Funnybot
Encyclopedia
"Funnybot" is the second episode of the fifteenth season
of the American animated television series South Park
, and the 211th episode of the series overall. "Funnybot" premiered in the United States
on Comedy Central
on May 4, 2011, the first time a South Park episode has aired in May since season 10's
"Tsst
" in 2006. "Funnybot" parodies The Comedy Awards
, black comedian Tyler Perry
, the Dalek
s from Doctor Who
, and the death of Osama bin Laden
.
"Funnybot" was written by series co-creator Trey Parker
and was rated TV-MA in the United States.
, and the Kathy Griffin
Award, given for the celebrity most likely to show up and receive it, which goes to Tyler Perry
. The only person to laugh at Perry is Token, who appears upset with himself after realizing that no one else finds Perry funny. When the Germans find out that they have been voted Most Unfunny People, they are furious and attack South Park Elementary the next day. They take the students hostage and unveil a robot called the XJ-212 Funnybot, in an attempt to show the students that Germans are funny. Funnybot tells jokes in a robotic tone, punctuated by the punch line
"Awkward!"
Funnybot takes the comedy world by storm, becoming ubiquitous in all kinds of media. This distresses a number of famous human comedians, such as Adam Sandler
and Jay Leno
, who fear for their livelihoods. The comedians decide to storm South Park Elementary, demanding that the students stop Funnybot. Jimmy, Stan
, Cartman
and Kyle
take up the task, but it is complicated by Funnybot's increasingly sinister behavior. During a stand-up performance, Funnybot reveals that his body houses two rotary cannons, which he then proceeds to fire into the audience, resulting in numerous deaths.
The boys manage to gain access to Funnybot, only to discover that he plans to destroy the world as the ultimate joke. Funnybot connects to the defense mainframes of both the United States
and Russia, arming the nuclear missiles of both countries. The boys are unable to disconnect Funnybot due to a defensive field surrounding him. However, Kyle remembers that robots can be confused by a logical paradox, which inspires Jimmy to present Funnybot with a comedy award. This confounds Funnybot's programming, since one who accepts an award for being funny is clearly taking themselves and comedy seriously, which is not funny. The loop ultimately overwhelms Funnybot's circuits, deactivating it.
Afterwards, the action moves to a junkyard, where the Germans, the boys, the comedians, and President Barack Obama
overlook a massive hole. The boys push a wooden crate onto a platform, where it is encased inside three massive metallic shells and dropped into the large hole, which is filled with concrete. Funnybot then appears, stating that he now knows that comedy is meant to be performed by humans. A noise is heard from the concrete-filled hole, and it is revealed to be Tyler Perry, buried in the ground. Jimmy admits that he has learned his lesson and promises that there will not be a comedy awards show next year, and Cartman ends the episode by saying "Or will there be?", breaking the fourth wall
.
. Funnybot shares several characteristics with the Daleks, a villain species from the long-running BBC
television series Doctor Who
, and Nomad, a robot from the "The Changeling", a 1967 episode of Star Trek: The Original Series
.
A variety of references are made to the death of Osama bin Laden
, which occurred three days prior to the airing of the episode. President Barack Obama is shown giving a speech addressing Funnybot's attempt to destroy humanity in the same location in which he gave his address concerning bin Laden, and much of the speech in the episode is lifted word-for-word from the real address. bin Laden is further referenced at the conclusion of the episode, where President Obama states "I am pleased to announce the greatest threat to mankind is gone forever." The "greatest threat" that Obama is referencing is Tyler Perry, who was buried alive.
When the boys attempt to stop Funnybot at the television studio, a poster titled One And A Half Men
can be seen in the hallway, mocking Charlie Sheen
's departure from the show.
