200 (South Park)
Encyclopedia
"200" is the fifth episode of the fourteenth season
South Park (season 14)
The fourteenth season of South Park, an American animated television comedy series, originally aired in the United States on Comedy Central between March 17 and November 17, 2010. The season was headed by the series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who served as executive producers along with...

 of 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 200th 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 14, 2010. In the episode, Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....

 and all other celebrities who have been mocked by residents of South Park in the past plan to file a class action
Class action
In law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...

 lawsuit against the town, but Cruise promises to end the lawsuit if the town can produce the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

.

The episode 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. To celebrate their landmark episode, Parker and fellow series co-creator Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....

 combined many of South Park past storylines and controversies. The Muhammad subplot, similar to the one previously featured in the season 10
South Park (season 10)
Season 10 of South Park, an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, began airing on March 22, 2006. The tenth season concluded after 14 episodes on November 15, 2006...

 episode "Cartoon Wars
Cartoon Wars Part II
"Cartoon Wars Part II" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 142nd episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 12, 2006...

", refers to Comedy Central's past refusal to allow images of Muhammad to be shown on the network in response to the riots and threats generated from controversial cartoons in 2005
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...

 and 2007
Lars Vilks Muhammad drawings controversy
The Lars Vilks Muhammad drawings controversy began in July 2007 with a series of drawings by Swedish artist Lars Vilks that depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a roundabout dog . Several art galleries in Sweden declined to show the drawings, citing security concerns and fear of violence...

 of Muhammad in European newspapers.

"200" includes many celebrities that have been mocked in previous episodes, including Cruise, Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...

, Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...

, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

, Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...

, George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...

 and Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...

. An additional subplot includes Cartman learning he may not know the true identity of his father. It is said in the season 2
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...

 episode "Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut
Cartman's Mom is Still a Dirty Slut
"Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut" is the second episode of the second season of the animated series South Park, and the 15th episode of the series overall. It premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on April 22, 1998...

" that Cartman's hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...

 mother is his father, but the events of "200" and the subsequent episode
201 (South Park)
"201" is the sixth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park, and the 201st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 21, 2010. The episode continued multiple storylines from the previous episode, "200", in which a group of angry...

 reveal that this is not the case.

"200" received mostly positive reviews. According to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen 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...

, the episode was seen by 3.33 million viewers, making it the most watched cable television program of the night. Both "200" and the sequel episode "201
201 (South Park)
"201" is the sixth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park, and the 201st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 21, 2010. The episode continued multiple storylines from the previous episode, "200", in which a group of angry...

" were nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...

 for Outstanding Animated Program in 2010.
Within a week of the episode's original broadcast date, the website for the radical Muslim organization Revolution Muslim
Revolution Muslim
Revolution Muslim is a radical Islamist organization and hate group based in New York City that advocates the establishment of a traditionalist Islamic state, the removal of the current rulers in heavily Muslim populated nations, the destruction of Israel, and an end to what they consider "Western...

 posted an entry warning Parker and Stone they risked getting murdered for airing the episode, which several media outlets and observers interpreted as a threat. As a result, Comedy Central heavily censored portions of "201" by removing images and references to Muhammad.

Plot

While on a school field trip
Field trip
A field trip or excursion, known as school trip in the UK and school tour in Ireland, is a journey by a group of people to a place away from their normal environment...

 to a candy
Candy
Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...

 factory, 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...

 spots actor Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....

 working there, packing fudge
Fudge
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency...

 into boxes. 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...

, who previously told Cruise that his acting is not as good as others' in "Trapped in the Closet", accidentally insults him again by calling him a "fudge packer". Cruise then recruits 200 other celebrities who have been ridiculed by the town of South Park to bring a class action
Class action
In law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...

 lawsuit against the town. Stan returns to the factory with his dad to try to apologize and convince Cruise to drop the suit, but also finds it difficult not to call him a fudge packer as well since he was literally packing fudge while they spoke. An angry Cruise agrees to do so, but only if they can help Cruise meet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

. This causes an uproar because depictions of Muhammad
Depictions of Muhammad
The permissibility of depictions of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, has long been a concern in the history of Islam. Oral and written descriptions are readily accepted by all traditions of Islam, but there is disagreement about visual depictions....

 are forbidden, and the townsfolk fear that forcing Muhammad to appear in public will drive Muslim radicals to bomb the town. Stan and Kyle go to the Super Best Friends
Super Best Friends
"Super Best Friends" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 68th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 4, 2001. The episode depicts several religious figures, including Muhammad,...

, a squad of superhero-like religious figures of which Muhammad is a member, to request he return with them to South Park. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Cruise and the other celebrities only want Muhammad for his "goo", which they believe will make them immune to ridicule, just like Muhammad.

By this time, 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...

 arrives with "Mitch Connor", a face painted on Cartman's hand as one-half of a ventriloquist act
Ventriloquism
Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is an act of stagecraft in which a person manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered "dummy"...

. Previously, Connor had successfully impersonated
Fat Butt and Pancake Head
"Fat Butt and Pancake Head" is fifth episode of the seventh season of the Comedy Central series South Park. It was originally broadcast on April 16, 2003.- Plot :...

 actress Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

, and now Cartman and Connor return to the Lopez imitation in order to get involved in the lawsuit along with the other celebrities. Connor soon secretly convinces Cartman that they should steal Muhammad's goo for themselves to sell on the black market for more than the lawsuit could offer. Meanwhile, Kyle and Stan convince the Super Best Friends to let Muhammad come to town, but only if he stays in the back of a U-Haul
U-Haul
U-Haul International, Inc. is an American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation since 1945. The company was founded by Leonard Shoen U-Haul International, Inc. is an American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation...

 truck and is not seen. When the townspeople realize they must bring Muhammad to Cruise's limo, they allegedly put him inside a bear mascot outfit. South Park is about to give Muhammad to the celebrities when the exchange is interrupted by a bomb planted by the Ginger Separatist Movement
Ginger Kids
"Ginger Kids" is the 136th episode of Comedy Central's series South Park. It originally aired on November 9, 2005. The episode caused a controversy after its ironic premise was misunderstood by people who acted violently against gingers...

