Line #18 Recap/SouthParkS17E10TheHobbit


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thehobbitpromo1.jpg]]
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3	'''Original air date:''' 12/11/2013
4
5	Wendy Testaburger’s latest protest (this time, about how Photoshop is used to make female models and celebrities look better on magazines and print material) gets her in trouble when she plays matchmaker with a homely girl.
6	----
7	!!This episode contains examples of:
8
9	* AdultsAreUseless: Per usual, Mr. Mackey repeatedly refuses to listen to Wendy's side of the story, even ''siding'' with Butters even though the latter ([[InnocentlyInsensitive albeit unintentionally]]) made Lisa Berger upset.
10	* BabyDontGotBack: According to Wendy's rant in "The Hobbit" about all the girls' flaws and imperfections, Heidi Turner [[InformedFlaw apparently]] has a flat butt.
11	* BlatantLies: Mr. Mackey threatens to send Wendy to "Jelly School". Of course, Wendy does not fall for it.
12	-->'''Wendy:''' Mr. Mackey, I appreciate the point you're trying to make.\
13	'''Mr. Mackey:''' Yuh, you do? Okay, well, [[PhoneyCall I'm not actually on the phone]] with a... jelly school, Wendy, okay?\
14	'''Wendy:''' Yes, I'm... I'm a few steps ahead of that, yes.
15	** Wendy is later interviewed on TV, and a reporter tries to pretend he's in front of "jelly school", but Wendy says it’s just a Dunkin' Donuts.
16	* BoomerangBigot: Wendy's method of arguing against body shaming and society's definition of beauty is to resort to body shaming as well. This results in everyone just writing her off as a hater, especially when they hear her doing so without context.
17	* BreatherEpisode: Somewhat. Although dramatic, it's far tamer than the previous epic trilogy.
18	* ButNotTooBlack: When the girls go to the gym to Photoshop themselves to look better, Nichole is seen drastically lightening her complexion.
19	* CallBack: Music/KanyeWest from "Fishsticks" reappears calling himself a recovering gay fish.
20	-->'''Cartman:''' [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Uh oh.]]
21	* CannotTellFictionFromReality: A variant in that everyone thinks Photoshopped pics are the real things. What kicks off this episode is Butters thinking a picture of Creator/KimKardashian from a magazine is what she really looks like.
22	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Wendy shows Butters a demonstration of Photoshop to show how girls like Lisa can be altered to destroy girls’ self-image, but Butters becomes convinced she really looks like that and falls in love with her, despite Wendy altering the picture in front of him. This then expands to fucking ''everyone'', who act as if the Photoshop images are the real thing, despite interacting with the people with the Photoshopped people who clearly look different from the pictures.
23	* TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong: Parodied. Wendy is made a pariah for her protests against Photoshopped pictures.
24	* ComplimentBackfire: Kanye repeatedly tries to convince people that Kim is not a Hobbit, but he keeps drawing similarities to the point not even ''he'' is sure she's not one.
25	-->'''Kanye:''' There have been malicious rumors, started at ''this'' elementary school, that my beautiful fiancé is a hobbit. That is not funny! And it is not true! All right? Yes, Kim ''is'' heavier than most of her pictures show her to be. Yes, she gets her hair lasered off her body. Yes, she has a friend named Gandalf, who happens to be a wizard... ''([[DoubleTake thinks closer about what he just said]])'' I'm sorry. Excuse me for a minute. ''(gets out his phone and calls someone)'' Bitch, how you not the Hobbit again?
26	* CondescendingCompassion: What pushes Wendy to move her campaign outside of South Park Elementary is Lisa telling the other cheerleaders during their routine not to take issue with Wendy being understandably gloomy, as it's not ''her'' fault no one likes her, which they back Lisa up on.
27	* ContinuityNod: Butters' love for Kim Kardashian from "The Tale of Scrotie [=McBoogerballs=]" returns. [[NegativeContinuity Kim was also murdered]] by the end of "Scrotie [=McBoogerballs=]". [[SnapBack Not that it matters]].
