Cow Days
Encyclopedia
"Cow Days" is the thirteenth episode of the second season
of the animated television series South Park
, and 26th episode of the series overall. "Cow Days" originally aired in the United States
on September 30, 1998. It features issues of cults
and the ethics of rodeos
and funfairs
.
an interracial couple named Tom and Mary win a trip to South Park for the "Cow Days" festival. Though this was far from what they hoped for in a prize, they decide to try to enjoy it anyway. The usual festival practices events such as releasing cows (a release that results in the death of many people, mainly due to their panicked haste to escape the passive cows), a reference to Pamplona
's Running of the Bulls. Meanwhile, Stan
, Kyle
, Kenny
and Cartman
are at the carnival, but find it far less than satisfactory, containing rides such as "The Chamber of Farts" (which is rather short) and the "Line Ride." (which consists of nothing more than standing in a long line until they reach the end) They finally find something enjoyable in a ball-throwing game that allows them the chance to win a pair of Terrance and Phillip dolls, but the game is rigged and cannot be won (to win, the balls must be thrown through Jennifer Love Hewitt
's mouth, but they do not fit). It is very expensive, costing $5 for three balls; the fact the game cannot be won makes it a cash-guzzling scam. The game's sexual connotations also go unnoticed. At first, Kyle tries to call "shenanigans" in an attempt to bring Officer Barbrady's attention to the rigged game, but the carny
running the stall cleverly replaces the last ball with one that is small enough to fit through the hole. Kyle is unable to justify his declaration when his last throw is a winner. Afterwards, once Barbrady is gone, the carny goes back on his word and tells them they have to win seven times to get the dolls. They decide to enter Cartman in the bull-riding
contest to try to win $5,000, enough money to play until they get the dolls.
Meanwhile, all the cows in the town discover the festival's symbol, a giant Buddha
-shaped clock with the head of a cow which moos every hour, and carry it off to start their own cult
, where they begin to worship it as a god
. The visitors from the game show are accused of stealing the clock and are thrown in jail.
During practice for the bull-riding contest, making Cartman to ride an elderly bull, but got thrown off and hits his head. He is then diagnosed with a peculiar state of amnesia
and believes himself to be a Vietnamese
prostitute
named Ming-Lee, which references a scene from Full Metal Jacket
. He enters the contest anyway and wins the grand prize. After an overnight stay with Leonardo DiCaprio
, Cartman finally gets his memory back.
The leaders of the town find the cows and confront them, telling them to go back to their proper places in society. Instead, the cows commit mass suicide
in a cult
-like fashion; powerless to stop them, the people of the town mourn the cows' sad action.
Back at the carnival, the dishonest carny decides to just let the boys buy the dolls with their $5,000 rather than play for them. However, the boys discover that the dolls are not authentic but cheap knock-offs, as they had originally suspected. Kyle "reinstates [his] claim of shenanigans" on the game, making everyone else realize how stupid and lame the carnival is. Officer Barbrady officially declares "shenanigans", which gives the townspeople free rein to destroy the carnival with brooms, before the carnies are all arrested.
In the excitement of the riot, Tom and Mary are forgotten and starve to death in prison and are found being eaten by mice (presumably all within one day). A plan to cover up the deaths is arranged; everyone is instructed to claim that the couple never arrived in South Park, and thus ends the Cow Days Festival.
The following day Stan and Kyle are at the bus stop playing with their Terrance and Phillip dolls when Cartman arrives explaining that he had the weirdest dream and that he became a Vietnamese prostitute and rode a bull, a limosine pulls up and Leonardo DiCaprio thanks Cartman for his services. Cartman realises his dream was a reality, angered by this he shouts "Son of a Bitch!"
South Park (season 2)
Season two of South Park, an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, began airing on April 1, 1998. The second season concluded after 18 episodes on January 20, 1999...
of the animated television 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 26th episode of the series overall. "Cow Days" originally aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on September 30, 1998. It features issues of cults
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
and the ethics of rodeos
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
and funfairs
Funfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
.
