Guitar Queer-o
Encyclopedia
"Guitar Queer-O" is episode 1113 (#166) of Comedy Central
's South Park
, which aired on November 7, 2007. The title and plot parody the video game Guitar Hero. The episode aired ten days after the release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
in the US.
and Kyle
are obsessed with the video game Guitar Hero. Randy is pleased that the kids enjoy music from his generation, and attempts to impress them by playing "Carry On Wayward Son
" on a real guitar. The kids are not impressed, and Cartman says that "real guitars are for old people."
Together, Stan and Kyle manage to score 100,000 points and are immediately contacted by Charles Kincaid, a talent agent. They sign a recording contract and attend a "sex and coke" party with many Colorado celebrities. The record company organizes an event at a local arcade where the two are to score 1,000,000 points to "I Wanna Be Sedated
" in front of a live audience; however, the pair's manager takes Stan aside and tells him that Kyle is holding him back. Stan is told that he should dump his friend in favor of new partner, a kid named Thad Jarvis, who is so good he can play Guitar Hero "acoustically" (meaning that he has memorized what buttons to press at what time and can therefore play without actually playing the game).
Stan and Thad begin playing together. When Kyle finds out, the two get into a fight and break up their "band". When Stan becomes stressed out by the constant rehearsing of Guitar Hero, he goes to the local game arcade to buy a game guide for Guitar Hero. The clerk suggests that he should buy another game to help him "mellow out". He offers Stan Heroin Hero, a game in which the character does nothing but inject himself with heroin while literally chasing a dragon
that cannot be caught, only chased. Stan's addiction shortens his temper, and impedes his skill. Just before their actual show, Stan gets into a fight with Thad, who loses patience and quits. Thad starts to sing "i quit, i quit" similar to Johnathon Schaech
's character in That Thing You Do when he quits The Wonders. Stan has to perform solo and score 1 million
points, but on the day of the show, he is unable to perform because he had stayed up three days straight playing Heroin Hero.
Meanwhile, Kyle plays Guitar Hero in a bowling alley in exchange for free Fresca
s. After his meltdown, Stan goes back to the video game store where he buys a different game, and although the clerk tried to get him to buy a game called Rehab Hero (in which a dragon chases you), he buys a simple driving game instead. Stan then sets up the game and plays with a radio playing next to him; when the radio begins to play "Carry On Wayward Son", he suddenly remembers all the good times he had playing with Kyle and "reverses" his vehicle (in the game, but looking backwards as if reversing in real life).
Stan seeks out Kyle, and after a brief confrontation with an angry Kyle, he admits that he was wrong and that he only enjoyed being a video game rock star when he was doing it with Kyle. Kyle forgives him and the two reunite and attempt to score 1,000,000 points to Wolfmother
's "Woman
" privately and only in front of their friends. They score their million points, and the game congratulates them, but rather than tell them they have unlocked "Super-Stardom" as they expected, the game announces "You Are Fags
!" for having played the game so much (explaining the title of the episode). Stan and Kyle angrily leave, and Cartman
and Butters
start to play, with Butters requesting that he gets to "be the one to betray Cartman after the sex and drugs party."
, as well as the most watched program in all of television for Wednesday night among men 18-34 and the most watched program on cable among persons 18–49. The episode was the highest rating since "Cartman's Mom is Still a Dirty Slut
", beating the previous record-holder "Imaginationland Episode III
", the episode that aired one week before "Guitar Queer-o".
Despite good ratings, the episode received some mediocre reviews. IGN
called it a "lackluster episode" saying that it was "based on a concept that could have proved fun - but ultimately doesn't seem to be enough for an entire episode." 411Mania also criticized the episode, saying that "the first twenty-one and a half minutes weren't funny at all" claiming that the last line of the episode was the best part. TV Squad, on the other hand, gave the episode a somewhat positive review.
Jay Cutler
, who, at the time was the quarterback
for the Denver Broncos
, was insulted in the episode ("You kind of suck, but my dad says you might be good some day"), responded lightheartedly, saying "I thought it was funny. They can make fun of me if they want to."
The "sex and coke" party scene is a reference to "The Real Party" at Don Roritor's house in the The Kids in the Hall
movie Brain Candy
.
A portion of the episode was used on NPR's Day to Day
to discuss the idea that the popularity and interest in video games like Guitar Hero III or Rock Band
could supplant traditional instruments for kids.
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's 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...
, which aired on November 7, 2007. The title and plot parody the video game Guitar Hero. The episode aired ten days after the release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
in the US.
Plot
StanStan 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...
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...
are obsessed with the video game Guitar Hero. Randy is pleased that the kids enjoy music from his generation, and attempts to impress them by playing "Carry On Wayward Son
Carry On Wayward Son
"Carry on Wayward Son" is a progressive rock single recorded by Kansas and written by Kerry Livgren for their 1976 album Leftoverture. In 1977, the song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard pop singles chart, becoming their first Top 40 hit....