, a group of fair-skinned, red-haired children who are tired of being made fun of for their physical appearance. The Gingers want Muhammad for themselves, hoping to use his goo for their own means. They threaten to blow up the town if Muhammad is not turned over to them.

The people of South Park decide to turn Muhammad over to the Gingers, fearing the violence that will befall their town if they do not. The celebrities are angered by this change in events, but refuse to resort to violence for fear of ruining their careers. Instead, the celebrities decide to awaken the rebuilt Mecha-Streisand
Mecha-Streisand
"Mecha-Streisand" is the 12th episode of the first season of the animated television series South Park. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on February 18, 1998. In the episode, Barbra Streisand obtains the Diamond of Panthios from the South Park boys and transforms into a...

, a giant mechanical monster form of Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...

, who previously terrorized the town of South Park before being destroyed. The celebrities hope to use Mecha-Streisand to force South Park to accept their demands. Meanwhile, due to the chain of events, Cartman decides Conner's scheme has become too complicated and tries to quit, but Connor convinces him to stay involved by revealing that the townspeople of South Park have lied to Cartman about his true father. Although they previously claimed his hermaphroditic
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...

 mother was also his father, Connor insists this is a lie. Cartman confronts his school teacher Mr. Garrison and Garrison's old hand puppet Mr. Hat, who admits to Cartman there was indeed a cover-up. The episode ends on that cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...

 note.

Production

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...

, "200" was rated TV-MA L in the United States. 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 14, 2010. It was the 200th episode of the series. Parker and fellow co-creator Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....

 conceive, write and produce most South Park episodes within a week of their broadcast date in order to maintain a sense of energy and timeliness. The idea for "200", however, was conceived before the fourteenth season
South Park (season 14)
The fourteenth season of South Park, an American animated television comedy series, originally aired in the United States on Comedy Central between March 17 and November 17, 2010. The season was headed by the series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who served as executive producers along with...

 began in March 2010, and before any of the season fourteen episodes that preceded it were conceived. While trying to decide how to celebrate the 200th episode, Parker and Stone started reviewing the plots and controversies of previous episodes, many of which had a common thread of mocking a particular celebrity. This led to the idea of the having all the celebrities band together in a class action lawsuit against the town. Parker said their reactions mirrored the real-life reactions some of the celebrities had to their portrayals, adding, "If they could join forces, they probably would."

Stone said in writing the episode, they were determined not to produce a clip show
Clip show
A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicted with a clip of the event presented as a flashback. ...

, but to merge all of the old ideas into a new, original script. The process proved challenging for the duo because it involved incorporating many ideas, subplots and characters into a single episode. Parker and Stone included a joke about this process at the start of the episode, when Cartman and Kyle are fighting with each other, and Stan accuses them of just "rehashing a bunch of old stuff". In honor of the 200th episode, the website SouthPark200.com was launched, offering a forum to fans to post their congratulations to South Park and view those posted by others. Several notable names have contributed to the site, including the creators of the animated series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...

 (who used the opportunity to revisit another previous South Park theme, the episode "Simpsons Already Did It
Simpsons Already Did It
"Simpsons Already Did It" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 86th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on June 26, 2002...

", saying "We already [produced 200 episodes]. Twice."), members of the rock band Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...

 and Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...

 basketball player Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups is an American professional basketball point guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association . He has also played for Team USA. Billups won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the...

. The site also includes congratulations from All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...

 creator Norman Lear
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...

, who guest-starred in the 100th episode "I'm a Little Bit Country
I'm a Little Bit Country
"I'm a Little Bit Country" is the 100th episode of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired April 9 2003, a week prior to the U.S. invading Iraq. The episode is similar to the 1972 film 1776.- Plot :...

", and figure skater Brian Boitano
Brian Boitano
Brian Anthony Boitano is an American figure skater from Sunnyvale, California. He is the 1988 Olympic champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985-1988 U.S. National Champion. He turned professional following the 1988 season...

, who was featured in the song "What Would Brian Boitano Do?
What Would Brian Boitano Do?
"What Would Brian Boitano Do?" is a song from the film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut written by DVDA in which figure skater Brian Boitano is treated as a role model for all situations , in parody of the saying "What Would Jesus Do?".-In South Park:The song is also a reference to the 1995...

" in the 1999 film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The film was directed by Parker, who also stars along with the rest of the regular voice cast from the series, including Stone, Mary...

.

Muhammad subplot

"200" is full of jokes and references to past South Park episodes, storylines, characters and controversies.
The episode revolves heavily around efforts to bring Muhammad into public view. This is based on two past controversies in 2005 (Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...

) and 2007 (Lars Vilks Muhammad drawings controversy
Lars Vilks Muhammad drawings controversy
The Lars Vilks Muhammad drawings controversy began in July 2007 with a series of drawings by Swedish artist Lars Vilks that depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a roundabout dog . Several art galleries in Sweden declined to show the drawings, citing security concerns and fear of violence...

), when European newspapers published cartoons of Muhammad, which was responded with reactions of violent riots, global protests and death threats toward the artists. As a result of those incidents, many publications and television studios have refused to broadcast images of Muhammad whatsoever, which was the inspiration behind Tom Cruise's efforts to harvest Muhammad's apparent immunity to satire and ridicule. Parker and Stone addressed the Muhammad issue in their two-part tenth season
South Park (season 10)
Season 10 of South Park, an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, began airing on March 22, 2006. The tenth season concluded after 14 episodes on November 15, 2006...

 episode "Cartoon Wars
Cartoon Wars Part II
"Cartoon Wars Part II" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 142nd episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 12, 2006...

", during which they attempt to show an image of the prophet, only to reveal that Comedy Central has forbidden any such image from being broadcast on their network. However, Muhammad had already been featured on-screen in the fifth season
South Park (season 5)
Season five of South Park, an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, began airing on June 20, 2001. The fifth season concluded after 14 episodes on December 12, 2001...

 episode "Super Best Friends
Super Best Friends
"Super Best Friends" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 68th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 4, 2001. The episode depicts several religious figures, including Muhammad,...