Plot synopsis
On a game showGame show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
an interracial couple named Tom and Mary win a trip to South Park for the "Cow Days" festival. Though this was far from what they hoped for in a prize, they decide to try to enjoy it anyway. The usual festival practices events such as releasing cows (a release that results in the death of many people, mainly due to their panicked haste to escape the passive cows), a reference to Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
's Running of the Bulls. Meanwhile, 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...
, 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...
, Kenny
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
and 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...
are at the carnival, but find it far less than satisfactory, containing rides such as "The Chamber of Farts" (which is rather short) and the "Line Ride." (which consists of nothing more than standing in a long line until they reach the end) They finally find something enjoyable in a ball-throwing game that allows them the chance to win a pair of Terrance and Phillip dolls, but the game is rigged and cannot be won (to win, the balls must be thrown through Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
's mouth, but they do not fit). It is very expensive, costing $5 for three balls; the fact the game cannot be won makes it a cash-guzzling scam. The game's sexual connotations also go unnoticed. At first, Kyle tries to call "shenanigans" in an attempt to bring Officer Barbrady's attention to the rigged game, but the carny
Carny
Carny or carnie is a slang term used in North America and, along with showie, in Australia for a carnival employee, as well as the language they employ...
running the stall cleverly replaces the last ball with one that is small enough to fit through the hole. Kyle is unable to justify his declaration when his last throw is a winner. Afterwards, once Barbrady is gone, the carny goes back on his word and tells them they have to win seven times to get the dolls. They decide to enter Cartman in the bull-riding
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
contest to try to win $5,000, enough money to play until they get the dolls.
Meanwhile, all the cows in the town discover the festival's symbol, a giant Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
-shaped clock with the head of a cow which moos every hour, and carry it off to start their own cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
, where they begin to worship it as a god
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. The visitors from the game show are accused of stealing the clock and are thrown in jail.
During practice for the bull-riding contest, making Cartman to ride an elderly bull, but got thrown off and hits his head. He is then diagnosed with a peculiar state of amnesia
Retrograde amnesia
Retrograde amnesia is a loss of access to events that occurred, or information that was learned, before an injury or the onset of a disease....
and believes himself to be a Vietnamese
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
named Ming-Lee, which references a scene from Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
. He enters the contest anyway and wins the grand prize. After an overnight stay with Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
, Cartman finally gets his memory back.
The leaders of the town find the cows and confront them, telling them to go back to their proper places in society. Instead, the cows commit mass suicide
Cult suicide
A cult suicide is a term used to describe the mass suicide by the members of groups that have been considered cults. In some cases, all or nearly all members have committed suicide at the same time and place. Groups that have committed such mass suicides and that have been called cults include...
in a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
-like fashion; powerless to stop them, the people of the town mourn the cows' sad action.
Back at the carnival, the dishonest carny decides to just let the boys buy the dolls with their $5,000 rather than play for them. However, the boys discover that the dolls are not authentic but cheap knock-offs, as they had originally suspected. Kyle "reinstates [his] claim of shenanigans" on the game, making everyone else realize how stupid and lame the carnival is. Officer Barbrady officially declares "shenanigans", which gives the townspeople free rein to destroy the carnival with brooms, before the carnies are all arrested.
In the excitement of the riot, Tom and Mary are forgotten and starve to death in prison and are found being eaten by mice (presumably all within one day). A plan to cover up the deaths is arranged; everyone is instructed to claim that the couple never arrived in South Park, and thus ends the Cow Days Festival.
The following day Stan and Kyle are at the bus stop playing with their Terrance and Phillip dolls when Cartman arrives explaining that he had the weirdest dream and that he became a Vietnamese prostitute and rode a bull, a limosine pulls up and Leonardo DiCaprio thanks Cartman for his services. Cartman realises his dream was a reality, angered by this he shouts "Son of a Bitch!"
External links
- "Cow Days" Full Episode at South Park Studios
- "Cow Days" Episode Guide at South Park Studios