Good Times with Weapons
Encyclopedia
"Good Times with Weapons" is episode 112 of South Park
. The first episode of Season 8, it originally aired on March 17, 2004. The episode's animation
routinely switches from the usual cutout
-and-solid-color style to a highly stylized anime
theme. Asian-style ambience
plays in the background.
This was also one of ten episodes to be featured on South Park: The Hits DVD. In addition, it was voted the 2nd best episode of all time by fans in the United States
, while being ranked the third best among fans in the United Kingdom
. This episode was one of the first to be available in high definition
, available on Xbox 360
's Marketplace
. A promotional HD DVD
was also released exclusively for Best Buy
. The show was rated TV-MA on Comedy Central
but was rated TV-14-LV on MTV
.
." After tricking him into selling them several dangerous ninja
weapons (parental permission is required if the hopeful buyer is under 18; Cartman
uses this information to pretend that he, Kenny
, Kyle
and Stan
are orphaned brothers, a ruse the boys have apparently successfully used "like twelve times" in the past), they pretend to be ninjas, only to transform into anime
-like characters with their own individual superpower
s. The boys refuse to let Butters play, so he becomes his alter ego
, Professor Chaos, and sets off to fight them in a stylized anime sequence. The sequence ends abruptly when Kenny throws a shuriken
at Butters, whom they all see as Chaos, which hits him in the eye and gets stuck. To avoid having to explain themselves and getting into trouble with their parents by taking him to a regular hospital
, the boys dress Butters up as a dog
and begin their journey to the local veterinarian
.
The boys hide Butters in an abandoned stove before facing off with Craig's gang, who have also acquired ninja weapons out of envy. After an epic battle, the boys realize that Butters has disappeared and try to find him before he can tell anyone, enlisting Craig's gang in the search. Meanwhile, Butters makes his way to the hospital, but his disguise fools the doctor
, who sends him to the animal shelter. At the shelter, the still-wounded Butters is urinated and defecated on by multiple other dogs. The elderly animal doctor, also fooled, makes no attempt to treat him, preparing instead to put him to sleep
. Before he can do so, however, Butters escapes, so the doctor simply says, "Oh, well. Let's murder one of these other dogs."
The boys decide to dispose of the evidence and return to the fair to have the vendor refund their weapons, but Craig and the others inform them that they have seen Butters wandering around on the other side of the fair auction. Cartman pretends to be invisible
to get to Butters undetected, unwittingly exposing himself onstage to the shocked audience. Butters stumbles onto the stage a few moments later and collapses. The final scene shows the townsfolk protesting at an emergency meeting about the outrage at the auction. The boys are under the impression that the outrage in question is Butters' wound (which has by this time been medically treated), but it soon transpires that the real polemic is Cartman's public nudity
. Cartman explains that it was a "wardrobe malfunction
," and the episode ends with the other three boys addressing the issue that adults are more offended by sex over violence
, allowing them to keep their weapons.
that mixes Japanese
and English
lyrics
. The song is performed by series creator Trey Parker.
Creators Trey Parker
and Matt Stone
jokingly referred to 2004 in their DVD
commentary as "The Year From Hell." They were filming and premiering Team America: World Police
while working on the season, which caused them a considerable amount of writer's block
.
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...
. The first episode of Season 8, it originally aired on March 17, 2004. The episode's animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
routinely switches from the usual cutout
Cutout animation
Cutout animation is a technique for producing animations using flat characters, props and backgrounds cut from materials such as paper, card, stiff fabric or even photographs...
-and-solid-color style to a highly stylized anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
theme. Asian-style ambience
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
plays in the background.
This was also one of ten episodes to be featured on South Park: The Hits DVD. In addition, it was voted the 2nd best episode of all time by fans in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, while being ranked the third best among fans in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. This episode was one of the first to be available in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, available on Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
's Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
. A promotional HD DVD
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
was also released exclusively for Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
. The show was rated TV-MA on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
but was rated TV-14-LV on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
Plot
At the Park County Fair, the boys come across a vendor dealing "authentic weapons from the Far EastFar East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
." After tricking him into selling them several dangerous ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
weapons (parental permission is required if the hopeful buyer is under 18; 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...
uses this information to pretend that he, Kenny
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
, 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...
and 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...
are orphaned brothers, a ruse the boys have apparently successfully used "like twelve times" in the past), they pretend to be ninjas, only to transform into anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
-like characters with their own individual superpower
Superpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
s. The boys refuse to let Butters play, so he becomes his alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
, Professor Chaos, and sets off to fight them in a stylized anime sequence. The sequence ends abruptly when Kenny throws a shuriken
Shuriken
A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
at Butters, whom they all see as Chaos, which hits him in the eye and gets stuck. To avoid having to explain themselves and getting into trouble with their parents by taking him to a regular hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, the boys dress Butters up as a dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
and begin their journey to the local veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, who sends him to the animal shelter. At the shelter, the still-wounded Butters is urinated and defecated on by multiple other dogs. The elderly animal doctor, also fooled, makes no attempt to treat him, preparing instead to put him to sleep
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
. Before he can do so, however, Butters escapes, so the doctor simply says, "Oh, well. Let's murder one of these other dogs."
The boys decide to dispose of the evidence and return to the fair to have the vendor refund their weapons, but Craig and the others inform them that they have seen Butters wandering around on the other side of the fair auction. Cartman pretends to be invisible
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
to get to Butters undetected, unwittingly exposing himself onstage to the shocked audience. Butters stumbles onto the stage a few moments later and collapses. The final scene shows the townsfolk protesting at an emergency meeting about the outrage at the auction. The boys are under the impression that the outrage in question is Butters' wound (which has by this time been medically treated), but it soon transpires that the real polemic is Cartman's public nudity
Public nudity
Public nudity or nude in public refers to nudity not in an entirely private context. It refers to a person appearing nude in a public place or to be seen from a public place. It also includes nudity in a semi-public place, where the general public is free to enter, such as a shopping mall...
. Cartman explains that it was a "wardrobe malfunction
Wardrobe malfunction
A wardrobe malfunction is a euphemism for accidental exposure of intimate parts. It is different from flashing, as the latter implies a deliberate exposure...
," and the episode ends with the other three boys addressing the issue that adults are more offended by sex over violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
, allowing them to keep their weapons.
Development
This episode features "Let's Fighting Love," a theme songTheme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
that mixes Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
. The song is performed by series creator Trey Parker.
Creators 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 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....
jokingly referred to 2004 in their 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....
commentary as "The Year From Hell." They were filming and premiering Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park...
while working on the season, which caused them a considerable amount of writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
.
External links
- "Good Times with Weapons" Full episode at South Park Studios
- "Good Times with Weapons" Episode guide at South Park Studios