The F Word (South Park)

"The F Word (South Park)"

"The F Word" is the twelfth episode of the thirteenth season of the animated television series South Park. It aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 4, 2009 and in the UK on November 6, 2009. The episode deals with the overuse of the epithet 'fag', which has evolved from a homophobic slur into a general insult commonly used amongst American youth.

Plot

The boys and the citizens of South Park are troubled by a large group of Harley-Davidson riders frequently making noise in town. Numerous complaints are made to the bikers, but they disregard this, seeing themselves as getting attention, and continue to make more noise around town. Frustrated, the boys and other schoolmates assemble to defecate on the seats of the motorcycles and they spray paint "Fags get out" on several buildings around town as well.

The school board, the mayor, and local homosexuals become outraged by the graffiti and take it as a homophobic message. The boys push the town hall to recognize that the word "fag" is used nowadays for a contemptible person ("An inconsiderate douchebag" as Stan puts it) who rides a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Much to the town's own surprise, they find the boy's argument makes a great deal of sense, and even the local gay community begins to put their support behind the changing of the word. An ordinance is passed in South Park, but is met with negative publicity from the rest of the nation, as well as heat from the bikers now being labeled "fags".

Facing pressure from the mayor, the boys decide to push to update the term with the help of the English Dictionary Officiates, which is led by Emmanuel Lewis, who is known for playing the character of "Webster" on television. An event is held in town, but the Harley-Davidson riders come together and riot to crash the event. After having inflicted a lot of damage on the town and scaring off the citizens, they corner the boys in an alley, but are then chased off and forced to surrender when South Park's gay men advocates turn their shotguns on them. In the end, the riders ultimately accept being called "fags".

Emmanuel Lewis, badly injured in the riot, declares the definition changed. The town rejoices and celebrates, and the show cuts to the updated definition of "fag", which reads: "Fag (făg) n. 1. An extremely annoying, inconsiderate person most commonly associated with Harley riders. 2. A person who owns or frequently rides a Harley."

Cultural references

When Father Maxi holds the sign that says "GOD HATES FAGS", it is an allusion to Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. Big Gay Al holds a sign reading "GAYS AGAINST FAGS" which is coloured in the same way as Phelps' signs.

When the reporter is trying to interview two bikers, and refers to them as fags, and the bikers threaten and then attack the reporter, the dialogue is very similar to and alludes to Jim Rome's incident with Jim Everett, where he repeatedly called him Chris to his face.

The patches shown on the back of a biker when Emmanuel Lewis is captured, says "Hades Divinations" which is in reference to Hells Angels. Other patches seen are "0.1%", and various club patches.

As the people of South Park wait for the dictionary editors, the band in the background is playing Pomp and Circumstance.

The editor of the dictionary is revealed to be Emmanuel Lewis, who played the title character in the TV show Webster. This is a play on words to the popular dictionary, Webster's Dictionary.

The music played at the end speech is very similar to the theme to the 1989 movie Glory.

External links

• Episode guide at Southparkstudios.com