Royal Pudding
Encyclopedia
"Royal Pudding" is the third episode of the fifteenth season
of the American animated television series South Park
, and the 212th episode of the series overall. "Royal Pudding" premiered in the United States
on Comedy Central
on May 11, 2011. In the episode, which parodies the 2011 Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
, the Prince of Canada's fiancee is abducted from their wedding altar, leading Ike Broflovski to answer the call to rescue her. "Royal Pudding" was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker
, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States. The episode aired 12 days after the wedding.
. He is furious when Ike, who is supposed to portray tooth decay, misses a rehearsal to watch the Canadian
royal wedding. During the ceremony, the princess is enclosed in a giant cube
and spirited away. Ike is so distraught that he cannot stop crying during rehearsal and gets sent home by Mr. Mackey. As people all over Canada kill themselves
out of despair for the princess' abduction, the Prime Minister of Canada
instructs all people of Canadian descent to go home and open their "Box of Faith", which contains - along with a location beacon, a first aid kit
, and a sandwich
- a video recording issuing a call to arms for all Canadians in fighting condition to "meet by the tree in Edmonton
". Ike answers the call and, while riding a bus to Canada, meets a fellow Canadian named Ugly Bob, who claims he has to wear a bag over his head because, even though he simply appears Canadian to Americans, other Canadians find his face frighteningly ugly.
Once the pair arrive, the first instinct of the member of the Canadian Armed Forces
leading the gathered Canadians is that the princess was taken by a giant, who turns out to be Scott the Dick, who grew to seven feet tall - giant by Canadian standards - after a radioactive accident in Ottawa
. When it turns out that Scott has been wrongly accused of taking the princess, most other Canadians go home, but Scott persuades Ike and Ugly Bob to follow him as he accuses the Inuit
of kidnapping the princess out of his racial prejudice towards the "Native Canadians." The three of them travel to the Arctic
tundra
of northern Canada to get information from the Inuit, who admit that their people do have a grudge against the Canadians for taking their land, but tribe leader reveals that the princess' abduction was foretold, and that the true kidnapper is one who attacks people of all nationalities. With an Inuit mother leading the three, they find a large dark castle, where the princess is held captive by the abductor: Tooth Decay. Eventually, after the monster hurls Scott and the Inuit woman across the room, Ike turns Tooth Decay to stone by exposing Ugly Bob's face to him.
While this all occurs, Mr. Mackey becomes increasingly irate with Ike's absence and blames it on Kyle
, who fills Ike's role in the play. During rehearsals Mackey consistently loses his temper with the children for singing flat or without feeling, directing his most scathing remarks at Kyle, and reveals that the play means a great deal to him because Tooth Decay killed his father. While the play is success with parents of the kindergartners, Mr. Mackey verbally abuses his actors' imperfections backstage until the police intervene, telling Mackey to cancel the play due to reports coming in from the Yukon that Tooth Decay is dead. Ike receives a knighthood
from the Canadian princess, an honor that fails to impress any of the boys, and the royal wedding begins again. The event involves bizarre traditions such as the prince putting his arms into a large bowl of butterscotch
pudding, the princess scraping them clean and smearing the pudding on her own face, and the prince tearing one of her arms off and inserting it into his anus.
.
The A.V. Club
gave the episode a C-, citing its "bric-a-brac construction", and called it "one of the strangest half-hours in the show's history". It was deemed "pointedly silly", polarizing, and hence "bound to be divisive".
IGN
said "It has been said that episodes without Cartman are often the worst, and that's certainly the case here," giving the episode of 5.5/10.
South Park (season 15)
The fifteenth season of South Park, an American animated television series, began airing on April 27, 2011 and ended on November 16, 2011. In response to reactions to the mid-season finale episode "You're Getting Old", which seemed to insinuate that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were wrapping...
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 212th episode of the series overall. "Royal Pudding" premiered in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
on May 11, 2011. In the episode, which parodies the 2011 Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
The wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales, first met Catherine Middleton in 2001, when both were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their...
