should fight Cartman the same way Principal Victoria fought her cancer, telling her, with pointed allusions to Cartman, that cancer is "a fat little lump that needs to be destroyed," and "you refuse to let that fat little lump make you feel powerless."
Wendy finally meets Cartman on the playground for the fight, and although Cartman briefly gains the upper hand, Wendy beats him so badly that he loses many of his teeth and bleeds everywhere, and she emerges victorious. Cartman declares that his friends will not find him cool any more, but they tell him they always hated him and always will, stating that they cannot possibly think any lower of him. Cartman takes this to mean that they are pretending to hate him in order to make him feel better; reasoning that if are trying to make him feel better, they do not care if he got beat up by a girl. He walks away trying to act as though he is happy, leaving the others confused.
, Snatch
and There Will Be Blood
.
, a comedic play by Aristophanes
where the Greek tragedians Aeschylus
and Euripides
are measured against one another, the better to be revived so he can, "educate the thoughtless," and rid Athens of evil politicians that are ruining the city (1500-1502, The Frogs).
graded the episode a B+, stating "All in all, not the most ambitious episode, but that actually worked in its favor: Outside of Wendy's crib from There Will Be Blood at the end, it could have been broadcast 10 years ago and worked, and I also have a feeling it will still be funny 10 years from now since it wasn't crammed with instantly dated references".
IGN
gave the episode an 8.2/10 rating, stating "While this is a fun sequence, and a nice bit of observation, the episode does seem somewhat anticlimactic. It's amusing that Cartman thinks he somehow achieved something when he finds out the kids always thought he sucked and their opinion of him 'couldn't possibly be any lower'. Massive self delusion is part of Cartman's 'charm'. But the episode is unusually focused for South Park and once the fight is over there's a sense (perhaps intentionally?) of 'that's it?' It's not one of the best episodes ever, but it's a solid old-school installment that offers up some truly great moments – many of them quintessential Cartman. Which is always fun to watch".
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 176th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on October 15, 2008. In the episode, Cartman's disrespectful behavior puts him on the wrong side of Wendy Testaburger when he mocks her presentation on breast cancer awareness
Breast cancer awareness
Breast cancer awareness is an effort to raise awareness of breast cancer and reduce the disease's stigma by educating people about its symptoms and treatment options...
.
The episode was written and directed by series co-founder Trey Parker, and was rated TV-MA in the United States.
Plot
The episode begins with CartmanEric 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...
mocking Wendy's presentation on breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
awareness, but Mr. Garrison does little to stop him. After class, Cartman continues to mock her efforts for breast cancer awareness, and Wendy announces she is going to fight Cartman after school which only makes him frightened and reluctant after hearing Butters mention that he will be a reject to his peers if he gets beat up. Cartman tries to call off the fight with quiet apologies (attempting to keep the rest of the school from hearing it and pretends that he is brave and "hardcore", in order to avoid being called a coward), bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
, and desperate claims. When Wendy tells him she will "shove your ass down your throat and make you eat your underwear!" he painfully chokes down his underwear in an attempt to appease her, but this only disgusts and angers her.
Cartman tries to convince 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...
to talk Wendy out of it, but Stan does not believe he can do anything to stop her. Desperate to avoid the fight, Cartman defecates
Defecation
Defecation is the final act of digestion by which organisms eliminate solid, semisolid or liquid waste material from the digestive tract via the anus. Waves of muscular contraction known as peristalsis in the walls of the colon move fecal matter through the digestive tract towards the rectum...
on Mr. Garrison's desk, earning him a detention and Butters
Butters Stotch
Leopold "Butters" Stotch is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by series co-creator Matt Stone and loosely based on co-producer Eric Stough. He is a fourth-grade student who commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town...
, Craig and Jimmy tell him there are rumors that he got detention to avoid the fight, which Wendy has rescheduled for the following morning.
Later, Cartman has his mother convince Wendy's parents not to let her fight by pretending to be tormented and bullied by her at school, but continues to taunt her, as do the other students. When Cartman continues to taunt her in class, she nearly fights him but is called to Principal Victoria's office. Much to Wendy's surprise, Principal Victoria encourages Wendy by explaining that she is a breast cancer survivor and implies that Wendy should fight Cartman the same way Principal Victoria fought her cancer, telling her, with pointed allusions to Cartman, that cancer is "a fat little lump that needs to be destroyed," and "you refuse to let that fat little lump make you feel powerless."
Wendy finally meets Cartman on the playground for the fight, and although Cartman briefly gains the upper hand, Wendy beats him so badly that he loses many of his teeth and bleeds everywhere, and she emerges victorious. Cartman declares that his friends will not find him cool any more, but they tell him they always hated him and always will, stating that they cannot possibly think any lower of him. Cartman takes this to mean that they are pretending to hate him in order to make him feel better; reasoning that if are trying to make him feel better, they do not care if he got beat up by a girl. He walks away trying to act as though he is happy, leaving the others confused.
Cultural references
The plot of the episode is loosely based on the films Three O'Clock HighThree O'Clock High
Three O'Clock High is a 1987 high-school comedy film, directed by Phil Joanou, written by Richard Christian Matheson and Thomas Szollosi, and produced by Aaron Spelling. It was filmed at Ogden High School in Ogden, Utah, but, in part, was inspired by Joanou's own experiences at La Canada High School...
, Snatch
Snatch (film)
Snatch is a 2000 crime film written and directed by British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, featuring an ensemble cast. Set in the London criminal underworld, the film contains two intertwined plots: one dealing with the search for a stolen diamond, the other with a small-time boxing promoter named Turkish ...
and There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood is a 2007 drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film is based on Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel Oil!. It tells the story of a silver miner-turned-oilman on a ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California's oil boom of the late 19th and...
.
Literary references
While Cartman awaits the fight in class, Mr. Garrison says, "So you see, at this point Euripides knew he could not win the battle," referencing The FrogsThe Frogs
The Frogs is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus, in 405 BC, and received first place.-Plot:...
, a comedic play by Aristophanes
Aristophanes
Aristophanes , son of Philippus, of the deme Cydathenaus, was a comic playwright of ancient Athens. Eleven of his forty plays survive virtually complete...
where the Greek tragedians Aeschylus
Aeschylus
Aeschylus was the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, the others being Sophocles and Euripides, and is often described as the father of tragedy. His name derives from the Greek word aiskhos , meaning "shame"...
and Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
are measured against one another, the better to be revived so he can, "educate the thoughtless," and rid Athens of evil politicians that are ruining the city (1500-1502, The Frogs).
Reception
The episode received mostly positive reviews. The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
graded the episode a B+, stating "All in all, not the most ambitious episode, but that actually worked in its favor: Outside of Wendy's crib from There Will Be Blood at the end, it could have been broadcast 10 years ago and worked, and I also have a feeling it will still be funny 10 years from now since it wasn't crammed with instantly dated references".
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode an 8.2/10 rating, stating "While this is a fun sequence, and a nice bit of observation, the episode does seem somewhat anticlimactic. It's amusing that Cartman thinks he somehow achieved something when he finds out the kids always thought he sucked and their opinion of him 'couldn't possibly be any lower'. Massive self delusion is part of Cartman's 'charm'. But the episode is unusually focused for South Park and once the fight is over there's a sense (perhaps intentionally?) of 'that's it?' It's not one of the best episodes ever, but it's a solid old-school installment that offers up some truly great moments – many of them quintessential Cartman. Which is always fun to watch".
External links
- "Breast Cancer Show Ever" Full episode at South Park Studios
- "Breast Cancer Show Ever" Episode guide at South Park Studios