I'm a Little Bit Country
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"I'm a Little Bit Country" is episode 701 of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired April 9, 2003, and is notable as being the 100th episode aired (though in production numbers, that right is given to another episode, #704, "Cancelled").
Plot
This episode originally aired during the build-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. When Mr. Garrison agrees to let anyone protesting the war out of school early for a rally, all the kids leave, even though they know little about the war. They are then interviewed outside the school for their views on what the Founding Fathers would think about the conflict and show their ignorance. Angered at the embarrassment, Mr. Garrison gives everybody an assignment to figure out an opinion on the Founders' view of the war, and Stan, Kyle and Kenny begin to study for their projects; Cartman, however, decides to take the lazier approach, and tries to induce a flashback of the colonial era, and other tricks.
Meanwhile, the people of the town are divided about the war, and after splitting in two, they both plan rallies (one pro-war, one anti-war) on the same day in the same place. They wind up having a great argument during both rallies, and in the end get into a huge fight where they begin to all kill each other. Meanwhile, Cartman (by electrocuting himself in water with a TiVo full of colonial documentaries from The History Channel) falls into a coma, but in his mind travels back to the colonial era. With a simple murder, he manages to get the job of delivering the Declaration of Independence from Thomas Jefferson's home to the Continental Congress for a vote; there, a great argument breaks out about whether or not to go to war against England, paralleling the events in town, which Cartman recognizes as being "very, very relevant."
Benjamin Franklin shows up, and he gives his opinion that both opinions were valid, as the new country they were trying to found would need strength (from the hawks) and compassion (from the doves). He suggests that if they go to war but still allow protests (which in his opinion wouldn't actually stop the war) then it looks like they didn't want the war. He refers to this as "having our cake and eating it too." Cartman wakes up and delivers his message to the town, who see the truth of that statement and then break out into song (a version of "I'm a Little Bit Country" by Donny and Marie Osmond). In it, they not only celebrate their differences, but also their achievement (100 episodes).
Trivia
- This episode breaks the fourth wall a few times. For example, Cartman tries to induce a flashback which implies he may know this is a TV show, and at the least that the show follows TV-esque laws (alternatively, it could simply be implying that Cartman is deluded enough to believe he is able to trigger a flashback based on various methods he has seen on television); and also, during the song celebrating 100 episodes, Randy Marsh says "Good night everyone, sure has been great bringing you 100 episodes." Stan and Kyle likely do not realize they are on a TV show as they are confused by the song. However, they do find out about it in "Cancelled" (although the TV show they are on there is not South Park but Earth).
- At the Saturday rally, the guitarist for the peace side is Slash from Guns N' Roses.
- This is the final episode in which Jesus and God appear, though they have no real lines. They are both merely seen in the background, singing along with everyone else at the end. Also visible in the back row are Terrence and Phillip. This is baffling because they aren't Americans.
- The Alien that appears in every episode can be located in the back right corner of the singing croud.
- The song Cartman hums when he kills the messenger boy is "I Don't Wanna Wait" by Paula Cole, the Dawson's Creek theme.
- Sheila Broflovski sides with the pacifists in this episode even though she single-handedly started a war with Canada in .
- One of the people supporting the Iraq War while inside town hall arguing is Hat McCoullough from the episode "Free Hat."
- As the other three boys cannot believe, this marks a rare occasion when Cartman actually saves the day.
| Preceded by: Red Sleigh Down | South Park episodes | Followed by: Krazy Kripples |
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