The F Word

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"The F Word"
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Episode no.	Season 13 Episode 12
Production no.	1312
Original airdate	November 4, 2009
Episode chronology Previous Next "Whale Whores" "Dances With Smurfs"
List of all South Park episodes

"The F Word" is the twelfth episode of the thirteenth season of the animated television series South Park. It aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 4, 2009.

Spoiler warning! Plot details follow.

Synopsis

South Park is getting an increased number of Harley Riders in the town and decides that they are the true meaning of the word "Fag".

Plot

While trying to enjoy a nice quiet day to themselves, the boys as well as the citizens of South Park grow increasingly more troubled and annoyed by a large group of Harley-Davidson Riders who are frequently driving throughout the town on their motorcycles causing as much noise as possible. The riders it turns out are attention whores who deliberately drive around town loudly under the false assumption that the loud noise and obnoxioius behavior it will cause people to think that they are cool. Their desire for attention is so intense, that they even start making the engine sounds with their mouths when not riding their bikes and still doing so when they are. Finally fed up, Cartman confronts the bikers and informs them that no one thinks they're cool, but instead thinks that they are total faggots.

The bikers refusing to believe this, drive around town only to be called fags again by every child they come across, including Ike Broflovski. Unable to comprehend why the kids wouldn't think they cool, the leader of the Riders, come to the realization that kids nowadays are surrounded by loud things all the time and they just have to turn up the noise. As such, they trick-out their motorcycles with anything that can make loud obnoxious sounds, ranging from horns to live chickens to make their rides louder. This pushed the boys into taking action, and along with Clyde, Token Butters and Jimmy assemble to plot out how to take-down the Harley Riders. Butters however is confused that the boys would want to do such a thing, as he himself wants to be a Harley Rider in the hopes of getting attention for himself. Stan immediately dismisses Butters, and they continue with their planning process. While Stan and Kyle intend to spray paint "Fags get out" on several buildings around town, Cartman along with Clyde's help plans defecating on all their bike seats using nothing but some K.F.C. The final touch to Cartman's plan involves planting little flags in them that call the Riders "Fags".

The plan works in making the Riders uncomfortable, but it has an inadvertent affect on the gay population, as Big Gay Al and Mr. Slave see the "Fags get out" messages and assume it was aimed at homosexuals. The school board, the Mayor, and local homosexuals become outraged by the graffiti and take it as an homophobic message. The Mayor address South Park Elemetary for answers, and the boys admit to being responsible which shocks the adults. However, the boys explain that their use of the word Fag was not aimed at homosexuals, but rather the Harley Riders citing "You can be gay and not a fag."

The boys push to town hall to recognize the word, "fag", is used nowadays for a contemptible and inconsiderate person who normally rides a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and 'bike-curious' refers to someone who doesn't own a Harley but wants to. The city leaders find the boy's argument to make a lot of sense, and even the gay community, led by Big Gay All, supports the boys, resulting in an ordinance being passed in South Park allowing for the word to be used differently. Unfortunately the decision is met with negative publicity from the rest of the nation, who say that as long as the word still defines homosexuals in the dictionary then they are just going to be seen as anti-progressive and homophobic.

Facing pressure from the mayor, the boys decide to push to update the term with the help of the English Dictionary Officiates which is led by Emmanuel Lewis. An event is held in town, but the Harley-Davidson riders who are furious at being called fags and do not want the word to be officially associated with them riders, come together and riot to crash the event, trying to stop the change. After having inflicted a lot of damage to the town and scaring off the citizens, they corner the boys in an alley. The threateningly ask the boys if they still think them to be fags, to which the frighten boys say "yes, you are complete fags", not understanding that the whole point of the riot was to convince them otherwise. The boys are confused that the Harley Riders don't want to be called fags but are behaving like them. Butters then steps forward to try and explain the beauty of being a Harley Rider, but it has little affect on the boys, leading the Riders to prepare to kill them. Thankfully the South Park's gay men advocates step in and turn their shotguns on the Riders ordering them leave the boys alone and get out of town. In the end, the riders ultimately accept to be called "fags", attempting to claim it as a badge of honor rather than an insult.

Emmanuel Lewis, badly injured from the riot, declares to have the definition changed. The town rejoices and celebrates, and the show cuts to the updated definition of "fag", which reads: "Fag (făg) n. 1. An extremely annoying, inconsiderate person most commonly associated with Harley riders. 2. A person who owns or frequently rides a Harley."

Trivia

• The use of characters making noise while riding was also included in Season 8's "Pre-School," where the sixth graders make the same sounds while riding their bicycles.
• Father Maxi holding the sign that says "God hates fags" is a reference to the Westboro Baptist Church.
• Damien is seen in the school hall.
• The concept of the whole "you can't say fag unless you're homosexual" from "It Hits the Fan" business seems to be dropped in this episode for a unknown reason, likely because it's not being used to refer to homosexuality anymore.
• This episode reveals that Ted really did die in Night of the Living Homeless since he is not seen in this episode (at one point you see just the Mayor McDaniels with the children and Johnson)
• The scene were the news reporter gets beaten up by the Harley Riders is a parody of Jim Rome referring to Jim Everette as "Chris Evert"
• This marks Big Gay Al's first appearance since Follow That Egg! from season 9.
• The New York Times quickly issued an editorial which, while acknowledging the logic of the effort to change the meaning of the term "fag," was nevertheless critical of the episode.

Goofs

• When Cartman admits that he and the boys were responsible for writing "Fags Get Out" all over town, Clyde looks shocked, despite being involved in the planning process with the other boys.
• By the time the boys say, "Everyone hates those fags, right?" Butters is seen agreeing with the crowd, although he has said that he wanted a Harley when he grew up.
• There are three Kevins sitting in the school hall.

"[[Whale Whores]]"

"The F Word"

"[[Dances With Smurfs]]"