Butterballs
Butterballs
Season | s16 |
Episode | e05 |
Written By | Trey Parker |
Production Code | 1605 |
Original Air Date | 2012-04-11 |
Episode Chronology
- Previous
- Next
Story
When Butters's schoolmates see him with a black eye, they learn that it was the work of a bully who stole his lunch money for the third day in a row. Stan and Kyle urge Butters to talk to his family, including his grandmother - Grandma Stotch -, whom they mention is visiting him this week. However, his grandmother turns out to be the one who bullies him. Eventually, someone secretly contacts Bucky Bailey, an anti-bullying counselor from Bully Buckers, to come to the school. Bailey bullies Mr. Mackey into calling for an assembly, at which he proposes that the students make an anti-bullying video. When no one volunteers to be the leader of the campaign and direct the video, he taunts the assembled students.
Stan volunteers, saying that bullying is a problem that needs to be addressed. Stan produces a music video featuring Cartman dressed in drag and Butters himself paraded in front of everyone in the nude. When Butters expresses reluctance to continue, saying that this will only make things worse, Stan fails to take his viewpoint seriously. As a result, Kyle walks off the project, saying that Stan has made himself the focus of the video and cautions him not to end up "naked and jacking it in San Diego", a reference that Stan does not understand.
Stan informs Butters that a Hollywood studio wants to buy the video. Though Stan is cheered by his schoolmates, Bailey corners Stan in the school boys' room, bullying him because Stan sold the movie without consulting him, as revenue from the video, which was Bailey's idea, could have brought national exposure to Bully Buckers. Bailey taunts Stan, bringing him to tears. Later, Mick Jabs, the president of the studio that purchased the video, corners Bailey in the school boys' room, and presents a cease and desist order from his lawyers, bullying Bailey to tears.
Stan and Butters go on The Dr. Mehmet Oz Show to promote the movie, but as Dr. Oz continuously bullies Butters to get him to reveal specifics, Butters finally snaps and attacks Oz. After Jabs excoriates Stan because the film's subject will be viewed not as a sympathetic figure, but as a violent psychopath, Jabs himself is cornered in a restroom by Jesus, who threatens him with Hell for his behavior.
Later that night, Butters goes to his grandmother's room as she lies in bed, telling her that he finally stood up for himself. While he admits that it felt good, it ultimately left with him a dark and empty feeling, just as he imagines she feels. He then tells her that he has realized that bullies will always exist, and while such stages in life seem as if they will last forever to children, one day he will grow into a happy adult, and as she lies dying in a hospital, he will visit her to show her that he is still alive and happy, while she will die the same empty, sad person she's always been. The next day, after being pilloried by his fellow students at school for the decision of Jabs' studio to cancel its distribution of the video, as well as for a lawsuit that Dr. Oz has filed against Stan and South Park Elementary, Stan resolves to go to San Diego where, in a musical number, he strips off his clothes in public and dances in the nude on a street corner, Ã la Jason Russell.
Memorable Quotes
- "Oh well don't fart on grandma she's trying to enjoy her ham" Stephen Stotch
Characters
Characters Debut
Locations
Songs
Original Song
- Stan breaks down and heads to San Diego to let off some steam."Jackin' It In San Diego"
- Stan gets the whole school involved in his anti-bullying music video, "Make Bullying Kill Itself"
Behind The Scenes
Pop Culture References
The episode satirizes the director Jason Russell, the 2011 film Bully, and the anti-bullying movement.
Bonus Factoids
Season 16
- e1 Reverse Cowgirl
- e2 Cash For Gold
- e3 Faith Hilling
- e4 Jewpacabra
- e5 Butterballs
- e6 I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining
- e7 Cartman Finds Love
- e8 Sarcastaball
- e9 Raising the Bar
- e10 Insecurity
- e11 Going Native
- e12 A Nightmare on Face Time
- e13 A Scause for Applause
- e14 Obama Wins!