Christian Rock Hard
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| South Park episode | |
| "Christian Rock Hard" | |
| Image:709 Christian Rock Hard---Album Cover.jpg | |
| Episode no. | 105 |
|---|---|
| Airdate | October 29, 2003 |
| South Park - Season 7 March 19, 2003 – December 17, 2003 | |
| | |
| ← Season 6 | Season 8 → |
| | |
| List of all South Park episodes | |
"Christian Rock Hard" is episode 709 of Comedy Central's South Park. It originally aired on October 29, 2003.
[edit] Plot
When the other boys kick Cartman out of their band, "Moop", for suggesting that they play Christian rock, Cartman forms his own group to make music for Jesus not for spiritual rewards, but to profit from the wide audience for this kind of music. Cartman and Kyle bet each other $10 that their respective band will be the first to go platinum by selling one million records.
Stan, Kyle and Kenny, seeking "inspiration", decide to download music from the Internet (because CDs are too expensive) and they are arrested for illegal downloading. The police chief shows them the consequences of downloading. Musicians like Lars Ulrich (drummer of metal band Metallica) and Britney Spears are so affected by loss of income from music piracy must substitute merely extremely luxurious purchases for preposterously extravagant ones. As budding musicians, Moop decides to go on strike until fans stop downloading, and are joined by a large number of pop and rock stars.
Meanwhile, Cartman, Butters and Token (who, according to Cartman, can play bass because he is black) have rocketed to the top of the Christian rock charts, with Cartman simply tweaking the lyrics of love ballads to include Jesus' name.
Their band, Faith + 1, soon celebrates the sale of its millionth album. Stan, Kyle and Kenny realize that the satisfaction of having fans should surely be more important to musicians than fighting against fans, who make them popular and come to see their concerts. Moop decides to stop striking, although the other (more famous) musicians decline, saying "sorry, we're all about the money."
At an expensive awards ceremony to celebrate Faith + 1's success, their record label present them with a myrrh album. This means Kyle hasn't lost the bet; Christian record companies only hand out gold, frankincense and myrrh records, so Cartman can never have a platinum album. His frustration leads him to says, "OH, FUCK JESUS!", making the fans scream and flee. Token is mad because Cartman has driven the crowd away. Cartman calls Token a "black asshole" and, driven to breaking point, Token beats Cartman up and walks away. The boys feel that Cartman got what he deserved and leave. As Cartman is on the ground in pain, Butters tops it off by farting in his face, giving him the finger and saying "Fuck you, Eric."
[edit] Trivia
- Stan, Kyle, and Kenny's downloading of free music (and subsequent "arrest") is a reference to the Napster case before the company was shut down.
- The name of Cartman's band, Faith + 1, is likely a parody of Christian boy band Plus One.
- The lyrics to the songs that Cartman writes express physical love (eros), rather than spiritual love (agape) for Jesus. According to the commentary for this episode, the creators expressed that at one point they wanted to make a Christian rock band which expressed physical love for Jesus.
- The fact that the episode suggests illegal downloading is OK reflects the genuine belief of the creators, who have no problem with episodes of the show being downloaded. [1]
- Cartman is seen writing lyrics on his hand while on a bus listening to music, like in the movie 8 Mile starring Eminem.
- Cartman's prime example of a successful Christian rock band is Creed. However, Creed's lead singer Scott Stapp denied that Creed was a Christian rock band.
- Bands and artists joining Moop's strike are, among others, Rancid, Ozzy Osbourne, Meat Loaf, Master P, Blink-182, Metallica, Britney Spears, Missy Elliot, Alanis Morissette and The Lords of the Underworld.
- In real life Christian artists can indeed receive platinum albums.
- After the photograph of Faith + 1 is taken to serve as the cover of their CD, the positions of Butters and Token are reversed in all subsequent shots.
- In the commentary for this episode Matt and Trey remark that this is probably the first time on tv that "fuck Jesus" was ever said, even though it was censored. Although, in the episode Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics Santa says "fuck you Jesus."
- The song that Cartman sings at Christfest ("I love you, Jesus") has the same basic melody as "You Almost Make Me Forget About Tacos" from Fat Butt and Pancake Head.
- This is one of the few times that Butters speaks profanity opposed to using another word.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by: "South Park Is Gay!" | South Park episodes | Followed by: "Grey Dawn" |
