Going Native

Last updated
"Going Native"
South Park episode
Episode no.Season 16
Episode 11
Directed by Trey Parker
Written byTrey Parker
Production code1611
Original air dateOctober 17, 2012 (2012-10-17)
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Insecurity"		Next →
"A Nightmare on FaceTime"
South Park season 16
List of episodes

"Going Native" is the eleventh episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated sitcom South Park , and the 234th episode of the series overall. It premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on October 17, 2012. In the episode, when Butters starts acting out at school, he learns that he was not born in South Park. He and Kenny journey to Butters' homeland for his coming of age ceremony.

Contents

The episode was written by series co-creator Trey Parker and is rated TV-MA in the United States.

Plot

Butters Stotch begins acting out at school, after beating up a fellow student Scott Malkinson seemingly without provocation, and then later excoriating his male classmates for being stuck-up and disingenuous (save for Kenny McCormick, who he says is the only one who has any sense of dignity). When his parents learn of his increased anger, they explain to Butters that they are originally from Hawaii, that Butters is undergoing a biological stage that is similar to the instinct that compels salmon to migrate, and that he must make a solitary journey to his birthplace, to participate in a ceremony called hapanoa. They tell him that he is Hawaiian royalty, as his grandparents were in Hawaii at the time of "The King", and give him a "Mahalo Rewards Card" to assist him in completing his journey. When Kyle Broflovski and the others hear that Butters is leaving, they urge Kenny, who is perceived to be Butters' "best friend" on account of Butters' prior remark, to stop him, but Kenny ends up going with him.

When the two boys arrive at Kauai, they are greeted by a group of "native Hawaiians" (who turn out to be simply White Americans owning timeshares there), who take them to their chief, David. They are acquainted with Butters' parents, and use the Mahalo Rewards Card to receive discounts as Hawaiian residents. They call Butters Keiki , and introduce him to their drink, chi chi. Butters' hapanoa is interrupted, however, by the news that the Mahalo Rewards Card is being eliminated, and that their points will no longer be accepted. The "natives" fear this will eliminate any distinction between them and the mainlanders, or "haoles", whom they intend to fight. Soon a war erupts between the "natives" and the U.S. Coast Guard, beginning with Butters sinking a cruise ship with a golf ball. The Coast Guard nearly bring them to surrender by cutting off their supply of chi chi. Meanwhile, Kenny encounters the ghost of Elvis Presley at the abandoned Coco Palms Resort, who shows him a hidden trove of chi chi. Kenny brings this treasure back to the "natives", whose fighting spirit is renewed. The U.S. government decides to reinstate the Mahalo Rewards Card, and both Butters and Kenny are allowed to complete the hapanoa together. When asked if his anger has subsided, Butters admits that he is still jealous of Ben Affleck, who he says is very handsome, married to Jennifer Lopez, and a good film director. When informed that Affleck is now married to Jennifer Garner, Butters' anger is assuaged, and he walks happily off into the sunset with Kenny.

Production

According to the DVD commentary, the idea of Butters needing to go back to his homeland is based on the Star Trek episode "Amok Time", as well as the "going native" format films, the most recent being Avatar . Hawaii was chosen as the setting as Parker lives there for parts of the year. A big issue while writing the episode was to avoid focusing on the "native Hawaiians" owning timeshares, since that was a major plot device in the sixth season episode "Asspen". [1]

Reception

Marcus Gilmer of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B−", writing that the episode "gets too far away from the characters at its center." [2] Max Nicholson of IGN gave the episode a 6.3, faulting it for relying solely on one recurring joke, the "Native Hawaiians", opining that it was not broad enough for mass appeal. Nicholson noted that the episode "had its moments, but ultimately didn't deliver the impact that was needed.." [3]

Michael Keany, writing for Honolulu magazine described the episode as "a surprisingly nuanced satire" of life on the islands and the attitudes of new and part-time residents, pointing out that "everyone who's ever lived here for any length of time could recognize the arrogance, the cultural co-opting, the easy entitlement." [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny McCormick</span> Fictional character in South Park

Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character and one of the four main protagonists in the adult animated sitcom South Park, alongside Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His often muffled and incomprehensible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his mouth—is provided by co-creator Matt Stone. After early appearances in The Spirit of Christmas shorts in 1992 and 1995, Kenny appeared in South Park television episodes beginning August 13, 1997, as well as the 1999 feature film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, where his uncovered face and voice were first revealed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butters Stotch</span> Fictional character from South Park

Leopold "Butters" Stotch is a fictional character in the adult animated television series South Park. He is loosely based on co-producer Eric Stough and his voice is provided by co-creator Matt Stone. He is a student at South Park Elementary School.

"Fat Butt and Pancake Head" is the fifth episode of the seventh season and the 101st overall episode of the Comedy Central series South Park. It was originally broadcast on April 16, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Times with Weapons</span> 1st episode of the 8th season of South Park

"Good Times with Weapons" is the first episode of the eighth season of the American animated series South Park and the 112th episode of the series. It originally aired on March 17, 2004. In the episode, the boys are transformed into Japanese warriors after they buy martial arts weapons at a local market. Their sworn enemy, Professor Chaos, confronts them and a highly stylized battle ensues. The episode's animation routinely switches from the usual cutout-and-solid-color style to a highly stylized anime theme.

