South Park: What is Dr. Pepper?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

This episode wasn't bad. Really, it was fairly standard for the series. However, as a season finale, it kinda sucked. Yes, there were spoofs and jokes and the Penn State stuff made it very relevant. But the whole foster-kid thing isn't going to be that memorable. On the one hand, it totally killed the "too soon" thing for making Penn State jokes... it's now pretty much completely acceptable. On the other hand, it's a rather fleeting episode and the Penn State thing won't be remembered in five years by a large chunk of people. Overall, I'm just looking forward to next season.

photo courtesy: Comedy Central

South Park "The Poor Kid" (S15E14): Kenny's watching White Trash in Trouble while his parents and siblings fight. The house is on the show and raided, live, with the children being taken away, and they're seen on the show. The kids are taken to see a therapist, who makes tons of jokes... Penn State, Neverland Ranch, a Catholic Church, etc. [A joke starting "Joe Paterno doesn't walk into a police station" had me going pretty hard though!] The three McCormick kids are brought to a foster home. It's a strict, religious household... of agnostics. [well this has potential!] Dr. Pepper and Diet Dr. Pepper are the only drinks because they're not cola or root beer... nobody knows what they are! [omg how true!] Cartman is working on figuring out who the poorest kid in school is without Kenny.... Cartman's ends up having the lowest income, though he thinks it's Craig at first. Cartman confronts his mother, and he tells her that she needs to bring in more money. [I truly love the scenes where Cartman berates his mother.] She says that she already has two jobs, what more does he want?

Mysterion appears in the night to Kenny's sister, Karen. Cartman calls the police about a meth lab at his place to get himself in a foster home like Kenny. He's dressed to go to Hawaii, since he thinks he can choose where to be fostered. Cartman talks to the therapist and we hear some more jokes. ["At Penn State they like to be a little behind in the locker room" stood out the most.] Cartman is brought to the same foster family as Kenny. They go to the school and there's even poorer kids, which kinda dumbfounds Cartman. He ends up in the principal's office nearly immediately. [anyone surprised? not me!] We hear plenty of "yo mama so poor..." jokes. The case worker is called to school to deal with Cartman.

Karen is being bullied on the playground, so Mysterion shows up and beats up the bully. Karen talks about her "guardian angel" helping her at school, and the agnostic family gets upset. [why are there both cans and bottles of Dr. Pepper on the table?] The kids get blasted with Dr. Pepper from a keg. As punishment. Truth. The case worker shows up with Cartman, and is concerned about the children only being given Dr. Pepper to drink. [nevermind the fact that Cartman is already in trouble at school, LoL.] The parents are distracted by Mysterion while the case worker looks around. The case worker comes across what's going on in the basement (Dr. Pepper torture, you guys) and the parents end up being removed... as white trash in trouble. [... full circle.] The kids are given back to their original parents, and at the end, a giant bird eats Kenny... like the bird that might rule the world, according to the agnostics. [wacky ending.]