The Death Camp of Tolerance

Last updated
"The Death Camp of Tolerance"
South Park episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 14
Directed by Trey Parker
Written byTrey Parker
Production code614
Original air dateNovember 20, 2002 (2002-11-20)
Guest appearances
John Hansen as Mr. Slave
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers"		Next →
"The Biggest Douche in the Universe"
South Park season 6
List of episodes

"The Death Camp of Tolerance" is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series South Park , and the 93rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 20, 2002.

Contents

In the episode, Mr. Garrison tries to get fired from his new job as the fourth grade teacher at South Park Elementary by being overtly and explicitly homosexual in front of the students, so he can sue the school and get twenty-five million dollars in damages. However, he is unable to as the rest of the faculty and the children's parents are desperate to appear tolerant of his homosexuality. The boys do not share their sentiments, and as punishment for not tolerating Garrison's outrageous behavior, they are sent to a Nazi-esque "tolerance camp." All of the scenes inside the camp are shown in black-and-white, a homage to Schindler's List .[ citation needed ][ original research? ]

The episode was written by series co-creator Trey Parker and is rated TV-MA in the United States. The Daily Telegraph has referred to it as one of the series' strongest episodes.

Plot

Finally promoted to teaching fourth graders, Mr. Garrison realizes that getting fired for being homosexual could allow him to sue the school for millions of dollars. He decides to perform outrageous sex acts in the classroom when he takes over for Mr. Mackey, hiring his partner Mr. Slave as his teaching assistant. Although the boys complain about Garrison's inappropriate activities, their parents mistakenly think their boys are intolerant of homosexuality. However, despite their thoughts about that, the adults bring the boys to the Museum of Tolerance to learn about tolerance of minorities or those with different life choices, though they hypocritically attack a nearby smoker with verbal abuse. Garrison, annoyed that no one has complained about his actions, steps up his campaign to get fired by shoving Lemmiwinks, the class gerbil, into Mr. Slave's rectum, an act called gerbilling.

The boys mention their discomfort to Chef, the only adult who believes them, who in turn reports Garrison's actions to Principal Victoria, but ends up being sent to a "tolerance seminar". Stan, Kyle, Cartman (who still has Kenny's soul trapped inside him) and Butters refuse to attend class, so their parents send them to an Auschwitz-like "tolerance camp" (it is unclear if this is the same camp that Chef was sent to) which uses arts and crafts such as finger painting and painful labor to teach children tolerance, under the eyes of the camp warden. Back at the Museum of Tolerance, Garrison is to receive the "Courageous Teacher Award" for overcoming adversity. Still frustrated at not being fired, Garrison goes all out at the ceremony in an extremely flamboyant and stereotypically gay manner (humming Ferde Grofé's "On the Trail" from the Grand Canyon Suite )[ citation needed ]. Although the parents finally understand what their kids were telling them about and are indeed shocked at Garrison's behavior, they still cannot bring themselves to criticize it, as they fear being branded "intolerant". When the people continue to call Garrison and Mr. Slave "courageous" for their actions, Garrison finally breaks down and shouts at them, saying that "tolerating something does not mean that you have to like it". He goes on to say that tolerating his homosexuality should not mean that he can do things which are obviously inappropriate in front of his students and begs to be fired so that he can collect on a discrimination lawsuit, but Principal Victoria says that she has a "better idea".

The parents hurry to collect their malnourished and emaciated kids from the tolerance camp, but still fail to realize that they tried to tell them about Garrison's behavior. Principal Victoria concludes that Garrison and Mr. Slave are intolerant of their own sexual identities, and reveals that her "better idea" is to send them to the tolerance camp so that they will accept themselves. As the outside events occur, Lemmiwinks traverses the regions of Mr. Slave's digestive system, receiving advice from three animal spirits – the Frog King, Sparrow Prince and Catatafish. The journey is accompanied by songs that parody those used in the 1977 Rankin/Bass version of The Hobbit . [1] As Mr. Slave arrives at the tolerance camp, he coughs up Lemmiwinks. The spirits, now free from Mr. Slave's gut, appear before Lemmiwinks and crown him "The Gerbil King". He exits the scene with the "Ballad of Lemmiwinks" playing over the credits. [2]

