"Butterballs" | |
---|---|
South Park episode | |
Episode no. |
Season 16 Episode 5 |
Directed by | Trey Parker |
Written by | Trey Parker |
Production code | 1605 |
Original air date | April 11, 2012 |
"Butterballs" is the fifth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated sitcom South Park, and the 228th episode of the series overall. It aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 11, 2012.
In the episode, an anti-bullying speaker visits South Park Elementary, after which Stan raises awareness about the dangers of bullying by shooting a big dance video, while Butters falls victim to an unlikely bully. The episode satirizes the Cypress Ranch High School anti-bullying lip dub video Who Do U Think U R,Kony 2012 director Jason Russell, the 2011 film Bully, and the anti-bullying movement in general.
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, 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.