Fatbeard
Encyclopedia
"Fatbeard" is the seventh episode of the thirteenth season
of the American animated television series South Park
, and the 188th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central
in the United States on April 22, 2009 and in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2009. It was the mid-season finale, marking the final South Park episode for six months. In the episode, Cartman
misinterprets news reports about Piracy in Somalia
to mean the return of the classic era
of swashbuckling pirates
, and misleads a handful of South Park boys to voyage to Mogadishu
to start a pirate crew.
The episode was written and directed by series co-founder Trey Parker
, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States for strong to extreme language. "Fatbeard" was a reference to increasing international media attention to Somalian piracy, and the script depicted the pirates in a sympathetic light. The crew of the USS Bainbridge
, the Arleigh Burke-class
guided missile destroyer
which participated in the rescue of the hijacked
MV
Maersk Alabama
, contacted the South Park creators to praise them for the episode. "Fatbeard" received generally positive reviews and was seen by 2.59 million households in its original broadcast, making it the most-watched Comedy Central production the week it aired.
, Cartman
excitedly tells his friends the classic era
of piracy
has returned, and asks the boys to join him in becoming a pirate in what he describes as a responsibility-free life in a warm tropical paradise. Sensing an opportunity to get rid of Cartman once and for all, Kyle
encourages him to go, even offering to help pay for his ticket. Although Butters
, Ike, Clyde and Kevin are the only students who agree to join his crew, an undaunted Cartman uses his mother's credit card to book a trip to Cairo, Egypt. After a long flight and a 49-hour bus ride, the boys arrive in Mogadishu, Somalia
dressed as stereotypical pirates. Once there, however, they are shocked to find themselves in an impoverished failed state
, the complete opposite of their expectations.
They quickly find the pirates, who are shocked that anyone would knowingly venture into their lair. The pirates decide to ransom the boys to the first European vessel they find. The boys confidently go with them, believing they are being taken to a pirate ship, but are once again disappointed when they are taken to a small motorboat. Eventually, the pirates find a French schooner
and demand a ransom of five thousand euro
s in exchange for the lives of the boys. Meanwhile in South Park, Kyle happily claims partial credit for sending Cartman to Somalia and expects things will be better without Cartman around. But when his parents read him a farewell letter from Ike, Kyle realizes his brother has run off with Cartman to Somalia, and he sets off for Mogadishu to bring his brother home. Back in Somalia, the ransom is paid and the boys are surrendered. Once on board, however, Cartman assumes control of the schooner
and orders the crew to get onto the lifeboat
. Although the captain initially refuses, Kevin brandishes a toy lightsaber
, frightening the French crew into abandoning ship. Cartman and the boys return to Mogadishu with the captured vessel, giving several bundles of euros to the pirates, who are initially shocked, but begin to respect Cartman, who, unimpressed by their lack of "pirate" traits, in turn leads them in raiding ships, and starts fashioning them into a stereotypical crew, leading them a traditional sea shanty
called "Somalian Pirates, We".
Meanwhile, the French crew is discovered by a cargo ship, and the U.S. Navy
is deployed by NATO due to the news that the pirates now have advanced weaponry (meaning the lightsaber, which was reported to be real). Kyle arrives in Mogadishu, but is immediately taken captive by the pirates and held hostage. Meanwhile, an English-speaking pirate named Guleed asks Butters and Ike why they decided to become pirates. When they say that they left because they were tired of things like school, chores, homework, and being hollered at by adults, Guleed responds by telling them going to school was his ultimate dream, but he was forced to become a pirate because he was desperately poor and his family would otherwise die. Butters and Ike, realizing how irresponsible they all have been, admit that a life of piracy is one of suffering and hardship, not fun and adventure, and tell Cartman they want to return home. Cartman, however, refuses to give up his romantic delusions and threatens the boys with death by calling the real pirates to hold them at gunpoint. Cartman's vision is quickly disrupted, however, when a U.S Navy ship appears off the coast carrying snipers, who kill all of Cartman's pirates with a single gunshot to each of their heads. This leaves Cartman dumbfounded and annoyed.
