Eek, A Penis!
Encyclopedia
"Eek, a Penis!" is the fifth episode of the twelfth season
of the American animated series South Park
and the 172nd episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central
in the United States
on April 9, 2008. In the episode, Mrs. Garrison seeks to become a man again through the help of a new medical procedure, and Cartman helps teach struggling inner-city schoolchildren how to succeed by cheating.
The episode was written and directed by series co-founder Trey Parker
and co-written by series co-founder Matt Stone, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States.
a week before the episode's release. She claims that having a baby makes her a woman and that Mrs. Garrison herself is still a man deep down inside. She then explains that she is no longer happy as a woman, but cannot return to being a man because her penis
was destroyed after her sex-change operation
. After launching into a rage, Garrison is removed from teaching by Principal Victoria until she gets her personal life in order, and Cartman
is appointed as temporary teacher in Garrison's place. The kids in class then steal the answer sheet for the next day's test from Garrison's desk, and as a result pass with high scores. Impressed by the high scores, the Denver County school board asks Cartman to teach a struggling inner-city classroom at Jim Davis
High School.
Mrs. Garrison sees a news report describing how scientists can use a mouse to grow a human ear
, and decides to have the same experiment performed on her to get a new penis. Using some of her male DNA and all of her money, scientists are able to create a mouse with a penis on it, but it escapes from the lab and begins to race all over town, causing stereotypical hysterical reactions
in all the women who see it (who only refer to it as a "penis"). Mrs. Garrison looks for it in vain, as it winds up in various houses and restaurants. At a certain point, during the chase, the mouse stops on a fence and starts singing a song to the moon. Later the penis joins in and they form a duet. The song is interrupted by Garrison and eventually the mouse vanishes into the sewers, and Mrs. Garrison goes back to moping that she will never be a real man again.
Meanwhile, Cartman, taking Kyle's warning about the dangers of inner-city students who will "fucking murder [him]", disguises himself as a Latino named "Mr. Cartmenez", and teaches his students how white people are able to succeed even when they cannot: by cheating
. Cartman often wonders aloud "How do I reach these keeeds [kids]?" He then teaches his class numerous cheating techniques, explaining that as long as they succeed, no one will judge them. Cartman cites Bill Belichick
's success after cheating in the Spygate football scandal. He teaches them to memorize test answers, use cameras, and, in the case of a pregnant girl, getting an abortion
(which he explains is "cheating nature itself", and that "white girls do it all the time and get away with it"). When the kids do amazingly well, they are then challenged to take the hardest, most secure standardized test in the state. When the kids begin to doubt Cartman's methods, he again points to Bill Belichick, implying that after he decided to win a game "for real", he ended up losing (in Super Bowl XLII
). The kids are encouraged by this, and all receive perfect scores (by cheating). The class honors "Mr. Cartmenez" for teaching them "The White People Method", and he is universally praised.
While Mrs. Garrison is moping in the park, the mouse with his penis shows up and allows itself to be caught, and Mrs. Garrison undergoes an operation to become Mr. Garrison again. He arrives back at school and explains that he now realizes that the true judge of gender is whether someone can get pregnant. The episode concludes when one teacher objects that his wife cannot have babies because of ovarian cancer
, and Mr. Garrison responds with, "Well then get an AIDS test, Thomson, 'cause your wife's a dude, faggot... Yeah! I'm back!" while the mouse flies in the air.
, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States. It first aired on April 9, 2008 in the United States on Comedy Central
. Shortly after "Eek, a Penis!" was originally broadcast, T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts based on the episode were made available at South Park Studios, the official South Park website. The shirt design featured a silhouette of the mouse with a penis on it running.
, with Cartman assuming a similar role to that played by Edward James Olmos
. Stand and Deliver is about a teacher at James A. Garfield High School. The inner-city school in the episode is named after Jim Davis
, creator of the Garfield
comic strip. A scene where Mrs. Garrison's penis and a mouse sing a duet references the film An American Tail
, with the song performed similar to "Somewhere Out There
". Reference is also made to Bill Belichick
, coach of the New England Patriots
, the Spygate scandal of 2007, and Super Bowl XLII
.
Sean O'Neal gave the episode a C rating, feeling that the parody of Stand and Deliver
took away from the episode's message, "Even as someone who appreciated the reference I found it distracting, particularly since Cartman's lesson plan–teaching his students to cheat "the white people way"–worked well enough on its own, making the allusion sort of superfluous". O'Neal felt that the references to the film were dated: "Would anyone under, say, the age of 25 get that Cartman gave himself an Edward James Olmos makeover, right down to the cardigan vests and the way he tucked his hand in his waistband?" and the Belichick appearance "fell flat."
