Die Hippie, Die
Encyclopedia
"Die Hippie, Die" is the second episode of the ninth season
of the American animated television series South Park
. It originally aired on Comedy Central
in the United States
on March 16, 2005.
runs a 'pest control' service to rid the town of hippie
s, people he feared and hated for most of the series, mainly because "they smoke pot, wear crap and smell bad." Having studied hippies in his quest to eradicate them, Cartman deduces the hippies are about to start a music festival in South Park. His attempts to warn the town council are futile, and he is arrested soon afterwards for imprisoning 63 hippies in his basement.
The town of South Park is soon invaded by the largest population of hippies in history, and the music festival threatens to destroy the town. They manage to convert Stan, Kyle and Kenny to their cause with talks of corporate evils, and the trio get caught up in the massive hippie crowd where they all listen to jam band
music.
Cartman pleads with the mayor to stop the festival, but it turns out that the mayor was the one who permitted the music festival in the first place thinking it would make the town some money. But after seeing the chaos that the eccentric hippies are creating, the mayor is ridden with guilt and shoots herself in the head (she survives and appears later in the strategy room when Cartman is enacting his plan). The band playing on the festival stage resembles Phish
, with the same instrumentation as the famous jam band. The guitarist and bassist in the unnamed cartoon band specifically resemble Trey Anastasio
and Mike Gordon
.
Stan's parents know where the kids are, but when they realized what they did in Woodstock
(which was very embarrassing), they go to save Stan. Randy tries to get through the crowd, but fails early due to excessive marijuana smoke exposure. The rest of the town then pleads with Cartman to rid the town of the hippies. Cartman eventually agrees to help, but only after Randy promises to offer a Tonka
radio-controlled bulldozer
and Kyle's mother assures that Kyle will never have one, instead having to watch Cartman playing with the bulldozer.
Meanwhile, Stan, Kyle and Kenny realize that the hippies are doing nothing to oppose the corporations that they have demonized and that their idea of a perfect society is the same as the currently existing one. They try to leave but the crowd is 7 miles in radius and Stan's efforts to talk sense into the hippies only makes matters worse. Cartman, with the help of a scientist (Randy), an engineer (Butters Stotch
's mother Linda) and a "black man to sacrifice himself in case anything goes wrong" (Chef), builds a giant drill ("Hippie Digger") to bore through the hippie crowd. While they are boring through, the drill breaks down and Chef goes out and "sacrifices" himself to pull the emergency power switch. Cartman then uploads the Slayer
song "Raining Blood
" into the speakers (as Cartman reasons, "hippies can't stand death metal
"). The plan works and the hippies disperse, saving South Park. Stan sees Randy and they end up hugging each other, knowing that they are safe. Cartman then pulls out a knife and tells Kyle that he has plans for him. Kyle is then forced to watch Cartman having fun with his Tonka
bulldozer in the school parking lot.
, Slayer
's lead guitarist, said that he found the episode humorous and expressed his interest in the show, mentioning it in an interview, saying "It was good to see the song being put to good use. If we can horrify some hippies, we've done our job."
South Park (season 9)
Season nine of the American animated television series South Park began airing on March 9, 2005. This season is home to two of the show's most controversial episodes : "Trapped in the Closet" Season nine of the American animated television series South Park began airing on March 9, 2005. This...
of the American 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...
. 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 March 16, 2005.
Plot
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...
runs a 'pest control' service to rid the town of hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
s, people he feared and hated for most of the series, mainly because "they smoke pot, wear crap and smell bad." Having studied hippies in his quest to eradicate them, Cartman deduces the hippies are about to start a music festival in South Park. His attempts to warn the town council are futile, and he is arrested soon afterwards for imprisoning 63 hippies in his basement.
The town of South Park is soon invaded by the largest population of hippies in history, and the music festival threatens to destroy the town. They manage to convert Stan, Kyle and Kenny to their cause with talks of corporate evils, and the trio get caught up in the massive hippie crowd where they all listen to jam band
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
music.
Cartman pleads with the mayor to stop the festival, but it turns out that the mayor was the one who permitted the music festival in the first place thinking it would make the town some money. But after seeing the chaos that the eccentric hippies are creating, the mayor is ridden with guilt and shoots herself in the head (she survives and appears later in the strategy room when Cartman is enacting his plan). The band playing on the festival stage resembles Phish
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
, with the same instrumentation as the famous jam band. The guitarist and bassist in the unnamed cartoon band specifically resemble Trey Anastasio
Trey Anastasio
Trey Anastasio is an American guitarist, composer, and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish...
and Mike Gordon
Mike Gordon
Mike Gordon is a bass guitar player and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish. Gordon is also an accomplished banjo player, and is proficient at piano, guitar, harmonica and percussion...
.
Stan's parents know where the kids are, but when they realized what they did in Woodstock
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
(which was very embarrassing), they go to save Stan. Randy tries to get through the crowd, but fails early due to excessive marijuana smoke exposure. The rest of the town then pleads with Cartman to rid the town of the hippies. Cartman eventually agrees to help, but only after Randy promises to offer a Tonka
Tonka
Tonka is an American toy company most known for its signature toy trucks and construction equipment.-History:On September 18, 1946 Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota with three men as partners, Lynn Everett Baker , Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch. The first products produced by...
radio-controlled bulldozer
Bulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
and Kyle's mother assures that Kyle will never have one, instead having to watch Cartman playing with the bulldozer.
Meanwhile, Stan, Kyle and Kenny realize that the hippies are doing nothing to oppose the corporations that they have demonized and that their idea of a perfect society is the same as the currently existing one. They try to leave but the crowd is 7 miles in radius and Stan's efforts to talk sense into the hippies only makes matters worse. Cartman, with the help of a scientist (Randy), an engineer (Butters Stotch
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...
's mother Linda) and a "black man to sacrifice himself in case anything goes wrong" (Chef), builds a giant drill ("Hippie Digger") to bore through the hippie crowd. While they are boring through, the drill breaks down and Chef goes out and "sacrifices" himself to pull the emergency power switch. Cartman then uploads the Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
song "Raining Blood
Raining Blood
"Raining Blood" is a song by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Written by Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King for the 1986 studio album Reign in Blood, the concept deals with religion, specifically said to be about overthrowing Heaven...
" into the speakers (as Cartman reasons, "hippies can't stand death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
"). The plan works and the hippies disperse, saving South Park. Stan sees Randy and they end up hugging each other, knowing that they are safe. Cartman then pulls out a knife and tells Kyle that he has plans for him. Kyle is then forced to watch Cartman having fun with his Tonka
Tonka
Tonka is an American toy company most known for its signature toy trucks and construction equipment.-History:On September 18, 1946 Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota with three men as partners, Lynn Everett Baker , Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch. The first products produced by...
bulldozer in the school parking lot.
Slayer's reception
Kerry KingKerry King
Kerry King is an American lead and rhythm guitarist. He is best known as the lead guitarist and cofounder of American thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and has been a member ever since...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
's lead guitarist, said that he found the episode humorous and expressed his interest in the show, mentioning it in an interview, saying "It was good to see the song being put to good use. If we can horrify some hippies, we've done our job."
External links
- Die Hippie, Die Full episode at South Park Studios
- Die Hippie, Die Episode guide at South Park Studios