. It originally aired on Comedy Central
in the United States on April 22, 2009 and was the mid-season finale, marking the final South Park episode until October 2009. "Fatbeard" is based on real-life piracy in Somalia
, which began receiving increasing international media attention in 2008. The ending, in which the pirates are each shot to death by American snipers, reflects the resolution of the pirate hijacking
of the MV
Maersk Alabama
in April 2009, where U.S. Navy SEALs
rescued the captain after three snipers simultaneously killed three pirates with one shot each. They are portrayed in a particularly sympathetic light when they are killed during the ending. Travis Fickett of IGN
said, "It's one of those moments where South Park feels the need to give voice to a side the media is ignoring – and points out that things aren't quite as cut and dry as we might like." The episode has also been described as a commentary on the way in which Americans tend to take their relative wealth and comfort for granted. A U.S. Navy SEAL ordering another to "not hit the white ones" has also been described as an indictment of the American approach to foreign policy.
While most South Park episodes feature Parker and Stone providing almost all the voice acting, "Fatbeard" included several French-speaking actors providing the lines of the schooner crew. Outside voice actors were also brought in for the role of the Somalian pirates, including Abdi Fatah Adawe, Dahir Ali, Abdullahi Prime, Sebastian Yu and Julien Zeitouni. The week after its original broadcast, in response to requests by fans, the full 90-second version of episode's sea shanty song, "Somalian Pirates, We" was made available for download on South Park Studios, the official South Park website. Shortly after "Fatbeard" was originally broadcast, the site also featured six different types of T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts based on the episode.
, the Scottish amateur singer who gained worldwide attention around the time of the episode's airing for her performance of the song "I Dreamed a Dream
" from Les Misérables
on the show Britain's Got Talent
. The Boyle reference in particular received a great deal of media attention the week "Fatbeard" first aired. Cartman, an unapologetic racist
and anti-semite, says that Jewish people, Mexican
s, and ginger-haired
people are not allowed to be pirates. The French schooner
crew members are portrayed as pretentious cowards, a stereotype of the French based on the government's surrender during World War II
. The schooner itself strongly resembles the French luxury yacht Le Ponant
, which was seized by Somali pirates in April 2008. Cartman refers to Blackbeard
, the famous English pirate from the 17th and 18th centuries, from whom the episode derives its name. Much of the décor and music in the episode is influenced by the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride
and associated film franchise
. Kevin wields a toy lightsaber
, the Jedi
weapon from the Star Wars
films; this is also a reference to the sixth season
episode "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers", in which he dresses as an Imperial stormtrooper
while the rest of the boys are in Lord of the Rings attire.
, making it the most-watched Comedy Central production of the week. The episode received generally positive reviews. Carlos Delgado of If magazine, who gave the episode an A- grade, particularly praised the Cartman and Ike characters and called the ending "perfect". Delgado said of the show's creators, "These guys see episode potential in nearly everything that passes through the news desk. And because South Park can be made in like a week—and I’m talking start to finish, from concept to finished product—they end up being the most socially conscious and timely show on television today." Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
praised the episode and the Somalian pirate song, and complimented the show for presenting the pirates as sympathetic human beings. Sean O'Neal of The A.V. Club
said the portrayal of Somalian pirates was a predictable storyline, but said he enjoyed the episode because of the pacing: "Rather than a cobbled-together collection of gags, everything progressed very organically." IGN writer Travis Fickett said the episode was amusing but not exceptional. Fickett enjoyed the takeover of the French vessel and the extent to which Cartman's delusion about pirates takes him, but he said the pirate plot "isn't entirely in good taste (and) it never really gathers a full head of steam".
_-_close_up.jpg)
The crew of the USS Bainbridge
, the Arleigh Burke-class
guided missile destroyer
which participated in the rescue of Richard Phillips from the hijacked MV Maersk Alabama, contacted the creators of South Park to commend them on the episode. Ensign Jonathan Sieg, the Bainbridge public relations officer, wrote: "Pretty much everyone onboard our ship — from Captain to seaman — is a huge fan of South Park, and when we heard about the episode "Fatbeard", as you can imagine, we were thrilled and very interested to watch." Sieg requested copies of the episode because the streaming online video was difficult to watch on the ship, and the South Park staff in return sent them a care package including several copies of the episode. On the official South Park Studios FAQ, they wrote back, "No, sir, thank you. We were honored to read that, and making an episode about you kicking pirate booty was our pleasure."
set and two-disc Blu-Ray
set in the United States on March 16, 2010. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Parker and Stone for each episode, a collection of deleted scenes, and a special mini-feature Inside Xbox: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour of South Park Studios, which discussed the process behind animating the show Inside xBox.