TV Squad's Brad Trechak felt that "episodes have felt lower in quality this season" but the episode succeeded in being "unconventionally funny" and singled out the mouse/penis duet for praise.
Travis Fickett of IGN
gave the episode a rating of 7.7, stating that the episode "will probably not end up as one of the more memorable episodes in the canon, but it's pretty damn fun nonetheless". Fickett also singled out the mouse/penis duet as "It is just about to get old when the penis-mouse stops by the light of the moon to sing an American Tail
inspired ballad about being lost"
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...
of the American animated series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
and the 172nd episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on April 9, 2008. In the episode, Mrs. Garrison seeks to become a man again through the help of a new medical procedure, and Cartman helps teach struggling inner-city schoolchildren how to succeed by cheating.
The episode was written and directed by series co-founder Trey Parker
Trey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
and co-written by series co-founder Matt Stone, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States.
Plot summary
The episode begins with Mrs. Garrison crying in front of her class as she recounts the story of a pregnant transsexual who appeared on The Oprah Winfrey ShowMale pregnancy
Male pregnancy refers to the incubation of one or more embryos or fetuses by male members of any species. In nearly all heterogamous animal species, offspring are ordinarily carried by the female until birth, but in fish of the Syngnathidae family , males perform this function...
a week before the episode's release. She claims that having a baby makes her a woman and that Mrs. Garrison herself is still a man deep down inside. She then explains that she is no longer happy as a woman, but cannot return to being a man because her penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
was destroyed after her sex-change operation
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
. After launching into a rage, Garrison is removed from teaching by Principal Victoria until she gets her personal life in order, and 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...
is appointed as temporary teacher in Garrison's place. The kids in class then steal the answer sheet for the next day's test from Garrison's desk, and as a result pass with high scores. Impressed by the high scores, the Denver County school board asks Cartman to teach a struggling inner-city classroom at Jim Davis
Jim Davis (cartoonist)
James Robert Davis is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the comic strip Garfield, which he signs as Jim Davis. He has also worked on other strips: Tumbleweeds, Gnorm Gnat, U.S. Acres and a strip about Mr...
High School.
Mrs. Garrison sees a news report describing how scientists can use a mouse to grow a human ear
Vacanti mouse
The Vacanti mouse was a laboratory mouse that had what looked like a human ear grown on its back. The "ear" was actually an ear-shaped cartilage structure grown by seeding human cartilage cells into a biodegradable ear-shaped mold.-The earmouse:...
, and decides to have the same experiment performed on her to get a new penis. Using some of her male DNA and all of her money, scientists are able to create a mouse with a penis on it, but it escapes from the lab and begins to race all over town, causing stereotypical hysterical reactions
Fear of mice
Fear of mice and rats is one of the most common specific phobias. It is sometimes referred to as musophobia or murophobia , or as suriphobia, from the French souris, meaning mouse. Dr...
in all the women who see it (who only refer to it as a "penis"). Mrs. Garrison looks for it in vain, as it winds up in various houses and restaurants. At a certain point, during the chase, the mouse stops on a fence and starts singing a song to the moon. Later the penis joins in and they form a duet. The song is interrupted by Garrison and eventually the mouse vanishes into the sewers, and Mrs. Garrison goes back to moping that she will never be a real man again.
Meanwhile, Cartman, taking Kyle's warning about the dangers of inner-city students who will "fucking murder [him]", disguises himself as a Latino named "Mr. Cartmenez", and teaches his students how white people are able to succeed even when they cannot: by cheating
Cheating
Cheating refers to the breaking of rules to gain advantage in a competitive situation. The rules infringed may be explicit, or they may be from an unwritten code of conduct based on morality, ethics or custom, making the identification of cheating a subjective process. Cheating can refer...
. Cartman often wonders aloud "How do I reach these keeeds [kids]?" He then teaches his class numerous cheating techniques, explaining that as long as they succeed, no one will judge them. Cartman cites Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
's success after cheating in the Spygate football scandal. He teaches them to memorize test answers, use cameras, and, in the case of a pregnant girl, getting an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
(which he explains is "cheating nature itself", and that "white girls do it all the time and get away with it"). When the kids do amazingly well, they are then challenged to take the hardest, most secure standardized test in the state. When the kids begin to doubt Cartman's methods, he again points to Bill Belichick, implying that after he decided to win a game "for real", he ended up losing (in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
). The kids are encouraged by this, and all receive perfect scores (by cheating). The class honors "Mr. Cartmenez" for teaching them "The White People Method", and he is universally praised.
