"Tsst" is the seventh episode in the
tenth season of the American animated television series ''
South Park''. The 146th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy program ...
in the United States on May 3, 2006. In the episode,
Liane Cartman
Liane Marie 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 mor ...
has problems controlling
her son
''Her Son'' is a 1920 British silent drama film directed by Walter West and starring Violet Hopson, Stewart Rome and Mercy Hatton. It was based on the 1907 novel ''Her Son'' by Horace Annesley Vachell.
Cast
* Violet Hopson - Dorothy Fairfax ...
, and enlists several
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
shows to help with his problematic behavior.
Plot
After Cartman gets into trouble at school for forcing another student into a ''
Saw''-esque situation for mocking his weight, Liane admits that she cannot control her son anymore. She turns to
Nanny 911
''Nanny 911'' is a reality television show in the United States, which originally aired on Fox from 2004 to 2007.
On February 27, 2008, Fox announced that it sold the rights to ''Nanny 911'' (as well as its partnered Fox show, ''Trading Spouses ...
and
Supernanny
''Supernanny'' is a British reality television programme about parents struggling with their children's behaviour, mealtime, potty training, etc. The show features professional nanny Jo Frost, who devotes each episode to helping a family wher ...
, but their attempts to change Cartman's behavior are unsuccessful, with Cartman psychologically harassing
Nanny Stella about her decision to not have children and
Jo Frost ending up in a
mental hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociati ...
, sobbing and
eating her own excrement while shouting "It's from
Hell!".
Desperate, Liane turns to
Cesar Millan
César Felipe Millán Favela (; ; born August 27, 1969) is a Mexican-American dog trainer. He is widely known for his Emmy-nominated television series ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan'', which was produced from 2004 to 2012 and is broadcast in ...
, the Dog Whisperer. Instead of treating Cartman as a human child, Millan uses
dog training
Dog training is the application of behavior analysis which uses the environmental events of antecedents (trigger for a behavior) and consequences to modify the dog behavior, either for it to assist in specific activities or undertake particular ...
techniques which prove highly effective, leaving Cartman intensely frustrated. Cartman's behavior improves after a while, although he feels he cannot control his actions. As Liane enjoys her more flexible lifestyle, Cartman plots to
kill his mother, although the changes he underwent prevent him from executing his plan.
With Cartman's behavior in check, Millan returns for a final visit. Liane thanks and invites him on an outing, which he declines because he sees her as a client, not a friend. Dismayed at being turned down, Liane asks her son (who was previously her friend) to join her on the outing. After he refuses, she persuades Cartman to spend time with her, saying he can have anything he wishes; this makes Cartman return to normal as the episode ends with a shot of him having an unsettling smile on his face, while ominous music is heard playing.
Reception
''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa dist ...
''s Eric Goldman gave the episode a score of 8.0 out of 10, writing "While not among the terrific episodes that began the season, this was a very fun installment of the show, and a nice spotlight on Cartman and what it might take to finally make him obey."
Jordan B. Peterson
Jordan Bernt Peterson (born 12 June 1962) is a Canadian media personality, clinical psychologist, author, and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. He began to receive widespread attention as a public intellectual in the late 2010s ...
praised the episode, calling it a brilliant exposition of a
Freud
Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts ...
ian
Oedipal situation. When asked if he was offended by his caricature on the episode, Cesar Millan stated that he thought it and the entire episode was "fantastic".
Cultural references
There are numerous references to popular American
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
programs. Of the most prominent, shows such as ''
Nanny 911
''Nanny 911'' is a reality television show in the United States, which originally aired on Fox from 2004 to 2007.
On February 27, 2008, Fox announced that it sold the rights to ''Nanny 911'' (as well as its partnered Fox show, ''Trading Spouses ...
'' and ''
Supernanny
''Supernanny'' is a British reality television programme about parents struggling with their children's behaviour, mealtime, potty training, etc. The show features professional nanny Jo Frost, who devotes each episode to helping a family wher ...
'' which are both British programs in origin are parodied extensively. Both TV show hosts
Stella Reid and
Jo Frost are portrayed having accentuated British accents and stereotypically
bad teeth. While he reconnects his
console
Console may refer to:
Computing and video games
* System console, a physical device to operate a computer
** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device
** Command-line interface, a method of interacting with ...
with the TV, Cartman sings "
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin' is a song by American rock band Journey. It was released in October 1981 as the second single from the group's seventh studio album, '' Escape'' (1981), released through Columbia Records. "Don't Stop Believin'" shares wri ...
" by
Journey. Unlike the "real" television shows, neither Stella's or Jo's methods of disciplining unruly children work - ultimately forcing an insulted Stella to refuse to work with Cartman, and Jo Frost being admitted to a
psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociat ...
,
eating her own excrement and repeating the phrase "It's from
Hell!" ''
The Dog Whisperer
''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan'' is a reality television series that featured dog trainer Cesar Millan's work with problem dogs. After nine seasons, the series finale aired on September 15, 2012.
Episodes of ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Milla ...
'' is also featured in the episode, along with show host
Cesar Millan
César Felipe Millán Favela (; ; born August 27, 1969) is a Mexican-American dog trainer. He is widely known for his Emmy-nominated television series ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan'', which was produced from 2004 to 2012 and is broadcast in ...
, who, unlike most celebrities that were portrayed on the show, is shown in a more positive light. A
Skeksis
The Skeksis are a fictional species that serves as the main antagonists in the 1982 film ''The Dark Crystal'' and its related franchise. The word "Skeksis" serves as both singular and plural form for this species, with the singular being pronoun ...
from ''
The Dark Crystal
''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and T ...
'' can be seen as one of the nannies. The visual effect of Cartman's angel and devil subconsciousnesses during the part where he almost attempts to kill his mother in her room was a similar reference to the 1997 science-fiction film ''
Contact
Contact may refer to:
Interaction Physical interaction
* Contact (geology), a common geological feature
* Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye
* Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects
* ...
''. The way Cartman changes as he makes his way down the hallway is a direct reference to the 1980
body horror
Body horror or biological horror is a subgenre of horror that intentionally showcases grotesque or psychologically disturbing violations of the human body. These violations may manifest through aberrant sex, mutations, mutilation, zombification, ...
film ''
Altered States
''Altered States'' is a 1980 American science fiction body horror film directed by Ken Russell and based on the novel of the same name by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. The film was adapted from Chayefsky's 1978 novel and is his ...
''.
As the episode ends, the closing shot of Cartman staring towards the viewer is a reference to the closing shot of ''
The Omen
''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer ...
'' (1976).
Home media
"Tsst", along with the thirteen other episodes from ''South Park''s tenth season, was released on a three-disc DVD set in the United States on August 21, 2007. The set includes brief audio commentaries by series co-creators
Trey Parker
Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Matt Stone. P ...
and
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating '' South Park'' (since 1997) and '' The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Trey Parker. Stone was inte ...
for each episode.
References
External links
"Tsst"Full episode at South Park Studios
*
{{South Park episodes, 10
South Park (season 10) episodes