, the Prince of Canada's fiancee is abducted from their wedding altar, leading Ike Broflovski to answer the call to rescue her. "Royal Pudding" was written and directed by series co-creator 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. The episode aired 12 days after the wedding.
Plot
Mr. Mackey is making the kindergarten students perform a play about tooth decay and the importance of dental hygieneDental Hygiene
Dental Hygiene is a 1980 Iranian short film directed by Abbas Kiarostami....
. He is furious when Ike, who is supposed to portray tooth decay, misses a rehearsal to watch the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
royal wedding. During the ceremony, the princess is enclosed in a giant cube
Cube
In geometry, a cube is a three-dimensional solid object bounded by six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each vertex. The cube can also be called a regular hexahedron and is one of the five Platonic solids. It is a special kind of square prism, of rectangular parallelepiped and...
and spirited away. Ike is so distraught that he cannot stop crying during rehearsal and gets sent home by Mr. Mackey. As people all over Canada kill themselves
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...
out of despair for the princess' abduction, the Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
instructs all people of Canadian descent to go home and open their "Box of Faith", which contains - along with a location beacon, a first aid kit
First aid kit
A first aid kit is a collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid, and can put together for the purpose , or purchased complete...
, and a sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
- a video recording issuing a call to arms for all Canadians in fighting condition to "meet by the tree in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
". Ike answers the call and, while riding a bus to Canada, meets a fellow Canadian named Ugly Bob, who claims he has to wear a bag over his head because, even though he simply appears Canadian to Americans, other Canadians find his face frighteningly ugly.
Once the pair arrive, the first instinct of the member of the Canadian Armed Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
leading the gathered Canadians is that the princess was taken by a giant, who turns out to be Scott the Dick, who grew to seven feet tall - giant by Canadian standards - after a radioactive accident in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. When it turns out that Scott has been wrongly accused of taking the princess, most other Canadians go home, but Scott persuades Ike and Ugly Bob to follow him as he accuses the Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
of kidnapping the princess out of his racial prejudice towards the "Native Canadians." The three of them travel to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
of northern Canada to get information from the Inuit, who admit that their people do have a grudge against the Canadians for taking their land, but tribe leader reveals that the princess' abduction was foretold, and that the true kidnapper is one who attacks people of all nationalities. With an Inuit mother leading the three, they find a large dark castle, where the princess is held captive by the abductor: Tooth Decay. Eventually, after the monster hurls Scott and the Inuit woman across the room, Ike turns Tooth Decay to stone by exposing Ugly Bob's face to him.
While this all occurs, Mr. Mackey becomes increasingly irate with Ike's absence and blames it on 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...
, who fills Ike's role in the play. During rehearsals Mackey consistently loses his temper with the children for singing flat or without feeling, directing his most scathing remarks at Kyle, and reveals that the play means a great deal to him because Tooth Decay killed his father. While the play is success with parents of the kindergartners, Mr. Mackey verbally abuses his actors' imperfections backstage until the police intervene, telling Mackey to cancel the play due to reports coming in from the Yukon that Tooth Decay is dead. Ike receives a knighthood
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
from the Canadian princess, an honor that fails to impress any of the boys, and the royal wedding begins again. The event involves bizarre traditions such as the prince putting his arms into a large bowl of butterscotch
Butterscotch
Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter, although other ingredients such as corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt are part of some recipes...
pudding, the princess scraping them clean and smearing the pudding on her own face, and the prince tearing one of her arms off and inserting it into his anus.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on May 11, 2011, "Royal Pudding" was seen by 2.435 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
.
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...
gave the episode a C-, citing its "bric-a-brac construction", and called it "one of the strangest half-hours in the show's history". It was deemed "pointedly silly", polarizing, and hence "bound to be divisive".
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 has been said that episodes without Cartman are often the worst, and that's certainly the case here," giving the episode of 5.5/10.
External links
- "Royal Pudding" Episode guide at South Park Studios
- "Royal Pudding" Full episode at South Park Studios