", in which he is among a band of religious figures modeled after the superheroes in the Super Friends
Super Friends
Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup...

 cartoons from the 1970s and 1980s. (The Super Best Friends are featured once again in "200".) The episode "Super Best Friends" aired in 2001, before the Jyllands-Posten and Vilks controversies. Stan makes reference to that past use of Muhammad's image in "200" by saying of Muhammad, "I saw him once...a while ago..." This reference was purposely included to reflect the irony that an image that was previously not a problem had suddenly become an issue due to new circumstances. Stone said, "Something that was OK is now not OK, and that's just fucked up." The "Super Best Friends" episode continues to be run uncensored by Comedy Central in repeats, even though new images of Muhammad remained prohibited.

Additionally, Muhammad has long been featured as one of the many characters shown in an image of dozens of South Park residents during the show's opening credits. That image, however, has gone largely unnoticed, and thus has not drawn much controversy. When asked whether they feared retribution for mocking Muhammad, Parker said, "We'd be so hypocritical against our own thoughts, if we said, 'Okay, well let's not make fun of them because they might hurt us. Okay, we'll rip on the Catholics because they won't hurt us, but we won't rip on [Muslims] because they might hurt us.'" The Muhammad subplot in "200", like the "Cartoon Wars" episodes, advocates for free speech and speaks out against censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...

, both of Muhammad's image and any subject considered taboo. "200" also demonstrates the double standard in the handling of offensive images of Muhammad and other religious figures, particularly in the scene in which Muhammad is censored altogether, but Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

 founder Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...

 is shown snorting cocaine in front of the South Park children. The extreme measures the South Park boys go to in order to conceal Muhammad, like hiding him in a window-less truck and dressing him as a mascot, demonstrate the absurdity of the fear in showing the prophet, as does the fear at which the South Park residents show of retaliation after Randy draws a stick figure
Stick figure
A stick figure is a very simple type of drawing made of lines and dots, often of the human form or other animals. In a stick figure, the head is represented by a circle, sometimes embellished with details such as eyes, mouth or crudely scratched-out hair. The arms, legs and torso are all...

-like drawing of him.

Celebrities

"200" includes many celebrities that have been mocked in previous episodes. One of the most prominently parodied is Tom Cruise, who was the center of the ninth season
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...

 episode "Trapped in the Closet". Cruise spent much of that episode hiding in a closet, a reference to rumors of his homosexuality. In "200", he is found working in a fudge factory as a "fudge packer", another reference to alleged homosexuality. The episode also reveals Cruise's house consists mostly of closets, a reference to both homosexuality and the original episode in which Cruise was mocked. Other celebrities mocked in "200" include:

  • Actor Ben Affleck
    Ben Affleck
    Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...

     ("How to Eat with Your Butt
    How to Eat with Your Butt
    "How to Eat with Your Butt" is the tenth episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 75th episode of the series overall...

    ", "Fat Butt and Pancake Head
    Fat Butt and Pancake Head
    "Fat Butt and Pancake Head" is fifth episode of the seventh season of the Comedy Central series South Park. It was originally broadcast on April 16, 2003.- Plot :...

    ")
  • Film director Michael Bay
    Michael Bay
    Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...

     ("Imaginationland Episode I
    Imaginationland Episode I
    "Imaginationland Episode I", or "Kyle sucks Cartman's Balls" is the tenth episode of the 11th season of Comedy Central's animated television series South Park. "Imaginationland' premiered on October 17, 2007. It is the first episode in a three-part story arc that won the 2008 Emmy for "Outstanding...

    ", Cartmanland
    Cartmanland
    "Cartmanland" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 71st episode of the series overall...

    )
  • Pope Benedict XVI
    Pope Benedict XVI
    Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

     ("Bloody Mary
    Bloody Mary (South Park)
    "Bloody Mary" is the fourteenth episode of the ninth season of the series South Park. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on December 7, 2005. In the episode, Randy drives drunk and loses his driver's license. He then forced to go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, where he...

    ", "Fantastic Easter Special
    Fantastic Easter Special
    "Fantastic Easter Special" is the fifth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 158th episode of the series overall...

    ")
  • al-Qaeda
    Al-Qaeda
    Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...

     leader Osama bin Laden
    Osama bin Laden
    Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...

     ("Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants
    Osama Bin Laden Has Farty Pants
    "Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 74th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 7, 2001; and is notable as the first episode to air after the...

    ")
  • Magician David Blaine
    David Blaine
    David Blaine is an American illusionist and endurance artist. He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance, and has made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic. He has set and broken several world records...

     ("Super Best Friends
    Super Best Friends
    "Super Best Friends" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 68th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 4, 2001. The episode depicts several religious figures, including Muhammad,...

    ")
  • U2
    U2
    U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...

     vocalist Bono
    Bono
    Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...

     ("More Crap
    More Crap
    "More Crap" is the 9th episode of the eleventh season of the animated television series South Park. It was originally broadcast on Comedy Central in the United State on October 10, 2007, and is rated TV-MA...

    ")
  • Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett
    Jimmy Buffett
    James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...

     ("Tonsil Trouble
    Tonsil Trouble
    "Tonsil Trouble" is the first episode of the twelfth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 168th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 12, 2008...

    ")
  • Politician Hillary Rodham Clinton
    Hillary Rodham Clinton
    Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...

     ("The Snuke
    The Snuke
    The Snuke is episode 1104 of Comedy Central's animated comedy series South Park. The episode is largely a parody of the television series 24. It was originally broadcast on March 28, 2007. The episode is rated TV-MA.-Plot:...

    ")
  • Lawyer Johnnie Cochran
    Johnnie Cochran
    Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. was an American lawyer best known for his leadership role in the defense and criminal acquittal of O. J...

     ("Chef Aid
    Chef Aid
    "Chef Aid" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the animated television series South Park, 27th episode of the series overall. "Chef Aid" originally aired in the United States on October 7, 1998 on Comedy Central...

    ")
  • Singer/songwriter Phil Collins
    Phil Collins
    Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....

     ("Timmy 2000
    Timmy 2000
    "Timmy!" is the 51st episode of the Comedy Central animated series South Park. It originally aired on April 19, 2000. It was voted #6 of the "10 South Park episodes that changed the world"...

    ")
  • Politician Gary Condit
    Gary Condit
    Gary Adrian Condit is a former American politician, a Democrat who served in the House of Representatives from 1989 to 2003...

