"With Apologies to Jesse Jackson" | |
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South Park episode | |
Episode no. | Season 11 Episode 1 |
Directed by | Trey Parker |
Written by | Trey Parker |
Featured music | "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed |
Production code | 1101 |
Original air date | March 7, 2007 |
"With Apologies to Jesse Jackson" is the Season 11 episode 1 of the American animated television series South Park, and the 154th overall episode of the series. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 7, 2007, and was rated TV-MA-L. In the episode, Randy says the word niggers on the real-life game show Wheel of Fortune, leading to widespread public outrage. Stan attempts to understand the epithet's impact on his black friend Tolkien. Meanwhile, a man with dwarfism has a hard time trying to teach Cartman to be sensitive.
Parker and Stone had long wanted to create an episode exploring the racial slur, but struggled with a plot line beyond its opening scene. They subsequently found it easier to work on following comedian Michael Richards' controversy, in which he screamed the slur at hecklers.
Despite the uncensored frequent usage of the racial slur, the episode attracted very little media attention. Parents Television Council founder L. Brent Bozell criticized the lack of protest against the episode. The episode was critically acclaimed by contemporary television critics, who praised the episode's humor and storyline. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by 2.8 million viewers the week it was broadcast. "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson" was released on DVD along with the rest of the eleventh season on August 12, 2008.