South Park Zone - Season 7 - Episode 709 - Christian Rock Hard
Some info and a short description of this South Park episode on South Park Zone:
South Park - Christian Rock Hard is episode 709 of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired on October 29, 2003.
Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman have formed a band called Moop, but disagree on what direction they should take. The disagreement becomes so heated that Cartman bets that he will have a platinum-selling album before Kyle's band does and leaves the band. Seeking inspiration, the remaining members of Moop illegally download some music from the Internet and are busted by the FBI. Moop are told of the serious consequences of illegal downloading.
As a result, Moop decides to go on strike until fans stop downloading illegally and are joined by a large number of pop and rock musicians, including Britney Spears, Ozzy Osbourne, Missy Elliott, Master P, Blink-182, Metallica, Alanis Morissette, Meat Loaf, Rancid and Skylar's band from the season three episode and the season four episode.
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(The complete plot for this South Park Episode)
Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman have formed a band called Moop, but disagree on what direction they should take. The disagreement becomes so heated that Cartman bets that he will have a platinum-selling album before Kyle's band does and leaves the band. Seeking inspiration, the remaining members of Moop illegally download some music from the Internet and are busted by the FBI. Moop are told of the serious consequences of illegal downloading, namely forcing musicians like Lars Ulrich and Britney Spears to lose so much income from music piracy that they must either downgrade their extremely lavish purchases to very-slightly less lavish ones or save up until they can afford all of what they want. As a result, Moop decides to go on strike until fans stop downloading illegally and are joined by a large number of pop and rock musicians, including Britney Spears, Ozzy Osbourne, Missy Elliott, Master P, Blink-182, Metallica, Alanis Morissette, Meat Loaf, Rancid and Skyler's band - Lords of the Underworld from the season three episode "Cat O**y" and the season four episode "Timmy 2000".
Meanwhile, Cartman enlists Butters and Token to form his new band. Realizing that Christian rock is a perennial top seller, Cartman decides that his band, which he has christened Faith + 1, will join the Christian music racket. Cartman builds the band's repertoire by simply taking vague generic pop love ballads and changing references like "baby" to "Jesus". While effective, the band eventually comes under some scrutiny when one of the songs involves more passionate lyrics involving Christ. Cartman manages to manipulate his way out and the band begins to build a huge following.
Before long, Faith + 1 celebrates the sale of its millionth album. By this time, Stan, Kyle and Kenny decide that the satisfaction of having fans should be more important to musicians than fighting against the fans who make them popular and go to see their concerts. They decide that touring still brings in revenue and call off their strike. However, the other musicians do not follow suit, because, according to Britney Spears, "just about the money."
Cartman has spent all the money made from their album on a lavish, extravagant awards ceremony to celebrate Faith + 1's success and specifically to insult Kyle for losing the bet to Cartman. However, Cartman's jubilation is short-lived. As it turns out, Christian record companies only hand out gold, frankincense and myrrh records, so Faith + 1, as Christian artists, will never have a platinum album, meaning that Kyle technically did not lose the bet. Cartman, enraged at this turn of events, destroys the band's myrrh album award and unleashes a stream of blasphemous that causes the horrified fans to flee as all he ever cared about was winning a bet with Kyle.
When Token confronts Cartman for spending every penny of their take, driving away their fans and ending the career of the band, Cartman continues to rant and insults him with crude racist remarks. In response, Token beats up Cartman on the stage before walking away. Feeling that Cartman got what he deserved, Stan, Kenny and Kyle take their leave as well. As Cartman lies on the stage in pain, Butters approaches him meekly. In a surprising show of audacity, Butters farts in Cartman's face, gives him the finger, and mutters "F**k you, Eric", before walking away himself.
I would like to add that in real life, Christian performers can in fact get gold/platinum albums just like any other music genre.