     ("Butters' Very Own Episode
    Butters' Very Own Episode
    "Butters' Very Own Episode" is the fourteenth and final episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 79th episode of the series overall. "Butters' Very Own Episode" originally aired in the United States on Comedy Central on December 12, 2001...

    ")
  • Comedian Bill Cosby
    Bill Cosby
    William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...

     ("Trapper Keeper", "Here Comes the Neighborhood
    Here Comes the Neighborhood
    "Here Comes the Neighborhood" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 77th episode of the series overall. "Here Comes the Neighborhood" originally aired in the United States on November 28, 2001 on Comedy Central.-Plot:The children at South...

    ")
  • Actor Russell Crowe
    Russell Crowe
    Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...

     ("The New Terrance and Phillip Movie Trailer
    The New Terrance and Phillip Movie Trailer
    "The New Terrance and Phillip Movie Trailer" is the fifth episode of the sixth season of the Comedy Central series South Park and the 84th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on April 3, 2002. The episode parodies Russel Crowe's real life altercations as the boys must watch his show...

    ")
  • Actor Michael Douglas
    Michael Douglas
    Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...

     ("Sexual Healing
    Sexual Healing (South Park)
    "Sexual Healing" is the fourteenth season premiere of the American animated television series South Park, and the 196th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 17, 2010, and on Comedy Central UK on March 19, 2010. The title of the episode...

    ")
  • Actor David Duchovny
    David Duchovny
    David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...

     ("Sexual Healing
    Sexual Healing (South Park)
    "Sexual Healing" is the fourteenth season premiere of the American animated television series South Park, and the 196th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 17, 2010, and on Comedy Central UK on March 19, 2010. The title of the episode...

    ")
  • Subway
    Subway (restaurant)
    Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...

     spokesman Jared Fogle
    Jared Fogle
    Jared S. Fogle , also known as The Subway Guy, is a spokesman employed by Subway Restaurants in its advertising campaigns...

     ("Jared Has Aides
    Jared Has Aides
    "Jared Has Aides" is the first episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series South Park. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 6, 2002. In the episode, weight loss advocate Jared Fogle incurs the wrath of South Park after he announces that he lost...

    ")
  • Film character Indiana Jones
    Indiana Jones
    Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...

     ("The China Probrem
    The China Probrem
    "The China Probrem" is the eighth episode of the twelfth season of the animated series South Park, and the 175th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 8, 2008. It was the mid-season premiere for season 12...

    ")
  • Actor Mel Gibson
    Mel Gibson
    Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...

     ("The Passion of the Jew
    The Passion of the Jew
    "The Passion of the Jew" is episode 114 of the Comedy Central series South Park and was originally broadcast on March 31, 2004. The episode is a satire of the movie The Passion of the Christ, which was released in 2004.- Plot :...

    , Imaginationland")
  • Television host Kathie Lee Gifford
    Kathie Lee Gifford
    Kathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin...

     ("Weight Gain 4000
    Weight Gain 4000
    "Weight Gain 4000" is the second episode of the first season of the animated television series South Park. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on August 20, 1997. In the episode, the residents of South Park excitedly prepare for a visit by celebrity Kathie Lee Gifford, whom the...

    ")
  • Socialite Paris Hilton
    Paris Hilton
    Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...

     ("Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset
    Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset
    "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" is episode 123 of the Comedy Central animated series South Park. It was originally broadcast on December 1, 2004...

    ")
  • Wildlife expert Steve Irwin
    Steve Irwin
    Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...

     ("Hell on Earth 2006
    Hell on Earth 2006
    "Hell on Earth 2006" is the 150th episode of Comedy Central's animated series South Park. It originally aired on October 25, 2006 and marked the series' fourth Halloween episode....

    ", "Prehistoric Ice Man")
  • Politician Jesse Jackson
    Jesse Jackson
    Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...

     ("With Apologies to Jesse Jackson
    With Apologies to Jesse Jackson
    "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson" is the first episode of the American animated television series South Park, and the 153rd episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 7, 2007...

    ")
  • Singer Michael Jackson
    Michael Jackson
    Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

     ("Dead Celebrities
    Dead Celebrities
    "Dead Celebrities" is the eighth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 189th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 7, 2009...

    , The Jeffersons
    The Jeffersons (South Park)
    "The Jeffersons" is episode 117 of the Comedy Central animated series South Park. It was originally broadcast on April 21, 2004 and has been described as "a howlingly funny assault on Michael Jackson."-Plot:...

    ")
  • Actress Angelina Jolie
    Angelina Jolie
    Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...

     ("Lice Capades
    Lice Capades
    "Lice Capades" is the third episode of the eleventh season of Comedy Central's animated television series South Park, and the 156th episode overall. It first aired on aired on March 21, 2007. In the episode, all the students at South Park Elementary are checked for head lice and, to his horror,...

    ")
  • Talk show host David Letterman
    David Letterman
    David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...

     ("Sexual Healing")
  • Film director George Lucas
    George Lucas
    George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...

     ("Free Hat
    Free Hat
    "Free Hat" is episode 88 of the animated series South Park. It originally aired on July 10, 2002. The episode ridicules Lucasfilm's digital altering of George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy and Steven Spielberg's E.T....

    ", "The China Probrem
    The China Probrem
    "The China Probrem" is the eighth episode of the twelfth season of the animated series South Park, and the 175th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 8, 2008. It was the mid-season premiere for season 12...

    ")
  • Actress Liza Minnelli
    Liza Minnelli
    Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....

     ("Freak Strike
    Freak Strike
    "Freak Strike" is the 3rd episode of the sixth season of the Comedy Central series South Park and the 82nd episode of the series overall. It originally aired on March 20, 2002.-Plot:...

    ")
  • Disney
    The Walt Disney Company
    The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...

     mascot Mickey Mouse
    Mickey Mouse
    Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...

     ("The Ring")
  • Actress and television host Rosie O'Donnell
    Rosie O'Donnell
    Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...

     ("Trapper Keeper")
  • Singer and activist Yoko Ono
    Yoko Ono
    is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...

     ("Worldwide Recorder Concert")
  • Actress Sarah Jessica Parker
    Sarah Jessica Parker
    Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...

