W.T.F. (South Park)
| "W.T.F." | |
|---|---|
| South Park episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 13 Episode 10 |
| Directed by | Trey Parker |
| Written by | Trey Parker |
| Production code | 1310 |
| Original air date | October 21, 2009 |
"W.T.F." is the 10th episode of the 13th season of the American animated television series South Park. The 191st overall episode of the series, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 21, 2009. In the episode, the South Park boys form their own backyard wrestling league, drawing droves of fans more interested in the acting and scripted dramatic storylines than athletic elements.
"W.T.F." was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States. The episode parodied several aspects of professional wrestling, highlighting the sport's emphasis on such theatrical elements as costumes, back stories and scripted storylines. The episode demonstrated how amateur wrestling is often afforded less respect due to pro-wrestling, and presents pro-wrestling fans as stereotypical rednecks who believe the scripted drama is real.
"W.T.F." specifically parodies World Wrestling Entertainment and its chairman, Vince McMahon. The episode received generally mixed reviews, with several commentators calling professional wrestling too easy a target for South Park satire. According to Nielsen ratings, "W.T.F." was seen by 1.37 million households among viewers aged between 18 and 49.
After watching a live WWE match between WWE superstars Edge and John Cena at the Pepsi Center and being totally enthralled, Kyle, Stan, Cartman, Kenny, Butters, Jimmy and Token decide to join the school's wrestling team, unaware how different the sport is from professional wrestling. They all feel that the wrestling coach Mr. Connors's teaching of "real wrestling", or "wrassling", is too homoerotic and immediately quit the class to form their own backyard wrestling league called "the Wrestling Takedown Federation" (W.T.F.), much to the frustration of Mr. Connors. The boys' federation relies heavily on theatrical elements and scripted storylines, with such characters as a Russian who belittles Americans, a veteran of the Vietnam War and a girl who has had fourteen abortions. Their audience grows quickly, and consists mostly of rednecks who believe the action is real and the dialogue reflects actual events. As its popularity increases, the federation add an auditorium, complete with proscenium staging and theater-style lighting, to the back of Cartman's house. Soon, the events see the performers reciting dramatic monologues more often than engaging in wrestling and stunt work.
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