. It finished third in overall viewers, yet tied for first with a 1.8 rating in the critical 18–49 age demographic. This represents an audience drop of roughly 17% from the season fifteen
premiere "HUMANCENTiPAD
," which drew 3.108 million viewers, and compares negatively to the second episode of season fourteen
, "The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs
," which drew 3.24 million viewers.
gave the episode a 6.5/10 rating, stating "this episode could really be summed up in three words: not very good." TV Fanatic, while praising the ability of the show to stay with current events, awarded the episode a mixed review of 3.5 out of 5, noting "it wasn't the strongest episode of the show's history." The A.V. Club
agreed, giving the episode a tepid C+, noting that "'Funnybot' was a bit too 'NON-SEQUITUR' for me, sticking to easy jokes about easy targets and then—like Funnybot himself—padding out its kernel of an idea with random nonsense that left the whole thing feeling a little slight." While praising the episode's central concept, Assignment X nevertheless concluded that Funnybot had "a good idea that strangely doesn't deliver on the funny." Positive reviews focused mainly on the show's ability to quickly incorporate current events into its episodes. Entertainment Weekly
noted "One of the most fun parts about watching South Park is slowly piecing together its seemingly inane and ridiculous plot points and realizing that its creators are actually delivering a well-thought-out and relevant statement." The Wall Street Journal
echoed this sentiment, claiming the episode was "an impressive example of speedily manufactured humor."
South Park (season 15)
The fifteenth season of South Park, an American animated television series, began airing on April 27, 2011 and ended on November 16, 2011. In response to reactions to the mid-season finale episode "You're Getting Old", which seemed to insinuate that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were wrapping...
of the American animated television series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, and the 211th episode of the series overall. "Funnybot" premiered in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
on May 4, 2011, the first time a South Park episode has aired in May since season 10's
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...
"Tsst
Tsst
"Tsst" is the seventh episode of the tenth season of Comedy Central's animated comedy television series South Park, it aired on May 3, 2006 and is the mid season final of season ten....
" in 2006. "Funnybot" parodies The Comedy Awards
The Comedy Awards
The Comedy Awards is an annual award ceremony run by the American television network Comedy Central, honoring the best of comedy. The first ceremony took place on March 26, 2011 and aired on April 10 on CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, Spike TV, TV Land and VH1...
, black comedian Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright, entrepreneur, screenwriter, producer, author, and songwriter. Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, he released his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman...
, the Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s from Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, and the death of Osama bin Laden
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
.
"Funnybot" was written 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 in the United States.
Plot
Jimmy hosts South Park Elementary's first annual comedy awards show. Among the awards given are the award for Most Unfunny People, which goes to the GermansGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and the Kathy Griffin
Kathy Griffin
Kathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin is an American actress, stand-up comedienne, television personality, New York Times best-selling author and an LGBT rights advocate. Griffin first gained recognition for appearances on two episodes of Seinfeld, and then for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom...
Award, given for the celebrity most likely to show up and receive it, which goes to Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright, entrepreneur, screenwriter, producer, author, and songwriter. Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, he released his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman...
. The only person to laugh at Perry is Token, who appears upset with himself after realizing that no one else finds Perry funny. When the Germans find out that they have been voted Most Unfunny People, they are furious and attack South Park Elementary the next day. They take the students hostage and unveil a robot called the XJ-212 Funnybot, in an attempt to show the students that Germans are funny. Funnybot tells jokes in a robotic tone, punctuated by the punch line
Punch line
A punch line is the final part of a joke, comedy sketch, or profound statement, usually the word, sentence or exchange of sentences which is intended to be funny or to provoke laughter or thought from listeners...
"Awkward!"
Funnybot takes the comedy world by storm, becoming ubiquitous in all kinds of media. This distresses a number of famous human comedians, such as Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
and Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, who fear for their livelihoods. The comedians decide to storm South Park Elementary, demanding that the students stop Funnybot. Jimmy, 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...
, 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...
and Kyle
Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
take up the task, but it is complicated by Funnybot's increasingly sinister behavior. During a stand-up performance, Funnybot reveals that his body houses two rotary cannons, which he then proceeds to fire into the audience, resulting in numerous deaths.
The boys manage to gain access to Funnybot, only to discover that he plans to destroy the world as the ultimate joke. Funnybot connects to the defense mainframes of both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Russia, arming the nuclear missiles of both countries. The boys are unable to disconnect Funnybot due to a defensive field surrounding him. However, Kyle remembers that robots can be confused by a logical paradox, which inspires Jimmy to present Funnybot with a comedy award. This confounds Funnybot's programming, since one who accepts an award for being funny is clearly taking themselves and comedy seriously, which is not funny. The loop ultimately overwhelms Funnybot's circuits, deactivating it.