     ("The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs
    The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs
    "The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs" is the second episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 197th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 24, 2010. In the episode, the South Park boys...

    ")
  • Actor and film director Robert Redford
    Robert Redford
    Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...

     ("Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls
    Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls
    "Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls" is the ninth episode of the second season of the animated television series South Park, and the 22nd episode of the series overall. "Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls" originally aired in the United States on August 19, 1998 on Comedy Central.-Plot synopsis:Park City, Utah...

    ")
  • Film director Rob Reiner
    Rob Reiner
    Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...

     ("Butt Out
    Butt Out
    "Butt Out" is episode 109 of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired on December 3, 2003.The episode pokes fun at the formulaic storyline of some South Park episodes , which start with the boys getting themselves in trouble and inciting a controversy between the townsfolk and a...

    ")
  • Actor Michael Richards
    Michael Richards
    Michael Anthony Richards is an American actor, comedian, writer and television producer, best known for his portrayal of the eccentric Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld....

     ("With Apologies to Jesse Jackson
    With Apologies to Jesse Jackson
    "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson" is the first episode of the American animated television series South Park, and the 153rd episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 7, 2007...

    ")
  • Actress Winona Ryder
    Winona Ryder
    Winona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...

     (South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut)
  • Actor and television host Bob Saget
    Bob Saget
    Robert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...

     ("Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut
    Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut
    "Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut" is the first season finale of the animated television series South Park, and the 13th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on February 25, 1998. It is part one of a two-episode story arc, which concluded with...

    ")
  • Actor Fred Savage
    Fred Savage
    Fredrick Aaron "Fred" Savage is an American actor, director and producer of television and film.He is best known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series The Wonder Years and as the grandson in The Princess Bride...

     ("Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls
    Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls
    "Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls" is the ninth episode of the second season of the animated television series South Park, and the 22nd episode of the series overall. "Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls" originally aired in the United States on August 19, 1998 on Comedy Central.-Plot synopsis:Park City, Utah...

    ")
  • Actor Charlie Sheen
    Charlie Sheen
    Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....

     ("Sexual Healing")
  • Actress Brooke Shields
    Brooke Shields
    Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....

     (South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut)
  • Film director M. Night Shyamalan
    M. Night Shyamalan
    Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...

     ("Imaginationland Episode I
    Imaginationland Episode I
    "Imaginationland Episode I", or "Kyle sucks Cartman's Balls" is the tenth episode of the 11th season of Comedy Central's animated television series South Park. "Imaginationland' premiered on October 17, 2007. It is the first episode in a three-part story arc that won the 2008 Emmy for "Outstanding...

    ")
  • Actor and retired football player O. J. Simpson
    O. J. Simpson
    Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...

     ("Butters' Very Own Episode
    Butters' Very Own Episode
    "Butters' Very Own Episode" is the fourteenth and final episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 79th episode of the series overall. "Butters' Very Own Episode" originally aired in the United States on Comedy Central on December 12, 2001...

    ")
  • Actor and rapper Will Smith
    Will Smith
    Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...

     ("Here Comes the Neighborhood
    Here Comes the Neighborhood
    "Here Comes the Neighborhood" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 77th episode of the series overall. "Here Comes the Neighborhood" originally aired in the United States on November 28, 2001 on Comedy Central.-Plot:The children at South...

    ")
  • Film director Steven Spielberg
    Steven Spielberg
    Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...

     ("Cripple Fight", "Free Hat", "The China Probrem")
  • Singer Britney Spears
    Britney Spears
    Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...

     ("Britney's New Look
    Britney's New Look
    "Britney's New Look" is the second episode of the twelfth season of the animated series South Park, and the 169th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 19, 2008...

    ")
  • Television host Martha Stewart
    Martha Stewart
    Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...

     ("Eat, Pray, Queef", "Red Hot Catholic Love")
  • Actress Sally Struthers
    Sally Struthers
    Sally Ann Struthers is an American actress and spokeswoman, best-known for her roles as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, for which she won two Emmy awards, and as Babette on Gilmore Girls.-Personal life:...

     ("Starvin' Marvin
    Starvin' Marvin (South Park)
    "Starvin' Marvin" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American animated television series South Park. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 19, 1997. In the episode, Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and Stan send money to an African charity hoping to get a sports watch,...

    "),("Mecha-Streisand
    Mecha-Streisand
    "Mecha-Streisand" is the 12th episode of the first season of the animated television series South Park. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on February 18, 1998. In the episode, Barbra Streisand obtains the Diamond of Panthios from the South Park boys and transforms into a...

    "), ("Starvin' Marvin in Space
    Starvin' Marvin in Space
    "Starvin' Marvin in Space" is episode 42 of Comedy Central's animated series South Park. It originally aired on November 17, 1999. Like the episode "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics", the episode is dedicated to Mary Kay Bergman, who lent her voice to nearly all of South Park's female characters...

    "), ("The Death of Eric Cartman
    The Death of Eric Cartman
    "The Death of Eric Cartman" is is the sixth episode of the ninth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 133rd episode overall...

    ")
  • Actor Billy Bob Thornton
    Billy Bob Thornton
    Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...

     ("Sexual Healing")
  • Actor John Travolta
    John Travolta
    John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...

     ("The Entity
    The Entity (South Park)
    "The Entity" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and 76th episode of the series overall. "The Entity" originally aired in the United States on November 21, 2001 on Comedy Central. This episode introduces Kyle's cousin Kyle...

    ", "Trapped in the Closet")
  • Animal rights/Environmental activist Paul Watson
    Paul Watson
    Paul Watson is a Canadian animal rights and environmental activist, who founded and is president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a direct action group devoted to marine conservation....

     ("Whale Whores
    Whale Whores
    "Whale Whores" is the eleventh episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 192nd overall episode of the series. It aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 28, 2009...

    ")
  • Rapper Kanye West
    Kanye West
    Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

     ("Fishsticks
    Fishsticks (South Park)
    "Fishsticks" is the fifth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 186th overall episode of the series. It was originally broadcast on Comedy Central in the United States on April 8, 2009. In the episode, Jimmy writes a joke that becomes a...

    ")
  • Talk show host Oprah Winfrey
    Oprah Winfrey
    Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...

