| "Dances with Smurfs" | |
|---|---|
| South Park episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 13 Episode 13 |
| Directed by | Trey Parker |
| Written by | Trey Parker |
| Production code | 1313 |
| Original air date | November 11, 2009 |
"Dances with Smurfs" is the thirteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 194th overall episode of the series, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 11, 2009. In the episode, Eric Cartman becomes the reader of the elementary school announcements, and starts making politically charged accusations against student body president Wendy Testaburger. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States.
"Dances with Smurfs" serves as a parody of the political commentary style of Glenn Beck, a nationally syndicated radio show host and former Fox News Channel pundit. The episode also satirizes the 2009 20th Century Fox/James Cameron film Avatar, suggesting the plot of that film borrows heavily from the 1990 Orion Pictures/Kevin Kostner film Dances with Wolves in that they both follow indigenous tribes being invaded by colonizers, and comparing the Na'vi from Avatar to the cartoon Smurfs due to both having blue skin. It also includes references to the Tea Party protests, radio personality Casey Kasem, and former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
The episode received generally positive reviews. According to Nielsen ratings, "Dances with Smurfs" was seen by 1.47 million households among viewers aged between 18 and 34.