The Entity (South Park)

"The Entity" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and 76th episode of the series overall. "The Entity" originally aired in the United States on November 21, 2001 on Comedy Central. This episode introduces Kyle's cousin Kyle. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have stated the story was inspired by the Segway PT and the general chaotic nature of airports at the time of the production, shortly following 9/11.^[1]

Plot

Kyle's cousin, Kyle Schwartz from Connecticut, comes to live in South Park due to his mother's ailing health back at home. While Kyle was initially excited about seeing his cousin for the first time, he is baffled to see that his cousin is none other than an overly stereotyped version of a Jew, wearing his hair in a style similar to Woody Allen, and has a lot of irritating characteristics (for example: he is constantly complaining about everything, highly sensitive to the dryness of the air, allergic to most meats excluding fish, and metaphorically penny-pinching). To make matters worse for Kyle, he is nicknamed "Kyle 2" by his mother and his cousin is still called "Kyle". Kyle is told by his mother to take care of his cousin. Kyle, fearing that Cartman, a staunch anti-Semite, will "tear this kid apart", attempts to bribe Cartman with $40 to not make fun of him. Cartman, in an attempt to earn the bribe, struggles to avoid mocking Kyle's cousin, only to blow it spectacularly when he makes a "concentration camp" joke in class (after Kyle's cousin had been told to "concentrate" by Mrs. Choksondik). The boys, especially Kyle (who fears that he might turn into a stereotype just like his cousin) eventually decide that Kyle's cousin is just way too irritating to live in South Park with them. Much of the episode proceeds to have the boys make constant attempts to get rid of Kyle Schwartz, by tying him to the back of a bus to Connecticut while on a sled, tricking him onto a plane to Antarctica (at which point Kenny is mistaken for a terrorist and shot through the head) and sending him into the forest. However, Kyle's cousin always finds a way to come back to South Park, each time proclaiming "I'm back!" (as for instance, a bear from the forest brings him back home, instead of eating him).

John Travolta riding "IT"

Meanwhile, Mr. Garrison, annoyed and fed up with the inefficient and frustrating airline check-ins since 9/11, decides to invent his own vehicle. Inspired by watching Enrique Iglesias' sexualized singing on TV and by a gyroscope sitting next to him on his deck, he invents the gyroscope-powered monowheel "IT". According to Mr. Garrison, "IT" can "go up to two hundred miles per hour, and gets three hundred miles to the gallon". The only problem is that "IT" is controlled through a quite painful and unappealing method; using four "flexi-grip handles" that somewhat resemble erect penises; two held in the hands, one in the mouth, and a fourth handle which is inserted into the anus. It also transpires that the vehicle can be operated with buttons too, making the phallus-like controls an unnecessary discomfort. Garrison invites many important investors such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Yasmine Bleeth to see how "IT" works. Despite this unorthodox control mechanism (which is easily frowned upon by the citizens of South Park), "IT" is still considered better than dealing with the airlines and Garrison's creation is a smashing success. Even aviation enthusiast John Travolta agrees that "IT" beats dealing with the airline companies. The airport is now fully deserted and yet the airline industry's inefficiency is, if anything, amplified by the lack of people in the airport.

Unfortunately, things go downhill when the government decides to bail out the airlines from going under because of "IT". To ensure the airlines' dominance as a mode of transport and the job security of everyone working for it, the government ends up outlawing "IT" and deems using it a criminal act, even though (according to Garrison's protests and even admitted by one of the arresting agents) it's the airline industry's own fault that they are doing so badly. A disappointed and outraged Garrison throws a tantrum, with his "IT" store entirely out of stock. As a result, Kyle's cousin, who turns out to have invested in "IT", gets a $5 million bailout payment and decides to return home to Connecticut to take care of his sick mother. After hearing of this great fortune, the boys suddenly change their plan and try to convince him to stay with them, but he rejects them for being such "douchebags" and "stereotypical rednecks". As he leaves, the boys are left heartbroken that they'll never get a share of his fortune, a despair that Cartman blames Kyle on, as he ends the episode with the quote "Good job, Jew!".

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Entity

• "The Entity" Episode guide at South Park Studios
• "The Entity" Full episode at South Park Studios
• "The Entity" at the Internet Movie Database