" on a real guitar. The kids are not impressed, and Cartman says that "real guitars are for old people."
Together, Stan and Kyle manage to score 100,000 points and are immediately contacted by Charles Kincaid, a talent agent. They sign a recording contract and attend a "sex and coke" party with many Colorado celebrities. The record company organizes an event at a local arcade where the two are to score 1,000,000 points to "I Wanna Be Sedated
I Wanna Be Sedated
"I Wanna Be Sedated" is a song by the American punk rock band the Ramones. It is one of the band's best known songs. It was originally released on their fourth album, Road to Ruin, in September 1978 and was the b-side of the UK single "She's the One" released on January 10, 1979. The song was later...
" in front of a live audience; however, the pair's manager takes Stan aside and tells him that Kyle is holding him back. Stan is told that he should dump his friend in favor of new partner, a kid named Thad Jarvis, who is so good he can play Guitar Hero "acoustically" (meaning that he has memorized what buttons to press at what time and can therefore play without actually playing the game).
Stan and Thad begin playing together. When Kyle finds out, the two get into a fight and break up their "band". When Stan becomes stressed out by the constant rehearsing of Guitar Hero, he goes to the local game arcade to buy a game guide for Guitar Hero. The clerk suggests that he should buy another game to help him "mellow out". He offers Stan Heroin Hero, a game in which the character does nothing but inject himself with heroin while literally chasing a dragon
Chasing the dragon
"Chasing the dragon" refers to inhaling the vapor from heated morphine, heroin, oxycodone or opium that has been placed on a piece of foil...
that cannot be caught, only chased. Stan's addiction shortens his temper, and impedes his skill. Just before their actual show, Stan gets into a fight with Thad, who loses patience and quits. Thad starts to sing "i quit, i quit" similar to Johnathon Schaech
Johnathon Schaech
Johnathon Schaech is an American actor, writer, and director.-Early life:Schaech was born in Edgewood, Maryland to Joseph, a Baltimore City law enforcement officer, and Joanne Schaech, a human resources executive. He is of German and Italian descent, and was raised Roman Catholic...
's character in That Thing You Do when he quits The Wonders. Stan has to perform solo and score 1 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
points, but on the day of the show, he is unable to perform because he had stayed up three days straight playing Heroin Hero.
Meanwhile, Kyle plays Guitar Hero in a bowling alley in exchange for free Fresca
Fresca
Fresca is a citrus diet soft drink made by The Coca-Cola Company. First introduced in the United States in 1966, the drink is now sold throughout the American continent...
s. After his meltdown, Stan goes back to the video game store where he buys a different game, and although the clerk tried to get him to buy a game called Rehab Hero (in which a dragon chases you), he buys a simple driving game instead. Stan then sets up the game and plays with a radio playing next to him; when the radio begins to play "Carry On Wayward Son", he suddenly remembers all the good times he had playing with Kyle and "reverses" his vehicle (in the game, but looking backwards as if reversing in real life).
Stan seeks out Kyle, and after a brief confrontation with an angry Kyle, he admits that he was wrong and that he only enjoyed being a video game rock star when he was doing it with Kyle. Kyle forgives him and the two reunite and attempt to score 1,000,000 points to Wolfmother
Wolfmother
Wolfmother is an Australian rock band from Erskineville, Sydney. Formed in 2000, the group was originally a trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist and keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. Wolfmother released their self-titled debut album in October 2005,...
's "Woman
Woman (Wolfmother song)
"Woman" is a song by Australian hard rock band Wolfmother, featured on their 2005 debut studio album Wolfmother. It was released as the band's fourth single in Australia on 17 June 2006, and later in the United Kingdom on 17 July...
" privately and only in front of their friends. They score their million points, and the game congratulates them, but rather than tell them they have unlocked "Super-Stardom" as they expected, the game announces "You Are Fags
Faggot (epithet)
Faggot, often shortened to fag, is a pejorative term and common slur used chiefly in North America against homosexual males. Its pejorative use has spread from the United States to varying extents elsewhere in the English-speaking world through mass culture, including movies, music, and the...
!" for having played the game so much (explaining the title of the episode). Stan and Kyle angrily leave, 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...
and 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...
start to play, with Butters requesting that he gets to "be the one to betray Cartman after the sex and drugs party."
Featured songs
These songs are either played or referenced during the episode, and all except for "Video Prick", "I Remember You", and "Pure Hate" have appeared in the real Guitar Hero series.- "Carry On Wayward SonCarry On Wayward Son"Carry on Wayward Son" is a progressive rock single recorded by Kansas and written by Kerry Livgren for their 1976 album Leftoverture. In 1977, the song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard pop singles chart, becoming their first Top 40 hit....
" by KansasKansas (band)Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"... - "SurrenderSurrender (Cheap Trick song)"Surrender" is a single by Cheap Trick released in June 1978 from the album Heaven Tonight. It was the first Cheap Trick single to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 62...