     ("Here Comes the Neighborhood
    Here Comes the Neighborhood
    "Here Comes the Neighborhood" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 77th episode of the series overall. "Here Comes the Neighborhood" originally aired in the United States on November 28, 2001 on Comedy Central.-Plot:The children at South...

    ", "A Million Little Fibers
    A Million Little Fibers
    "A Million Little Fibers" is the fifth episode of the tenth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 144th episode overall. It was first broadcast on Comedy Central in the United States on April 19, 2006...

    ")
  • Golf pro Tiger Woods
    Tiger Woods
    Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...

     ("Sexual Healing
    Sexual Healing (South Park)
    "Sexual Healing" is the fourteenth season premiere of the American animated television series South Park, and the 196th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 17, 2010, and on Comedy Central UK on March 19, 2010. The title of the episode...

    ")

Near the end of "200", the celebrities seek assistance from singer and actress Barbra Streisand, who resembles a giant two-legged mechanical monster. This is a reference to Streisand's appearance in the first season episode "Mecha-Streisand
Mecha-Streisand
"Mecha-Streisand" is the 12th episode of the first season of the animated television series South Park. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on February 18, 1998. In the episode, Barbra Streisand obtains the Diamond of Panthios from the South Park boys and transforms into a...

", in which she transforms into a monster in the style of Mechagodzilla
Mechagodzilla
is a fictional character from various films in the Godzilla series, introduced in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla . He is Godzilla's mechanical doppelgänger and one of the most popular Toho kaiju...

 from the Japanese Godzilla monster movie franchise. The Mecha-Streisand featured in "200" is designed with more sophisticated computer imagery than the original, which was a simple cut-out style cartoon like the rest of South Park. Although Parker and Stone have maintained that most of the celebrities they mock in South Park are chosen at random, with no personal animosity behind it, Barbra Streisand is one of the few they actively and vehemently dislike. Streisand, in turn, has been critical of South Park and her portrayal in it, and has accused the show of adding "to the cynicism and negativity in our culture, especially in children".

Cartman's father

The episode ends with a cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...

 involving Cartman's father. The identity of Cartman's father made up a major plot point at the end of the first season
South Park (season 1)
The first season of the American animated television series South Park initially ran for 13 episodes on the US network Comedy Central, from August 13, 1997 to February 25, 1998. The creators of the series, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, wrote and directed most of the season's episodes, while Dan...

, culminating in the second season
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...

 episode "Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut
Cartman's Mom is Still a Dirty Slut
"Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut" is the second episode of the second season of the animated series South Park, and the 15th episode of the series overall. It premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on April 22, 1998...

", in which it is revealed Cartman's mother, Liane Cartman, is a hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...

 and, in fact, is Cartman's father. "200" is the first episode to return to the matter and suggest this was not the actual truth. Throughout the episode, Cartman uses a hand-puppet con-artist named Mitch Connor, who had, presumably, just been made up by Cartman in trying to fool Kyle in the seventh season episode "Fat Butt and Pancake Head
Fat Butt and Pancake Head
"Fat Butt and Pancake Head" is fifth episode of the seventh season of the Comedy Central series South Park. It was originally broadcast on April 16, 2003.- Plot :...

", resuming his role in pretending to be Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

 and utilizing many offensive Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...

 stereotypes in his portrayal of her. The hand puppet portrayal is very similar to the work of Spanish ventriloquist Señor Wences
Señor Wences
Wenceslao Moreno , better known as Señor Wences, was a Spanish ventriloquist. His popularity grew with his frequent appearances on CBS-TV's Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life:...

.

Several other references to previous South Park episodes are featured throughout "200". It marks the reappearance of Mr. Hat, a hand puppet that had been frequently used by Mr. Garrison during the early South Park seasons, but had long been abandoned in later episodes. During the second half of "200", an army of red-haired "ginger kids" attempt to capture Muhammad themselves. Several South Park episodes, most prominently the ninth season episode "Ginger Kids
Ginger Kids
"Ginger Kids" is the 136th episode of Comedy Central's series South Park. It originally aired on November 9, 2005. The episode caused a controversy after its ironic premise was misunderstood by people who acted violently against gingers...

", have featured the ginger kids, which are children with fair skin, freckles and red hair. In most cases, they have been made the subject of ridicule by Cartman, who views them in an offensively stereotypical way.

Cultural references

During one scene, a frustrated Tom Cruise angrily jumps up and down on a couch while Oprah Winfrey sits next to him. This is a reference to incident on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005, in which Cruise repeatedly jumped on the couch next to Oprah, fell to one knee and loudly professed his love for actress Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes
Katherine Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Her movie roles have included the blockbuster Batman Begins along with art house films such as The Ice Storm and thrillers...

. Cruise has been repeatedly mocked for his behavior. In another scene, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are shown to have actor Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...

 leashed, chained and ball-gagged, as the actor wears the fedora he wore in the Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...

 films. This is a reference to the twelfth season
South Park (season 12)
Season twelve of South Park, an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, began airing on March 12, 2008. The twelfth season concluded after 14 episodes on November 19, 2008...

 episode "The China Probrem
The China Probrem
"The China Probrem" is the eighth episode of the twelfth season of the animated series South Park, and the 175th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 8, 2008. It was the mid-season premiere for season 12...

", in which Lucas and Spielberg literally rape Indiana Jones repeatedly, which served as a commentary by Parker and Stone for the poor quality of the 2008 Spielberg/Lucas film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. A cartoon image of film director Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...

 is featured in the episode, despite having not been previously ridiculed by the show. In the episode, Burton is mocked for not having an original idea since the 1988 comedy horror film Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton, produced by The Geffen Film Company and distributed by Warner Bros...

, and for his tendency to feature film actor Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...

 in so many of his films that he should "just have sex with him [Johnny Depp] already". Cartman's Jennifer Lopez hand-puppet repeatedly demands food from the American restaurant chain Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...

