It Hits the Fan

"It Hits the Fan" is episode 66, or the first aired episode (second in sequence, with Scott Tenorman Must Die being the first episode in sequence, which was delayed for several weeks) of the fifth season of the animated series South Park. It originally aired on June 20, 2001. It is best known for its repeated use of the word shit. (To be precise, the word is used 162 times: a counter in the corner of the screen tallies the repetitions.) The episode questions whether there is an empty significance to taboo words and ridicules the relationship between television networks that use shock and the viewers that are predictably captivated. ABC's NYPD Blue, a show known for controversial network television firsts, is specifically parodied within the episode when a show named Cop Drama on "HBC" first introduces uncensored "shit". The creators of the show argued that they were angry because "if a drama or a serious show breaks the boundaries, it's 'bold' and 'artistic', but if a comedy show (like theirs) tries it, it's just stupid. or shitty. or bullshit."

A sub-plot in the episode revolves around Mr. Garrison's ability to say the word fag due to his outing as a homosexual; all other characters who say "fag", excluding Jimbo, are censored.

Executives at Comedy Central felt the profanity was justified by context and decided to allow the uncensored episode to air, which surprised even the show's developers. Despite broadcasting a record setting amount of profanity, little controversy was stirred by the airing. Co-creator Matt Stone explained the passive passage by citing changing cultural standards, "No one cares anymore...The standards are almost gone. No one gives a shit or a bullshit."

This episode made #8 on the list of "10 South Parks That Changed The World."

Plot
Kyle has tickets to go to The Lion King, but Cartman tells him that the HBC crime show Cop Drama was going to use the word shit. This leads to widespread acceptance of the word, even in schools, causing people to say it constantly, in casual and often illogical conversation. An example would be when Mr. Garrison randomly sang "Shitty, shitty, fag, fag" to the tune of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang after he realized he could say shit and fag (because he is homosexual). People start spewing up their intestines, so action is taken—the boys ask Chef to take them into the HBC Head Office to sort it out. Research proves that the word is actually a literal "curse(d) word," and its constant utterance has caused a resurgence of the bubonic plague. A special live event, Must Shit TV, also called The Night of a Million Shits, in which episodes of existing shows are taped live with almost every word of dialogue replaced with the word shit, goes ahead anyway until the boys come back and tell everyone that curse words are actually cursed. However, by this point the word has been said enough to awaken a demonic dragon named Geldon (with a voice just like Cartman's; Cartman comments, "Man, what a stupid voice"), which Kyle destroys with an ancient magical tablet belonging to a knight in the mystical Order of Standards & Practices. The moral of the story is not that saying shit is wrong per se, but saying it in excess leads to a curse on the world.

Trivia

 * On episode information listings via satellite and cable television receivers, the title of this episode appeared as "Cartman Says..." on this episode's debut.
 * The first American network show to use the word "shit" was the CBS hospital drama Chicago Hope. Very little negative publicity resulted of the use of the word because it was in an appropriate context.
 * The song Mr. Garrison sings is a reference to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
 * Mee krob is actually a Thai dish.
 * Occurrences of the word "shit" not spoken, but rather written, are not counted on the counter. There are 38 visual occurrences of the word, thereby putting the count up to an even 200 "shits".
 * When the old man is reading from the book about ancient curses, the writing resembles the elvish runes and characters J.R.R. Tolkien created as backstory for Silmarillion/The Hobbit/LOTR.
 * The first airing of this episode jokingly censored the sounds of things like gunshots and people falling out of windows. For subsequent airings, the sound effects were re-inserted.
 * This episode has two scenes that break the fourth wall. The first with Mr. Garrison explaining to the kindergarteners why he can say "fag". He says, "On television they usually don't allow 'fag.' But because I'm gay, it's alright." The second scene is at the bar when Mr. Garrison explains to the guys that you can't say "fag" unless you're gay. When Randy and the others (except Jimbo) say it, they're aware of being censored, stating, quote, "You didn't get beeped." implying that they were aware of the beeping sound commonly used to censor profanity on television. The concept seems to be dropped in "The F-word" as everyone can say "fag" without being bleeped.
 * Dispite the fact that Jimbo, Garrison, and Big Gay Al can get away with the word "fag," other characters have managed to say the word without the word getting beeped such as Cartman, Kyle, Grandpa Marsh, and possibly Kenny (though Kenny is often used to get words past the censors, so this may be justified). Plus there are subtile hints of Cartman's homosexuality and this would be proof enough.
 * Despite the fact that Butters is afraid of getting in trouble, he is seen tagging a building with his name, which is considered vandalism and thus would get him arrested.
 * The word "shit" is said 162 times in this episode and is listed as one of the "ten South Parks that changed the world" at number 8.

Kenny's death
Kenny dies from the Bubonic Plague, which causes him to vomit out his intestines.

Hidden Visitor(s)
If you look at the wall to Merlin's right shoulder.

Quotes
Cartman: Wow, this is gonna be great! A whole new word!

Kyle: It's not new!! I'm gonna look "shit" up in the encyclopedia and prove it!!

Cartman: Don't mind Kyle, everyone, he's just got a little sand in his vagina.

Kyle: THERE'S NO SAND IN MY VAGINA!!!

Ms. Choksondik: Boys, watch your language! Shit!

Cartman: Oh my god... guys, come and look at this![they huddle around the book Cartman is looking at]According to this book, Nancy Drew was walking on the beach and she got sand trapped in her shoe. This may explain how Kyle got sand trapped in his Vagina.

Randy: Ng-aah, that word's kind of getting old. It's not really... funny anymore.

Man 7: Yeah, they're gonna have to come up with a new swear word soon.

Mr. Garrison: Well, they can't use "fag." Because you can't say "fag" unless you're a homosexual.

Randy: Really? So we can't say __g?

Mr. Garrison: No. See, you got beeped.

Man 7: You mean you have to be a __g to say __g?

Mr. Garrison: That's right.

Jimbo: Hell, that's not fair! I should be able to say "fag." [realizes he wasn't beeped]

Randy: ...Hey, you didn't get beeped.

Jimbo: Uh oh.

Mr. Garrison: Well, well well. Guess we learned somethin' new about you, Jimbo, you frickin' fag. You wanna make out or something?

Reference

 * Rutenburg, Jim (June 25, 2001). "'South Park' Takes Gross to New Frontier". The New York Times, Section C; Column 5; Business/Financial Desk; Pg. 9