" by Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E... - "John the FishermanJohn the Fisherman"John the Fisherman" is the first single by the alternative rock band Primus, released first live in 1989 on Suck on This, then re-released a year later, this time studio recorded, on Frizzle Fry....
" by PrimusPrimus (band)Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed... - "Pretty VacantPretty Vacant"Pretty Vacant" is a song by the English punk rock band The Sex Pistols. It was released on 1 July 1977 as the third single from their only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. The song marked the band's only appearance on the British music show Top of the Pops...
" by Sex PistolsSex PistolsThe Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians... - "Every Rose Has Its ThornEvery Rose Has Its Thorn"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is a power ballad by American glam metal band Poison. It was released in 1988 as the third single from Poison's second album Open Up And Say... Ahh!. It is the band's only number-one hit in the U.S., reaching the top spot on Christmas Eve in 1988 for three weeks . It was...
" by PoisonPoison (band)Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,... - "Video Prick" by Deep WoundDeep WoundDeep Wound was a hardcore punk band formed in 1982 in Westfield, MA. They released one self-titled 7" and contributed two songs to the compilation LP, Bands That Could Be God, both of which are sought after by fans and record collectors alike.-Overview:...
- "WomanWoman (Wolfmother song)"Woman" is a song by Australian hard rock band Wolfmother, featured on their 2005 debut studio album Wolfmother. It was released as the band's fourth single in Australia on 17 June 2006, and later in the United Kingdom on 17 July...
" by WolfmotherWolfmotherWolfmother is an Australian rock band from Erskineville, Sydney. Formed in 2000, the group was originally a trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist and keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. Wolfmother released their self-titled debut album in October 2005,... - "I Remember You" by Skid Row
- "Pure Hate" by Poison IdeaPoison IdeaPoison Idea was an American hardcore punk band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1980. The band originally dissolved in 1993, but has been playing intermittently since 1998.-Formation, 1980's and 90's:...
- "JordanJordan (song)"Jordan" is a song by American musician Buckethead. Originally featured as a playable track on the 2006 music video game Guitar Hero II, "Jordan" was officially released as a downloadable single via iTunes on August 18, 2009.-Background:...
" by BucketheadBucketheadBrian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists... - "I Wanna Be SedatedI Wanna Be Sedated"I Wanna Be Sedated" is a song by the American punk rock band the Ramones. It is one of the band's best known songs. It was originally released on their fourth album, Road to Ruin, in September 1978 and was the b-side of the UK single "She's the One" released on January 10, 1979. The song was later...
" by The Ramones - "Cherry PieCherry Pie (Warrant song)"Cherry Pie" is a song by the American glam metal band Warrant. "Cherry Pie" is the titular track from Warrant's album Cherry Pie, and both were released in 1990.-Background:...
" by WarrantWarrant (American band)Warrant is an American heavy metal band from Hollywood, California, that experienced success from 1989-1996 with five albums reaching international sales of over 10 million. The band first came into the national spotlight with their debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, and one of its...
Reception
The episode drew in 4 million total viewers (P2+) and was the most watched telecast of the year on Comedy CentralComedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, as well as the most watched program in all of television for Wednesday night among men 18-34 and the most watched program on cable among persons 18–49. The episode was the highest rating since "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...
", beating the previous record-holder "Imaginationland Episode III
Imaginationland Episode III
"Imaginationland Episode III", or "Moistening of the Scrotum" , is episode 1112 of Comedy Central's animated TV series South Park. It originally aired on October 31, 2007. It is the concluding episode in a three-part story arc that won the 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program for One Hour or...
", the episode that aired one week before "Guitar Queer-o".
Despite good ratings, the episode received some mediocre reviews. 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...
called it a "lackluster episode" saying that it was "based on a concept that could have proved fun - but ultimately doesn't seem to be enough for an entire episode." 411Mania also criticized the episode, saying that "the first twenty-one and a half minutes weren't funny at all" claiming that the last line of the episode was the best part. TV Squad, on the other hand, gave the episode a somewhat positive review.
Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, who, at the time was the quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, was insulted in the episode ("You kind of suck, but my dad says you might be good some day"), responded lightheartedly, saying "I thought it was funny. They can make fun of me if they want to."
The "sex and coke" party scene is a reference to "The Real Party" at Don Roritor's house in the The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
movie Brain Candy
Brain Candy
Brain Candy is a feature film by The Kids in the Hall, a Canadian comedy troupe. Directed by Kelly Makin, filmed in Toronto, and released in 1996, it followed the five season run of their television series, which had been successful in both Canada and the United States.The five man team plays all...
.
A portion of the episode was used on NPR's Day to Day
Day to Day
Day to Day was a one-hour weekday American radio newsmagazine distributed by National Public Radio , and produced by NPR in collaboration with Slate. Madeleine Brand served as host since 2006...
to discuss the idea that the popularity and interest in video games like Guitar Hero III or Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
could supplant traditional instruments for kids.
External links
- Guitar Queer-O Full episode at South Park Studios
- Guitar Queer-O Episode guide at South Park Studios