, particularly enchirito
Enchirito
Enchirito is the trademarked name of Taco Bell's menu item of the Tex-Mex food similar to an enchilada. It is composed of a flour tortilla filled with seasoned ground beef taco meat , beans, diced onions, cheddar cheese, and "red sauce".-History:The Enchirito was invented in 1968 by Bob McCrea, who...

s, which is one of the many Hispanic stereotypes utilized by the character. Also, when the celebrities are discussing who to bring in to help capture Mohammed, Barbara Streisand is referenced as "her," to which the discussion goes "her who?" "her" "oh...her." This is slightly reminiscent of the movie Little Shop of Horrors when Rick Moranis and Steve Martin are talking about Audrey, who the dentist had physically abused, where Steve asks "what did I ever do to you" and Rick answers "it wasn't what you did to me, it was what you did to her" Steve: "her? oh...her"

Ratings

In its original American broadcast on April 14, 2010, "200" was watched by 3.33 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen 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 cable television show of the night. It outperformed the previous week's episode, "You Have 0 Friends
You Have 0 Friends
"You Have 0 Friends" is the fourth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 199th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 7, 2010...

", which was seen by 3.07 million viewers, and it was seen by roughly 177,000 more viewers than its closest competitor on April 14, USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...

's In Plain Sight
In Plain Sight
In Plain Sight is an American dramatic television series on USA Network. The series revolves around Mary Shannon , a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico office of the Federal Witness Security Program , more commonly known as the Federal Witness Protection Program...

. The episode received an overall 2.0 rating/3 share, meaning that it was seen by 2% of the population, and 3% of people watching television at the time of the broadcast. Among viewers between ages 18 and 49, it received a 1.9 rating/5 share, and among male viewers between 18 and 34, it received a 3.7 rating/13 share.

Reviews

The episode received mostly positive reviews. 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...

 said he was surprised by the complexity of "200" and the amount of South Park references and subplots it encompassed, especially the questions over Cartman's father. Tucker praised the episode, and said, "With jokes raining down like hell-fire, the 200th episode spared no one except the South Park kids themselves." Ramsey Isler 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 was fun to identify all the references to past South Park moments, but felt "200" itself didn't stand out as a great episode. Isler said the new material wasn't very funny, and that the rehashed material was not as funny as the first time they were shown, which was disappointing due to the hype surrounding the episode. 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...

 writer Sean O'Neal said the episode was funny, but that the original material was far outnumbered by rehashed jokes. O'Neal said the use of all the celebrities demonstrated how South Park had been more original in early episodes, but now had "morph[ed] into something whose default mode is mocking famous people in the news".

Douglas Murray
Douglas Murray (author)
Douglas Murray is a British writer and commentator who was the director of the Centre for Social Cohesion from 2007 until 2011 and is currently an associate director of the Henry Jackson Society. Murray appears regularly in the British broadcast media, commentating on issues from a conservative...

 of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...

 said of the episode, "I can't recommend it enough", and particularly complimented the episode scenes with Buddha snorting cocaine and the South Park townspeople hiding Muhammad. Murray said, "They make the point about the absurd self-censorship and thuggish intimidation surrounding the Islamic faith better than anything else I've seen." Amy Duncan of Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...

 said it "certainly was an episode to remember". Duncan praised the story, which she said "develops with [South Park] usual rude inferences and below-the-belt remarks". Ryan Broderick of The Hofstra Chronicle said the episode "came together so simply, so smoothly, and so hilariously that it forgives the last couple lame duck episodes of the season". Broderick said it avoided the pitfalls of most landmark episodes by providing an original story in addition to the throwback references. Nick Zaino of TV Squad said the episode did not offer much new, but also offer good throwbacks and celebrity spoofs, didn't "pull any punches". Zaino said the episode has "a wonderful sense of the absurd", particularly through the use of Mecha-Streisand and Cartman's hand-puppet.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...

, a Washington, D.C.-based civil rights and advocacy group, said they were aware of the depiction of Muhammad in "200", but declined to put out a formal statement about it because they did not want to draw any more attention to the show. The group's spokesman, Ibrahim Hooper
Ibrahim Hooper
Ibrahim Hooper , a convert to Islam, is the National Communications Director and spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations , a Washington D.C.-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.-Early life:...

, said, "People are pretty tired of this whole 'Let's insult the prophet Muhammad thing.'"

Revolution Muslim entry

The website for the organization Revolution Muslim
Revolution Muslim
Revolution Muslim is a radical Islamist organization and hate group based in New York City that advocates the establishment of a traditionalist Islamic state, the removal of the current rulers in heavily Muslim populated nations, the destruction of Israel, and an end to what they consider "Western...

, a New York-based radical Muslim organization, posted an entry that included a warning to creators Parker and Stone that they risk violent retribution for their depictions of Muhammad
Depictions of Muhammad
The permissibility of depictions of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, has long been a concern in the history of Islam. Oral and written descriptions are readily accepted by all traditions of Islam, but there is disagreement about visual depictions....

. It said that they "will probably wind up like Theo van Gogh for airing this show." Filmmaker Theo van Gogh
Theo van Gogh (film director)
Theodoor "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch film director, film producer, columnist, author and actor.Van Gogh worked with the Somali-born writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali to produce the film Submission, which criticized the treatment of women in Islam and aroused controversy among Muslims...

 was murdered by an Islamic extremist in 2004 for making a short documentary on violence against women in some Islamic societies. The posting provided the addresses to Comedy Central in New York and the production company in Los Angeles. The author of the post, Zachary Adam Chesser
Zachary Adam Chesser
Zachary Adam Chesser is an American man who pled guilty to aiding a terrorist organization. In April 2010, under the online username Abu Talhah al-Amrikee, he posted a "warning" to the creators of South Park suggesting that they would be killed for depicting Muhammad in their 200th episode...

 (who prefers to be called Abu Talhah al Amrikee), said it was meant to serve as a warning to Parker and Stone, not a threat, and that providing the addresses was meant to give people the opportunity to protest.

The entry included audio clips of a sermon by radical al-Qaeda imam Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...

, calling for the assassination of anyone who has "defamed" Muhammad, saying, "Harming Allah and his messenger is a reason to encourage Muslims to kill whoever does that." It also included a link to a 2009 Huffington Post article that gave details of Stone and Parker's mansion in Colorado, and images of Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Magan Ali is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer, politician who strongly opposes circumcision and female genital cutting. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA...