South Park (season 13)
The 13th season of South Park, an American animated television comedy series, originally aired in the United States on Comedy Central between March 11 and November 18, 2009. The season was headed by the series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who served as executive producers along with Anne...
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...
, and the 188th overall episode of the series. 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 on April 22, 2009 and in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2009. It was the mid-season finale, marking the final South Park episode for six months. In the episode, 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...
misinterprets news reports about Piracy in Somalia
Piracy in Somalia
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...
to mean the return of the classic era
Golden Age of Piracy
The Golden Age of Piracy is a common designation given to one or more outbursts of piracy in maritime history of the early modern period. In its broadest accepted definition, the Golden Age of Piracy spans from the 1650s to the 1730s and covers three separate outbursts of piracy:the buccaneering...
of swashbuckling pirates
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
, and misleads a handful of South Park boys to voyage to Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
to start a pirate crew.
The episode was written and directed by series co-founder 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 was rated TV-MA L in the United States for strong to extreme language. "Fatbeard" was a reference to increasing international media attention to Somalian piracy, and the script depicted the pirates in a sympathetic light. The crew of the USS Bainbridge
USS Bainbridge (DDG-96)
USS Bainbridge is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is the fifth ship to carry that name, and the 46th destroyer of a planned 62-ship class...
, the Arleigh Burke-class
Arleigh Burke class destroyer
The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers is the United States Navy's first class of destroyer built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The class is named for Admiral Arleigh "31-Knot" Burke, the most famous American destroyer officer of...
guided missile destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
which participated in the rescue of the hijacked
Maersk Alabama hijacking
The Maersk Alabama hijacking was a series of events involving piracy that began with four Somali pirates seizing the cargo ship southeast of the Somali port city of Eyl. This event ended with the action of 12 April 2009. It was the first successful pirate seizure of a ship registered under the...
MV
Merchant vessel
A merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
Maersk Alabama
MV Maersk Alabama
MV Maersk Alabama is a container ship owned by Maersk Line Limited and operated by Waterman Steamship Corporation....
, contacted the South Park creators to praise them for the episode. "Fatbeard" received generally positive reviews and was seen by 2.59 million households in its original broadcast, making it the most-watched Comedy Central production the week it aired.
Plot
Having misunderstood the news about a recent upsurge of piracy in SomaliaPiracy in Somalia
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...
, 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...
excitedly tells his friends the classic era
Golden Age of Piracy
The Golden Age of Piracy is a common designation given to one or more outbursts of piracy in maritime history of the early modern period. In its broadest accepted definition, the Golden Age of Piracy spans from the 1650s to the 1730s and covers three separate outbursts of piracy:the buccaneering...
of piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
has returned, and asks the boys to join him in becoming a pirate in what he describes as a responsibility-free life in a warm tropical paradise. Sensing an opportunity to get rid of Cartman once and for all, 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...
encourages him to go, even offering to help pay for his ticket. Although 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...
, Ike, Clyde and Kevin are the only students who agree to join his crew, an undaunted Cartman uses his mother's credit card to book a trip to Cairo, Egypt. After a long flight and a 49-hour bus ride, the boys arrive in Mogadishu, Somalia
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
dressed as stereotypical pirates. Once there, however, they are shocked to find themselves in an impoverished failed state
Failed state
The term failed state is often used by political commentators and journalists to describe a state perceived as having failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government...
, the complete opposite of their expectations.
They quickly find the pirates, who are shocked that anyone would knowingly venture into their lair. The pirates decide to ransom the boys to the first European vessel they find. The boys confidently go with them, believing they are being taken to a pirate ship, but are once again disappointed when they are taken to a small motorboat. Eventually, the pirates find a French schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
and demand a ransom of five thousand euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s in exchange for the lives of the boys. Meanwhile in South Park, Kyle happily claims partial credit for sending Cartman to Somalia and expects things will be better without Cartman around. But when his parents read him a farewell letter from Ike, Kyle realizes his brother has run off with Cartman to Somalia, and he sets off for Mogadishu to bring his brother home. Back in Somalia, the ransom is paid and the boys are surrendered. Once on board, however, Cartman assumes control of the schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
and orders the crew to get onto the lifeboat
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
. Although the captain initially refuses, Kevin brandishes a toy lightsaber
Lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
, frightening the French crew into abandoning ship. Cartman and the boys return to Mogadishu with the captured vessel, giving several bundles of euros to the pirates, who are initially shocked, but begin to respect Cartman, who, unimpressed by their lack of "pirate" traits, in turn leads them in raiding ships, and starts fashioning them into a stereotypical crew, leading them a traditional sea shanty
Sea shanty
A shanty is a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany labor on board large merchant sailing vessels. Shanties became ubiquitous in the 19th century era of the wind-driven packet and clipper ships...
called "Somalian Pirates, We".