"The Losing Edge" is the fifth episode in the ninth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 130th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 6, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpsons Already Did It</span> 7th episode of the 6th season of South Park

"Simpsons Already Did It" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series South Park and the 86th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on June 26, 2002. In the episode, which continues on from the events of the previous episode "Professor Chaos," Butters thinks up a series of schemes to take over the world, but realizes that each one has already been performed on the show The Simpsons. Meanwhile, Ms. Choksondik dies and Cartman, Kyle and Stan think that they are responsible.

"The Death of Eric Cartman" is the sixth episode in the ninth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 131st episode overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 13, 2005.

"Awesom-O" is the fifth episode in the eighth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 116th episode overall, the second in production order of Season 8 instead of the fifth, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 14, 2004. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker.

"Asspen" is the second episode of the sixth season and the 81st overall episode of the American animated television series South Park. Going by production order, it is the 3rd episode of Season 6 instead of the 2nd episode. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 13, 2002. In the episode, the boys go on vacation at Aspen, Colorado, where Stan is repeatedly tormented by an older skier named Tad. Meanwhile, the boys' parents become stuck at a meeting as two salesmen attempt to coax them into purchasing timeshare property.

"The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers" is the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 92nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 13, 2002. In the episode, the boys dress up and play as characters from The Lord of the Rings film series, with several events and characters substituted into the narrative. They extend their game into a "quest" to return a copy of the film to a local video store. Meanwhile, the adults have accidentally switched the tape with a pornographic film.

"How to Eat with Your Butt" is the tenth episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 75th episode of the series overall. "How to Eat with Your Butt" originally aired in the United States on November 14, 2001, on Comedy Central. In the episode, Cartman puts a picture of Kenny's butt on a milk carton as a prank, but loses his ability to laugh when a couple arrives in South Park with buttocks instead of faces.

"Hell on Earth 2006" is the eleventh episode in the tenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 150th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 25, 2006. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker.

"The China Probrem" is the eighth episode in the twelfth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 175th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 8, 2008. It was the mid-season premiere for season 12, and was dedicated to Isaac Hayes, the voice actor of Chef, who died on August 10 of that year. The episode was rated TV-MA-LSV for strong language, sexual content, and violence in the United States.

"World War Zimmerman" is the third episode in the seventeenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 240th episode of the series overall, it premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on October 9, 2013. The episode parodies the 2013 film World War Z and the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman.

"A Song of Ass and Fire" is the eighth episode in the seventeenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 245th episode of the series overall, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 20, 2013. The episode serves as a continuation of the previous episode, "Black Friday", in which the children of South Park, role-playing as characters from Game of Thrones, are split into two factions over whether to collectively purchase bargain-priced Xbox One or PlayStation 4 video game consoles at an upcoming Black Friday sale at the local mall, where Randy Marsh has been made the Captain of mall security. The story arc concludes with the following episode, "Titties and Dragons".

"Titties and Dragons" is the ninth episode in the seventeenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 246th episode of the series overall, it premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on December 4, 2013. It is the conclusion of a three-episode story arc that began with "Black Friday", and continued with "A Song of Ass and Fire". The story centers upon the children of South Park, role-playing as characters from Game of Thrones, split into two factions over whether to collectively purchase bargain-priced Xbox One or PlayStation 4 video game consoles at an upcoming Black Friday sale at the local mall, where Randy Marsh has been made the Captain of mall security. The episode received critical acclaim.

"Go Fund Yourself" is the first episode in the eighteenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 248th episode of the series overall, it was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker. The episode premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on September 24, 2014. In the episode, Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and Butters decide to create a startup company funded through Kickstarter so that they never have to work again. While choosing a name, they realize that the Washington Redskins American football team has lost its trademark on "Redskins" because it is racially disparaging to Native Americans, so they decide to use that name for their company. The new company receives enough money for the boys to live luxuriously without doing any work, until the football team destroys Kickstarter's servers during a raid, preventing the boys from accessing their startup company page and receiving their money.

"The Magic Bush" is the fifth episode in the eighteenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 252nd overall episode, it was written and directed by series co-creator and co-star Trey Parker. The episode premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on October 29, 2014. The episode lampoons the use of drone airplanes, leaked nude celebrity photos, and the shooting of Michael Brown and the following Ferguson unrest.

"Grounded Vindaloop" is the seventh episode in the eighteenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 254th episode overall, it was written and directed by series co-creator and co-star Trey Parker. The episode premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on November 12, 2014. The episode lampoons virtual reality headsets including the Oculus Rift using various science-fiction movie references, and customer service call centers.

"Stunning and Brave" is the first episode in the nineteenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 258th episode overall, it was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker. The episode aired on Comedy Central on September 16, 2015, and primarily parodies social justice warriors and political correctness within society, with a focus on the acceptance and praise of Caitlyn Jenner. The episode also lampoons Tom Brady and the Deflategate scandal.

References

  1. ↑ Parker, Trey (September 2013). South Park: The Complete Sixteenth Season: "Going Native" Audio commentary (Blu-ray Disc). Paramount Home Entertainment.
  2. ↑ Gilmer, Marcus (October 17, 2012). "Going Native". The A.V. Club . Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  3. ↑ Nicholson, Max (October 18, 2012). "South Park: "Going Native" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  4. ↑ Keany, Michael (December 23, 2012). "How Long Does it Take to Become Local in Hawai'i?". Honolulu . Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.