The Ring

South Park Zone
South Park - Season 13 - Episode 1301 - The Ring
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South Park The Ring

"The Ring" is the thirteenth season premiere of the American animated television series South Park, and the 182nd overall episode of the series. It is the first episode to be broadcast in high-definition. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 11, 2009. In the episode, Kenny and his new girlfriend are encouraged by the Jonas Brothers to wear purity rings, which is secretly a marketing tactic by Disney to sell sex to young girls. The episode was written and directed by series co-founder Trey Parker and is rated TV-MA L in the United States. It was the first South Park episode to premiere in 16:9 and high definition. Parker and Stone were not very familiar with the Jonas Brothers before they wrote "The Ring", which was inspired by the recent release of Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. The two argued over whether to open the season with this episode or an episode focusing on the economic recession ("Margaritaville"), but eventually decided they needed more time to craft a script for the latter. "The Ring" portrays Disney as a corporation using the ruse of family-friendly morals to disguise their primary motive of profit, particularly through the portrayal of Mickey Mouse as a foul-mouthed, greedy, and physically violent company president. The episode received generally positive reviews and, according to Nielsen Media Research, was seen by 3.41 million viewers the week it was broadcast. The publicist for the Jonas Brothers specifically forbade reporters from asking the band about the episode; although Nick Jonas said they did not watch it, he did say it was an honor to be included in the show. "The Ring" was released on DVD and Blu-ray along with the rest of the thirteenth season on March 16, 2010.

South Park Spoiler Alert! (The complete plot for this South Park Episode)

To the amazement of all the other boys, Kenny has a girlfriend, fifth grader Tammy Warner. Butters hears a rumor that Tammy is a slut because she gave another male student a "B.J." in a T.G.I. Friday's parking lot, so Stan, Kyle, and Cartman, hoping to spare Kenny's feelings, decide to warn him. To their bewilderment, Kenny's reaction is excitement and happiness. Kenny invites Tammy to go with him to T.G.I. Friday's after school, at which point she confesses that the rumor about her is true, but, not noticing his delight, explains that the only reason she did it was because she became aroused after watching the Jonas Brothers perform. Consequently, Kenny, hoping she will give him a "B.J." as well, takes Tammy to a Jonas Brothers concert at the Pepsi Center, with his friends disgusted by his intent; Cartman claims that "the most bacteria-ridden place on the planet is the mouth of an American woman." After the concert, Tammy and several other girls are invited backstage, where they think the Jonas Brothers want to have sex with them. Instead, they convince girls to wear purity rings as a pledge to abstinence and tell them to get all of their friends to start wearing them as well because "That is just the way we roll" which is a reference to one of their songs. To appease his girlfriend, Kenny reluctantly begins wearing a purity ring. As Kenny becomes dull as a result and ceases to spend time with his friends, it is revealed that the Jonas Brothers are being forced to wear and promote purity rings by their boss, a fearsome, greedy, sadistic, and foul-mouthed Mickey Mouse, who verbally berates and violently beats them when they complain that the rings are overshadowing their music and projecting the wrong message. Mickey explains that the rings allow him to sell sexual stimulation to young girls while giving the false appearance of innocence and purity. Concerned for their friend, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman attempt to confront the Jonas Brothers at a televised appearance in Denver, but Mickey, mistaking the boys for secret agents hired by DreamWorks (or Michael Eisner) to sabotage the televised appearance, tranquilizes them and takes them prisoner. When the boys regain consciousness, they are backstage at the Jonas Brothers' 3D concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Mickey interrogates them and eventually threatens them with a chainsaw, refusing to believe they are not working for another company. As Mickey once again rants about his true intentions, this time insulting the Jonas Brothers' fans and Christians, Kyle stealthily turns on the microphone and Cartman raises the curtain, broadcasting Mickey's rant to both the concert-goers and the national television audience. The crowd turns on Mickey and the Jonas Brothers leave the stage in a huff. An enraged Mickey inflates to an enormous size and begins spitting fire and destroying Denver. Tammy and Kenny remove their purity rings, and Tammy suggests they go to T.G.I. Friday's. The show immediately cuts to Kenny's funeral, where the audience learns that he contracted syphilis and he died.