Production

"The Death Camp of Tolerance" was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker. By this point in the series' sixth season, the show had followed a story arc involving the death of Kenny ("Kenny Dies"), and several other tangents, among those Mr. Garrison's move to teaching kindergarten. [3] Parker and co-creator Matt Stone began their attempts to return the show to normalcy, with Mr. Garrison's return to being the children's teacher in this episode. [3]

The staff at the studio found the subplot involving the Lemmiwinks ridiculous; Parker recalled watching an animatic and him and Stone being the only ones laughing, while the others sat and stared. [3] The animation crew viewed the sequences as temporary, until Parker informed them that they would be in the final episode. [3] Although few besides the creators found the episode humorous during production, Stone later recalled receiving calls from friends who found the subplot funny, while also remarking, "That's the most fucked up thing I’ve ever seen." [4] The character and plot line originated as a spoof of The Lord of the Rings and its primary protagonist, Frodo Baggins, whom Parker and Stone found a very ineffective and pointless main character. [4] Lemmiwinks was originally a squirrel in a possible live-action Lord of the Rings parody the duo scrapped. Despite this, a mention of a fictitious program revolving around the Lemmiwinks was mentioned in a 2001 episode of the duo's live action series That's My Bush! . [3]

The character of Mr. Slave, who is introduced in this episode, is the voice of South Park staffer John Hansen. The voice originated in conversations with Parker and Stone as an arbitrary, stereotypical homosexual voice. [3]

Reception

In 2010, The Daily Telegraph mentioned the episode as a moment in which the series solidified its form, writing, "The episode contains all the ingredients that have helped to transform South Park into the funniest, cleverest, most corrosive and watchable satire on television." [5] According to the paper, "some fans still regard [it] as the greatest episode." [5]

Lemmiwinks, alongside The Frog King, The Sparrow Prince and The Catatafish, later appear in the fifteenth season episode "Bass to Mouth" (2011) as well as the 2014 video game South Park: The Stick of Truth . [1] [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Marsh</span> Main character of the animated television series South Park

Stanley "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the adult animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the series' four central characters, along with Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick. He debuted on television when South Park first aired on August 13, 1997, after having first appeared in The Spirit of Christmas shorts created by Parker and long-time collaborator Matt Stone in 1992 and 1995.

Mr. Herbert Garrison is a fictional character and occasional antagonist featured in the American animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Garrison first appeared in South Park's pilot episode, "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe", which aired on August 13, 1997.

"Gnomes" is the seventeenth and penultimate episode of the second season of the American animated television series South Park. The 30th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on December 16, 1998. The episode was written by series co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Pam Brady, and directed by Parker. This episode marks the first appearance of Tweek Tweak and his parents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Mackey</span> South Park character

Mr. Mackey Jr. is a fictional character in the adult animated television series South Park. He is voiced by series co-creator Trey Parker and debuted in the season one episode "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo". The school counselor at South Park Elementary, he is best known for saying "m'kay" at the end of most of his sentences.

"Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina" is the first episode in the ninth season of the American animated television series South Park. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 9, 2005. In the episode, Mr. Garrison undergoes sex reassignment surgery after feeling that he is a "woman trapped in a man's body". Garrison's operation inspires Kyle and his father Gerald to undergo cosmetic surgery themselves, as Kyle becomes a tall black boy and Gerald fulfills his childhood dream of becoming a dolphin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weight Gain 4000</span> 3rd episode of the 1st season of South Park

"Weight Gain 4000" is the third episode of the first season of the American animated television series South Park. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on August 27, 1997. In the episode, the residents of South Park excitedly prepare for a visit by celebrity Kathie Lee Gifford, whom the boys' third-grade teacher Mr. Garrison plans to assassinate because of a childhood grudge. In the meantime, Cartman becomes extremely obese after constantly eating a bodybuilding supplement called Weight Gain 4000.

"Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American animated sitcom South Park. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on September 3, 1997. The episode was written by series co-founders Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and directed by Parker. In this episode, Stan's dog, Sparky, is revealed to be gay after humping a rival male dog. Under peer pressure, Stan tries to make him more masculine, and as a result, Sparky runs away and ends up at Big Gay Al's Big Gay Animal Sanctuary. Stan comes to understand homosexuality and tries to make everyone in South Park accept it.

"An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American animated television series South Park. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on September 10, 1997. In the episode, the boys of South Park try to force Kyle Broflovski's pet elephant to crossbreed with Eric Cartman's pet pig for a class project on genetic engineering. Meanwhile, Stan Marsh tries to deal with his elder sister Shelley, who keeps beating him up.

"Death" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American animated television series South Park. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on September 17, 1997. In the episode, Grandpa Marvin tries to convince Stan to kill him, while the parents of South Park protest the crude cartoon Terrance and Phillip. Death himself arrives to kill Kenny, and presents a warning to Grandpa Marvin against forcing others to help him commit suicide.

"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.

"Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 39th episode of the series overall. The episode is the second part of The Meteor Shower Trilogy, and centers upon third grader Stan Marsh and his father Randy. It premiered on Comedy Central on July 21, 1999.

"Tom's Rhinoplasty" is the eleventh episode of the first season of the American animated television series South Park. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on February 11, 1998. In the episode, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick become infatuated with the new substitute teacher Ms. Ellen, which highly aggravates Stan's girlfriend Wendy Testaburger. Meanwhile, Mr. Garrison gets a nose job that makes him resemble actor David Hasselhoff.

"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.

Chef (<i>South Park</i>) Fictional character from South Park

Jerome Nigel McElroy, often referred to as "The Chef" or simply "Chef", is a recurring fictional character on the Comedy Central series South Park who was voiced by Isaac Hayes. A cafeteria worker at the local elementary school in the town of South Park, Colorado, Chef is generally portrayed as more intelligent than the other adult residents of the town, and understanding to the children. His advice is often sought by the show's core group of child protagonists—Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick—as he is the only adult they completely trust. Chef frequently gives completely honest advice without considering whether it is appropriate for children, usually in the non sequitur form of a lascivious soul song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Park Is Gay!</span> 8th episode of the 7th season of South Park

"South Park Is Gay!" is the eighth episode of the seventh season and the 104th overall episode of the American animated sitcom South Park. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 22, 2003. In the episode, Kyle struggles to understand a new metrosexual fad that has sprung around the men and boys of South Park and is the only one who does not want to conform to it. The episode features a parody of the TV show, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

Liane Cartman, formerly known as Carol Cartman, is a fictional character in the adult animated television series South Park. She is the single mother of main character Eric, who raises him in the fictional town of South Park, Colorado. Liane is considered one of the more prominent parents of all the South Park parents, as she makes many appearances throughout the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset</span> 12th episode of the 8th season of South Park

"Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" is the twelfth episode in the eighth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 123rd episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on December 1, 2004. The episode was written and directed by series co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The episode parodies Paris Hilton and sex tapes made by celebrities.

<i>South Park</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of South Park, an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, began airing on March 6, 2002. The sixth season concluded after 17 episodes on December 11, 2002. The sixth season is the first and only season of South Park to not feature Kenny McCormick as a main character, as his sole appearance in the season is extremely brief in the final moments of the season finale.

"Bass to Mouth" is the tenth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 219th episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 19, 2011. Much of the episode's plot alludes to WikiLeaks and its surrounding controversy.

References

  1. 1 2 Haske, Steve (March 9, 2014). ""Stick Of Truth" Preparation: South Park Episodes You Need To Watch". Complex . Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  2. ↑ ""South Park" The Death Camp of Tolerance (2002)". South Park Studios. 20 November 2002. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Parker, Trey (October 2005). South Park: The Complete Sixth Season: "The Death Camp of Tolerance" (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment. Audio commentary.
  4. 1 2 Stone, Matt (October 2005). South Park: The Complete Sixth Season: "The Death Camp of Tolerance" (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment. Audio commentary.
  5. 1 2 Delingpole, James (May 3, 2010). "South Park: The most dangerous show on television?". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ McGee, Ryan (October 19, 2011). "South Park: "Bass to Mouth"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved March 7, 2022.
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.