, an activist writer and critic of Islam, who lives in permanent security protection because of threats. Comedy Central declined to comment on the post. Before writing the Revolution Muslim post, Chesser wrote an April 15 entry on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

 page: "May Allah kill Matt Stone and Trey Parker and burn them in Hell for all eternity. They insult our prophets Muhammad, Jesus, and Moses."

Despite Chesser's claims that the website entry was a warning, several media outlets and observers interpreted it as a threat. Ayaan Hirsi Ali dismissed claims that the website entry was just a warning, calling it "an assault on the freedom of expression" that should not be marginalized or overlooked. She said of the episode, "The 'South Park' episode of last weekend was not just funny, and it wasn't just witty. [It] addressed an essential piece in the times that we are living. There is one group of people, one religion[,] that is claiming to be above criticism." New York City Police Commissioner
New York City Police Commissioner
The New York City Police Commissioner is the head of the New York City Police Department, appointed by the Mayor of New York City. Governor Theodore Roosevelt, in one of his final acts before becoming Vice President of the United States in March 1901, signed legislation replacing the Police Board...

 Raymond Kelly said he was aware of the website posting, but said, "We don't think that this threat, as [it] is currently assessed, rises to a crime right now."

CNN journalist Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...

 said of the episode, "You might not like South Park the cartoon. You might think it's offensive. [But] the notion that some radical Islamic group in America would make a threat, even a veiled one, against two men's lives because of it is chilling." Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...

 said he would have advised Parker and Stone not to do the episode out of fear of retaliation: "On the one hand you do have to admire their courage. But I don't know whether the risk–reward [ratio] is worth it." The Daily Telegraph writer Douglas Murray said the entry only gave "200" more legitimacy, writing, "[It] of course just confirms the point that the South Park boys were making. [...] I'd have said that was point proved. South Park 1: Islamists 0." On the April 22, 2010, episode of Comedy Central's The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...

, host Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...

 went into a ten-minute tirade about the death threats, expressing disgust at the hypocrisy of Revolution Muslim's making hateful and threatening speech while enjoying the comforts of the American lifestyle, such as freedom of speech
Freedom of speech in the United States
Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by many state constitutions and state and federal laws, with the exception of obscenity, defamation, incitement to riot, and fighting words, as well as harassment, privileged...

.

In response to the Revolution Muslim post, the South Park episode "201
201 (South Park)
"201" is the sixth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park, and the 201st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 21, 2010. The episode continued multiple storylines from the previous episode, "200", in which a group of angry...

", which aired the following week and concluded the unresolved storylines from "200", was heavily censored by Comedy Central. The channel placed inserted audio bleeps over all references to Muhammad's name and other portions of dialogue.

The Dutch version of Comedy Central began airing commercials for "200" during the week of April 26, with the show scheduled to air on April 30. However, "The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs" was shown instead. When asked about this, a spokesperson for Comedy Central Netherlands said they had reluctantly decided the episode to be pulled, along with the episode "201". Neither episode is available on the Dutch South Park Studios website; the same applies to the German website as of May 9, 2010. The Swedish affiliate of Comedy Central also refused to broadcast "200" and "201" in Sweden:

Comedy Central has decided not to air these two episodes of South Park. It is a decision we've made with great reluctance. Comedy Central believes strongly in creative freedom of expression; when unique and deeply insightful creative talents like those behind South Park are able to express themselves freely, we all benefit. However, the safety of our employees is our unquestioned number[-]one priority, and therefore we have decided to take these precautionary measures.

Possible link to Times Square car bomb attempt

On May 1, 18 days after the episode's original airdate, a failed car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...

 attempt was discovered by the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...

 near the eastern corner of 1 Astor Plaza in New York City, on West 45 Street, on a side street near the world headquarters of Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...

 (Comedy Central's parent company) are housed. Some news outlets reported that police are looking into a possible link between the attempted bombing and the warnings of violence against Trey Parker and Matt Stone, although no such link has yet been established. Such speculation was also fueled by statements from U.S. Congressman Peter T. King
Peter T. King
Peter T. "Pete" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. King's central Long Island district includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties....

, who described as one possible motive "the whole issue with 'South Park,' which Islamic terrorists were threatening to have retribution for." However, King stressed the theory was "one possibility out of a hundred". Revolution Muslim has denied any involvement with the incident. Younus Abdullah Muhammed, who runs the group's website, was in Times Square at the time speaking out against President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 with a loudspeaker. But he said of the failed car bomb, "What do you think, I commanded somebody to blow up a building in the middle of Times Square? [...] It had nothing to do with the 'South Park' controversy. It was not an attack targeting Viacom." NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said of the theory, "We certainly wouldn't rule that out." However, media reports indicated Faisal Shahzad
Faisal Shahzad
Faisal Shahzad is a Pakistani American who attempted the May 1, 2010, Times Square car bombing. On , 2010, in Federal District Court in Manhattan he confessed to 10 counts arising from the bombing attempt...

, the suspect arrested in connection with the attempted bombing, had trained for months prior to the first broadcast of "200."

Digital censorship

The day after the episode aired, the episode was available for streaming on the site. After a week, like all other episodes, it was taken off due to copyright reasons. However, the message presented to the user for this episode is "We apologize that South Park Studios cannot stream this episode." The sequel episode, "201", also has not been made available for streaming, but a different message describes an intent to potentially eventually post that episode. Similarly the episode and its sequel are not available to stream or buy on services Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...

, iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...

, Hulu
Hulu
Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...

, or Amazon on Demand. Furthermore, digital copies of these episodes that were purchased prior to their ban from digital distribution are no longer available for streaming or download.

Home release

Although "200" was not currently available on the internet legally, and had not re-aired since April 2010, it was confirmed on February 11, 2011 that "200" will be released on DVD. "200" along with the thirteen other episodes from South Park fourteenth season, was released on a three-disc DVD
DVD
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 April 26, 2011. The version presented on the DVD and Blu-ray is the uncensored version, with Muhammad's name unbleeped, unlike the episode that follows, "201", which is presented on disc in its original network censored version.
Despite the package claiming otherwise, both "200" and "201" were omitted from the Region 4 release. and have been completely omitted from the Region 2 release as well.

External links

  • "200" Episode Guide at South Park Studios
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