Meanwhile, the French crew is discovered by a cargo ship, and the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
is deployed by NATO due to the news that the pirates now have advanced weaponry (meaning the lightsaber, which was reported to be real). Kyle arrives in Mogadishu, but is immediately taken captive by the pirates and held hostage. Meanwhile, an English-speaking pirate named Guleed asks Butters and Ike why they decided to become pirates. When they say that they left because they were tired of things like school, chores, homework, and being hollered at by adults, Guleed responds by telling them going to school was his ultimate dream, but he was forced to become a pirate because he was desperately poor and his family would otherwise die. Butters and Ike, realizing how irresponsible they all have been, admit that a life of piracy is one of suffering and hardship, not fun and adventure, and tell Cartman they want to return home. Cartman, however, refuses to give up his romantic delusions and threatens the boys with death by calling the real pirates to hold them at gunpoint. Cartman's vision is quickly disrupted, however, when a U.S Navy ship appears off the coast carrying snipers, who kill all of Cartman's pirates with a single gunshot to each of their heads. This leaves Cartman dumbfounded and annoyed.
Production and theme
"Fatbeard" was written and directed by series co-creator Trey ParkerTrey 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...
. 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 on April 22, 2009 and was the mid-season finale, marking the final South Park episode until October 2009. "Fatbeard" is based on real-life piracy in Somalia
Piracy in Somalia
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...
, which began receiving increasing international media attention in 2008. The ending, in which the pirates are each shot to death by American snipers, reflects the resolution of the pirate hijacking
Maersk Alabama hijacking
The Maersk Alabama hijacking was a series of events involving piracy that began with four Somali pirates seizing the cargo ship southeast of the Somali port city of Eyl. This event ended with the action of 12 April 2009. It was the first successful pirate seizure of a ship registered under the...
of the MV
Merchant vessel
A merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
Maersk Alabama
MV Maersk Alabama
MV Maersk Alabama is a container ship owned by Maersk Line Limited and operated by Waterman Steamship Corporation....
in April 2009, where U.S. Navy SEALs
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
rescued the captain after three snipers simultaneously killed three pirates with one shot each. They are portrayed in a particularly sympathetic light when they are killed during the ending. Travis Fickett of 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...
said, "It's one of those moments where South Park feels the need to give voice to a side the media is ignoring – and points out that things aren't quite as cut and dry as we might like." The episode has also been described as a commentary on the way in which Americans tend to take their relative wealth and comfort for granted. A U.S. Navy SEAL ordering another to "not hit the white ones" has also been described as an indictment of the American approach to foreign policy.
While most South Park episodes feature Parker and Stone providing almost all the voice acting, "Fatbeard" included several French-speaking actors providing the lines of the schooner crew. Outside voice actors were also brought in for the role of the Somalian pirates, including Abdi Fatah Adawe, Dahir Ali, Abdullahi Prime, Sebastian Yu and Julien Zeitouni. The week after its original broadcast, in response to requests by fans, the full 90-second version of episode's sea shanty song, "Somalian Pirates, We" was made available for download on South Park Studios, the official South Park website. Shortly after "Fatbeard" was originally broadcast, the site also featured six different types of T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts based on the episode.
Cultural references
Ike indicates he will "vomit my balls out through my mouth" if he has to hear anything more about Susan BoyleSusan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
, the Scottish amateur singer who gained worldwide attention around the time of the episode's airing for her performance of the song "I Dreamed a Dream
I Dreamed a Dream
"I Dreamed a Dream" is a song from the musical Les Misérables. It is a solo that is sung by the character Fantine during the first act. The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with orchestrations by John Cameron...