While Mrs. Garrison is moping in the park, the mouse with his penis shows up and allows itself to be caught, and Mrs. Garrison undergoes an operation to become Mr. Garrison again. He arrives back at school and explains that he now realizes that the true judge of gender is whether someone can get pregnant. The episode concludes when one teacher objects that his wife cannot have babies because of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
, and Mr. Garrison responds with, "Well then get an AIDS test, Thomson, 'cause your wife's a dude, faggot... Yeah! I'm back!" while the mouse flies in the air.
Production
"Eek, a Penis!" was written and directed by series co-founder Trey ParkerTrey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States. It first aired on April 9, 2008 in the United States on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
. Shortly after "Eek, a Penis!" was originally broadcast, T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts based on the episode were made available at South Park Studios, the official South Park website. The shirt design featured a silhouette of the mouse with a penis on it running.
Cultural references
A large part of the plot parodies the film Stand and DeliverStand and Deliver
Stand and Deliver is a 1988 American drama film, based on the true story of high school mathematics teacher Jaime Escalante. Edward James Olmos portrayed Escalante in the film and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.-Plot:...
, with Cartman assuming a similar role to that played by Edward James Olmos
Edward James Olmos
Edward James Olmos is an American actor and director. Among his most memorable roles are William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Lt...
. Stand and Deliver is about a teacher at James A. Garfield High School. The inner-city school in the episode is named after Jim Davis
Jim Davis (cartoonist)
James Robert Davis is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the comic strip Garfield, which he signs as Jim Davis. He has also worked on other strips: Tumbleweeds, Gnorm Gnat, U.S. Acres and a strip about Mr...
, creator of the Garfield
Garfield
Garfield is a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Published since June 19, 1978, it chronicles the life of the title character, the cat Garfield ; his owner, Jon Arbuckle; and Arbuckle's dog, Odie...
comic strip. A scene where Mrs. Garrison's penis and a mouse sing a duet references the film An American Tail
An American Tail
An American Tail is a 1986 American animated adventure film directed by Don Bluth and produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios and Amblin Entertainment. The film tells the story of Fievel Mouskewitz and his family as they immigrate from Russia to America for freedom. However, Fievel gets lost and must...
, with the song performed similar to "Somewhere Out There
Somewhere Out There (James Horner song)
"Somewhere Out There" is a song written by James Horner, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Its single was released by American recording artists, pop rock icon Linda Ronstadt and R&B musician James Ingram...
". Reference is also made to Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
, coach of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, the Spygate scandal of 2007, and Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
.
Reception
The AV Club'sThe 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...
Sean O'Neal gave the episode a C rating, feeling that the parody of Stand and Deliver
Stand and Deliver
Stand and Deliver is a 1988 American drama film, based on the true story of high school mathematics teacher Jaime Escalante. Edward James Olmos portrayed Escalante in the film and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.-Plot:...
took away from the episode's message, "Even as someone who appreciated the reference I found it distracting, particularly since Cartman's lesson plan–teaching his students to cheat "the white people way"–worked well enough on its own, making the allusion sort of superfluous". O'Neal felt that the references to the film were dated: "Would anyone under, say, the age of 25 get that Cartman gave himself an Edward James Olmos makeover, right down to the cardigan vests and the way he tucked his hand in his waistband?" and the Belichick appearance "fell flat."
TV Squad's Brad Trechak felt that "episodes have felt lower in quality this season" but the episode succeeded in being "unconventionally funny" and singled out the mouse/penis duet for praise.
Travis Fickett of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode a rating of 7.7, stating that the episode "will probably not end up as one of the more memorable episodes in the canon, but it's pretty damn fun nonetheless". Fickett also singled out the mouse/penis duet as "It is just about to get old when the penis-mouse stops by the light of the moon to sing an American Tail
An American Tail
An American Tail is a 1986 American animated adventure film directed by Don Bluth and produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios and Amblin Entertainment. The film tells the story of Fievel Mouskewitz and his family as they immigrate from Russia to America for freedom. However, Fievel gets lost and must...
inspired ballad about being lost"
External links
- "Eek, a Penis!" Full episode at South Park Studios
- "Eek, a Penis!" Episode guide at South Park Studios