I'm a Little Bit Country
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| South Park episode | |
| "I'm a Little Bit Country" | |
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| Episode no. | 100th aired |
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| Airdate | April 9, 2003 |
| South Park - Season 7 March 19, 2003 – December 17, 2003 |
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| ← Season 6 | Season 8 → |
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| List of all South Park episodes | |
"I'm a Little Bit Country" is episode 701 of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired April 9, 2003, and is notable as being the 100th episode aired (though in production numbers, that right is given to another episode, #704, "Cancelled").
This episode breaks the fourth wall twice. Cartman tries to induce a flashback which implies he may know this is a TV show (alternatively, it could simply be implying that Cartman is deluded enough to believe he is able to trigger a flashback based on various methods he has seen on television); and also, during the song celebrating 100 episodes, Randy Marsh says "Good night everyone, sure has been great bringing you 100 episodes."
[edit] Plot
This episode originally aired during the build-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. When Mr. Garrison agrees to let anyone protesting the war out of school early for a rally, all the kids leave, even though they know little about the war. They are then interviewed outside the school for their views on what the Founding Fathers would think about the conflict and show their ignorance. Angered at the embarrassment, Mr. Garrison gives everybody an assignment to figure out an opinion on the Founders' view of the war, and Stan, Kyle and Kenny begin to study for their projects; Cartman, however, decides to take the lazier approach, and tries to induce a flashback of the colonial era, and other tricks.
Meanwhile, the people of the town are divided about the war, and after splitting in two, they both plan rallies (one pro-war, one anti-war) on the same day in the same place. They wind up having a great argument during both rallies, and in the end get into a huge fight where they begin to all kill each other. Meanwhile, Cartman (by electrocuting himself in water with a TiVo full of colonial documentaries from The History Channel) falls into a coma, but in his mind travels back to the colonial era. With a simple murder, he manages to get the job of delivering the Declaration of Independence from Thomas Jefferson's home to the Continental Congress for a vote; there, a great argument breaks out about whether or not to go to war against Great Britain, paralleling the events in town, which Cartman recognizes as being "very, very relevant".
Benjamin Franklin shows up (voiced by famed TV producer Norman Lear, creative consultant for this episode), and he gives his opinion that both opinions were valid, as the new country they were trying to found would need strength (from the hawks) and compassion (from the doves). He suggests that if they go to war but still allow protests (which in his opinion wouldn't actually stop the war) then it looks like they didn't want the war. He refers to this as "having our cake and eating it too". Cartman wakes up and delivers his message to the town, who see the truth of that statement and then break out into song (a version of "I'm a Little Bit Country" by Donny and Marie Osmond). In it, they not only celebrate their differences, but also their achievement (100 episodes). The 100th episode of the series ends with Kyle saying "I hate this town. I really, really do".
[edit] Cultural References
- The song Cartman hums when he kills the messenger boy is "I Don't Want To Wait" by Paula Cole, the theme from Dawson's Creek.
[edit] Trivia
- John Adams actually reads the word "Penis" while reading the declaration.
- The guitarist playing on the anti-war side of the stage bears a suspicious resemblence to Slash.
- Even though he was killed off in the previous episode, Jesus is seen in the crowd at the end.
- At the end, when they're singing, Sally Struthers is seen, but in the same form as the one from Starvin' Marvin, rather than her form from the later episode, Starvin' Marvin in Space.
- This being a special, "100th" episode, it is Cartman who saves the day in the end, instead of Stan or Kyle, the usual heroes of South Park.
- On the pro-war side of the stage there is a bald eagle like the one on the dollar bill, but his head is turned toward the arrows symbolizing he's for war.
- The Thompsons, Terrance and Phillip, and various other characters from South Park's history appear singing in the crowd at the end.
| Preceded by: "Red Sleigh Down" |
South Park episodes | Followed by: "Krazy Kripples" |
