The Biggest Douche in the Universe
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| South Park episode | |
| "The Biggest Douche in the Universe" | |
 Cartman is running out of time. |
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| Episode no. | 94 |
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| Airdate | November 27, 2002 |
| South Park - Season 6 March 6, 2002 – December 11, 2002 |
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| ← Season 5 | Season 7 → |
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| List of all South Park episodes | |
"The Biggest Douche in the Universe" is episode 615 of the Comedy Central animated series South Park. It first aired on November 27, 2002 and was the last in a mini-arc depicting Cartman being occasionally possessed by Kenny. The entire episode was centered around the supposedly psychic John Edward, whom the entire crew of South Park Studios agreed to be "the biggest douche in the universe."
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[edit] Plot
Cartman is rushed to the hospital after again being possessed by Kenny. Upon hearing of this, Chef decides to take Cartman to the Crossing Over TV show , and have John Edward talk to Kenny from beyond the grave. Stan, Kyle and Cartman's mother travel to New York to be in the audience. At the show, Edward merely makes uselessly vague statements about Kenny, and advises Kyle that his grandmother wants him to "look for four white birds".
Disappointed with Edward, Chef takes Cartman to his parents in Scotland and have them perform an exorcism. Kyle and Stan are about to fly back to Colorado, but Kyle spots a poster advertising a school named Jewleeard, and decides that since its logo incorporates four white birds, his grandmother's spirit wants him to attend the school, which he promptly does. Stan goes to Edward's house, and asks him to tell Kyle that what he does isn't real. This greatly offends Edward, who insists that he has the special power to communicate with the dead. Annoyed, Stan calls Edward a "douche" causing Edward to lock himself in his panic room. Before Stan leaves Edward's house, he steals four of Edward's books, to learn more about cold reading (and "How to 69 with Yourself").
To persuade Kyle that what Edward does is just a trick, Stan demonstrates cold reading on some passers-by. But this backfires when the crowd believes that Stan has psychic powers, and he is immediately given his own show. Edward becomes jealous at the competition from Stan, and annoyed at Edward, Stan says Edward is the biggest douche in the universe. This prompts Edward to challenge Stan to a psychic showdown.
Meanwhile, Chef's parents successfully exorcise Kenny's spirit from Cartman, but as Chef has not brought a "victim child" into which to transfer the spirit, it flies around their house before occupying a pot roast. Cartman is back to normal, and Chef's parents give him the beef to take back to South Park.
At the psychic showdown, Stan finally convinces Kyle and much of the audience that, although it may be comforting to think of their deceased relatives talking to them, such a fate isn't a particularly desirable one (especially if it means that they have to talk to Edward). Edward himself is still convinced of his powers and that he's special. Suddenly a large spacecraft crashes through the studio roof, and several bizarre-looking occupants emerge, asking for him. Edward is delighted, until he discovers that the aliens are actually the nomination committee for the annual "Biggest Douche in the Universe" awards, and have come to take him to the award ceremony. Once taken there, Edward wins the prize, beating out an alien who is literally a giant douche, and (to his chagrin) he earns much fanfare. In the end, a congratulatory song, saying "You're the Biggest Douche in the Universe" (to the tune of the Miss America pageant theme) plays as the closing credits roll over a picture of Edward.
[edit] Kenny/Rob Schneider's death
Having seen trailers for Rob Schneider's latest comedy vehicles (The Stapler, A Carrot and Da Derp Dee Derp Da Teetley Derpee Derpee Dumb, all rated PG-13), we see Schneider pick up the Pot-Roast at the airport - and when he eats it, he is possessed by Kenny. It is turned into a movie, Kenny.
Kenny "dies" after Rob Schneider is impaled by a flagpole, reminiscent of his death in the episode "Weight Gain 4000".
[edit] Trivia
- On TV Guide and cable listings, the episode is shortened to "The Biggest" in order to keep the listings family-friendly.
- At the time of this episode's original airing, Rob Schneider was about to star in The Hot Chick. The running gag is that all of the fictional trailers follow the same basic plot: an unsuccessful man is somehow transformed, whether it be into an animal, a woman, a stapler, or a carrot. This point was furthered with a trailer clearly showing a plot exactly the same as these, but with almost every word spoken in complete gibberish.
- The term derp that is used in one of the Rob Schneider trailers was invented when South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were shooting the movie BASEketball to describe a stupid joke that you could see a mile away, commenting on their criticism of Schneider's movies. Mr Derp, for example, was the name of Chef's replacement in The Succubus.
- Trey Parker shares the same exact birthday with John Edwards.
- Much like Chef, Chef's parents refer to Cartman as 'children', using the name as a singular noun instead of plural noun.
- The Succubus is also referenced when Chef's mother tries to lure Kenny's disembodied soul out of the house by offering it "tree-fiddy" ($3.50).
- "The Biggest Douche in the Universe", a term used to describe the supposed psychic John Edward, was used again by Penn Jillette in his and Teller's show, Bullshit!
- According to the commentary for this episode, Trey Parker described the creation of the episode as being centered around John Edward who the entire crew of South Park Studios agreed was the biggest douche in the universe. That was until Matt Stone asked the question "Well what about Rob Schneider?" leading to the fictional trailers.
- The books Stan takes from Edward's house are How to be a Psychic!, Cold Reading: The Trick of the Psychic, Make Women Believe You're Psychic: Then Have Sex with Them!, and How to 69 with Yourself.
- The faint appearance of a "visitor" can be seen when the boys go to see Edward's show for the first time. It can be seen between Cartman's mother and Chef when Chef asks John Edward to tell them how to get Kenny out. It even has a third appearance as one of the members of the BDIU nomination committee.
- Several of the things Rob Schneider does when possessed by Kenny is sitting in class, wearing a parka and being impaled by a flagpole. He is also seen having Millie cornered in an alley and is trying to kiss her, implying Kenny has a crush on her.
[edit] References to other works
- After Chef's mother exorcises Kenny's soul from Cartman's body, she says "this child is clean." This is a reference to the movie Poltergeist. However, this betrays the joke of using "children" as a singular word rather than just a plural.
- The song in the closing credits is a parody of the song played for the winner of the Miss America pageant.
- During Stan's first meeting with John Edward, Edward tells Stan to leave or else he'll 'lock himself in his panic room and call the police'.
- The Intergalactic BDIU Committee's ship bears a passing resemblance to the Vulcan ship from Star Trek: First Contact.
- The ship where The Biggest Douche in the Universe awards show is held looks strikingly similar to Boddole Zer's command station ship from Super Dimension Fortress Macross.
- The music played at the very end of this episode, just before the Biggest Douche in the Universe Award Ceremony, is actually the sample played in the Heroes of Might and Magic III computer game. Many other audio samples from this game have been used in South Park episodes.
- When Chef announces that they will be going to New York, Cartman's Mom mentions that Hairspray will be playing there.
[edit] External links
- South Park TV satire.
- South Park TV satire skewers John Edward psychic pretensions from the Skeptical Inquirer
| Preceded by "The Death Camp of Tolerance" |
South Park episodes | Followed by "My Future Self n' Me" |