" from Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
on the show Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
. The Boyle reference in particular received a great deal of media attention the week "Fatbeard" first aired. Cartman, an unapologetic racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and anti-semite, says that Jewish people, Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
s, and ginger-haired
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
people are not allowed to be pirates. The French schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
crew members are portrayed as pretentious cowards, a stereotype of the French based on the government's surrender during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The schooner itself strongly resembles the French luxury yacht Le Ponant
Le Ponant
Le Ponant is a three-masted, commercially operated French luxury yacht owned by CMA CGM and operated under their Compagnie du Ponant brand. The ship carries up to 67 passengers in 32 cabins...
, which was seized by Somali pirates in April 2008. Cartman refers to Blackbeard
Blackbeard
Edward Teach , better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies....
, the famous English pirate from the 17th and 18th centuries, from whom the episode derives its name. Much of the décor and music in the episode is influenced by the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride
Pirates of the Caribbean (theme park ride)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a log flume type of dark ride at the Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris theme parks....
and associated film franchise
Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski and Rob Marshall , written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
. Kevin wields a toy lightsaber
Lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
, the Jedi
Jedi
The Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
weapon from the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
films; this is also a reference to the sixth season
South Park (season 6)
Season six of South Park, an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, began airing on March 6, 2002. The sixth season concluded after 17 episodes on December 11, 2002. This season is notable for being the only one without Kenny as a main character, as he was...
episode "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers", in which he dresses as an Imperial stormtrooper
Imperial stormtrooper
The Imperial Stormtroopers are fictional soldiers from George Lucas' Star Wars universe. Stormtroopers are the soldiers of the imperial army under the leadership of the evil Sith Lord and Emperor Palpatine and his commanders, most notably Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.They are shown in...
while the rest of the boys are in Lord of the Rings attire.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Fatbeard" was watched by 2.59 million overall households, according to the Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, making it the most-watched Comedy Central production of the week. The episode received generally positive reviews. Carlos Delgado of If magazine, who gave the episode an A- grade, particularly praised the Cartman and Ike characters and called the ending "perfect". Delgado said of the show's creators, "These guys see episode potential in nearly everything that passes through the news desk. And because South Park can be made in like a week—and I’m talking start to finish, from concept to finished product—they end up being the most socially conscious and timely show on television today." Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
praised the episode and the Somalian pirate song, and complimented the show for presenting the pirates as sympathetic human beings. Sean O'Neal of The A.V. Club
The 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...
said the portrayal of Somalian pirates was a predictable storyline, but said he enjoyed the episode because of the pacing: "Rather than a cobbled-together collection of gags, everything progressed very organically." IGN writer Travis Fickett said the episode was amusing but not exceptional. Fickett enjoyed the takeover of the French vessel and the extent to which Cartman's delusion about pirates takes him, but he said the pirate plot "isn't entirely in good taste (and) it never really gathers a full head of steam".
USS Bainbridge (DDG-96)
USS Bainbridge is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is the fifth ship to carry that name, and the 46th destroyer of a planned 62-ship class...
, the Arleigh Burke-class
Arleigh Burke class destroyer
The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers is the United States Navy's first class of destroyer built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The class is named for Admiral Arleigh "31-Knot" Burke, the most famous American destroyer officer of...
guided missile destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
which participated in the rescue of Richard Phillips from the hijacked MV Maersk Alabama, contacted the creators of South Park to commend them on the episode. Ensign Jonathan Sieg, the Bainbridge public relations officer, wrote: "Pretty much everyone onboard our ship — from Captain to seaman — is a huge fan of South Park, and when we heard about the episode "Fatbeard", as you can imagine, we were thrilled and very interested to watch." Sieg requested copies of the episode because the streaming online video was difficult to watch on the ship, and the South Park staff in return sent them a care package including several copies of the episode. On the official South Park Studios FAQ, they wrote back, "No, sir, thank you. We were honored to read that, and making an episode about you kicking pirate booty was our pleasure."
Home release
"Fatbeard", along with the thirteen other episodes from South Parks thirteenth season, were released on a three-disc DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set and two-disc Blu-Ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
set in the United States on March 16, 2010. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Parker and Stone for each episode, a collection of deleted scenes, and a special mini-feature Inside Xbox: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour of South Park Studios, which discussed the process behind animating the show Inside xBox.
External links
- "Fatbeard" Full episode at South Park Studios
- "Fatbeard" Episode guide at South Park Studios