Afterwards, the action moves to a junkyard, where the Germans, the boys, the comedians, and 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...
overlook a massive hole. The boys push a wooden crate onto a platform, where it is encased inside three massive metallic shells and dropped into the large hole, which is filled with concrete. Funnybot then appears, stating that he now knows that comedy is meant to be performed by humans. A noise is heard from the concrete-filled hole, and it is revealed to be Tyler Perry, buried in the ground. Jimmy admits that he has learned his lesson and promises that there will not be a comedy awards show next year, and Cartman ends the episode by saying "Or will there be?", breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
.
Cultural references
The first act of the episode parodies The Comedy AwardsThe Comedy Awards
The Comedy Awards is an annual award ceremony run by the American television network Comedy Central, honoring the best of comedy. The first ceremony took place on March 26, 2011 and aired on April 10 on CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, Spike TV, TV Land and VH1...
. Funnybot shares several characteristics with the Daleks, a villain species from the long-running BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, and Nomad, a robot from the "The Changeling", a 1967 episode of Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
.
A variety of references are made to the death of Osama bin Laden
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
, which occurred three days prior to the airing of the episode. President Barack Obama is shown giving a speech addressing Funnybot's attempt to destroy humanity in the same location in which he gave his address concerning bin Laden, and much of the speech in the episode is lifted word-for-word from the real address. bin Laden is further referenced at the conclusion of the episode, where President Obama states "I am pleased to announce the greatest threat to mankind is gone forever." The "greatest threat" that Obama is referencing is Tyler Perry, who was buried alive.
When the boys attempt to stop Funnybot at the television studio, a poster titled One And A Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
can be seen in the hallway, mocking 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....
's departure from the show.
Ratings
In its original American broadcast on May 5, 2011, "Funnybot" was seen by 2.591 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
. It finished third in overall viewers, yet tied for first with a 1.8 rating in the critical 18–49 age demographic. This represents an audience drop of roughly 17% from the season fifteen
South Park (season 15)
The fifteenth season of South Park, an American animated television series, began airing on April 27, 2011 and ended on November 16, 2011. In response to reactions to the mid-season finale episode "You're Getting Old", which seemed to insinuate that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were wrapping...
premiere "HUMANCENTiPAD
HumancentiPad
"HUMANCENTiPAD" is the first episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 210th episode of the series overall. "HUMANCENTiPAD" originally aired in the United States on Comedy Central and in Canada on The Comedy Network on April 27, 2011, and Comedy...
," which drew 3.108 million viewers, and compares negatively to the second episode of season fourteen
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...
, "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...
," which drew 3.24 million viewers.
Reviews
The episode received a mixed to negative reaction from critics. IGNIGN
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 6.5/10 rating, stating "this episode could really be summed up in three words: not very good." TV Fanatic, while praising the ability of the show to stay with current events, awarded the episode a mixed review of 3.5 out of 5, noting "it wasn't the strongest episode of the show's history." 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...
agreed, giving the episode a tepid C+, noting that "'Funnybot' was a bit too 'NON-SEQUITUR' for me, sticking to easy jokes about easy targets and then—like Funnybot himself—padding out its kernel of an idea with random nonsense that left the whole thing feeling a little slight." While praising the episode's central concept, Assignment X nevertheless concluded that Funnybot had "a good idea that strangely doesn't deliver on the funny." Positive reviews focused mainly on the show's ability to quickly incorporate current events into its episodes. 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...
noted "One of the most fun parts about watching South Park is slowly piecing together its seemingly inane and ridiculous plot points and realizing that its creators are actually delivering a well-thought-out and relevant statement." The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
echoed this sentiment, claiming the episode was "an impressive example of speedily manufactured humor."
External links
- "Funnybot" Episode guide at South Park Studios
- "Funnybot" Full episode at South Park Studios