28	* ADayInTheLimelight: Wendy is the protagonist of the episode.
29	* DiggingYourselfDeeper: Kanye West repeatedly argues against his claim that his girlfriend Kim Kardashian is not a hobbit.
30	* DownerEnding: Wendy's efforts to expose photo-manipulation for dictating unrealistic beauty standards only serves to make it more popular until she's finally guilt-tripped into Photoshopping herself to look like the exact kind of unrealistic bombshell she was trying to speak out against.
31	* EasilyCondemned: Everyone is quick to believe that Wendy is a hater and treat her like a pariah throughout the episode.
32	* EtTuBrute: Not only do all of the cheerleaders turn against Wendy, but even [[OnlySaneMan Stan]] asks her to make a photoshopped image just so he can brag about it to his friends.
33	* TheGhost: Kim Kardashian is often referred and spoken to, but never actually seen or heard in the episode (outside of a small image of her).
34	* AGodAmI: Kanye West reads a RomanAClef story about Creator/KimKardashian as a hobbit and himself as {{God}}.
35	* GoneHorriblyRight: At the beginning of the episode, Wendy wanted Lisa Berger to gain confidence. When the latter actually does become more confident, she becomes an [[SmallNameBigEgo arrogant bitch]] who labels Wendy as a jealous hater whenever she tries to explain that Lisa's newfound popularity is for the wrong reasons.
36	* HeroWithBadPublicity: Wendy just wants girls to be happy with themselves despite their imperfections, and it all started because she wanted Lisa to gain confidence in herself. Wendy ends up being treated as a VillainProtagonist, and she ends up failing in her crusade.
37	* HourglassPlot: The third act begins the same way as the first, but with Wendy and Lisa’s roles reversed.
38	* {{Hypocrite}}: Everyone calls Wendy a 'hater' for preaching her beliefs, even though they constantly hate on her unfairly and refuse to listen to her side of the story.
39	* IdiotHoudini: [[AdultsAreUseless Due to Mr. Mackey's incompetence]], Butters ends up getting away with his [[InnocentlyInsensitive thoughtless remarks]] towards Lisa Berger. This is [[{{Irony}} ironic]] considering how much he gets punished over trivial or nonsensical things.
40	* InformedAttractiveness: By the show's [[InsaneTrollLogic logic]], as long you have a Photoshopped picture of yourself that makes you look more attractive than you really are, people will automatically assume you are that attractive.
41	* InformedDeformity: Wendy lists the various imperfections of herself, Stan, and other boys and girls, which are not visible because of the animation style. And Jason, who has an obvious physical flaw ([[PrematurelyBald a prematurely receding hairline]]) doesn't get called out for that flaw. Instead, Wendy says he has freckles, which we are unable to see.
42	* InnocentlyInsensitive: Butters accidentally hurts Lisa's feelings by [[YouAreFat calling her fat]] when she asks him out. He doesn't realize how much this remark hurt her until Wendy calls him out on it.
43	* {{Jerkass}}: The cheerleaders. They call Wendy a hater and treat her like trash.
44	* JerkassBall: Mr. Mackey is at his worst since "Royal Pudding". He takes Butters' side and threatens to have Wendy sent to 'Jelly School'. Granted, this is partly due to continuously hearing tirades from Wendy out of context.
45	* LetMeTellYouAStory: To make his point, Kanye West reads Wendy a bedtime story of a little hobbit, God and a jelly monster.
46	* MadeOutToBeAJerkass: Wendy is constantly on the receiving end of this by both Mr. Mackey and her classmates.
47	* MoodWhiplash: Subverted with the ending credits, which end up being silent to play up the fact that it’s a genuine DownerEnding.
48	* NiceGirl: Most of the conflict of the episode [[GoneHorriblyRight spurns from]] Wendy quickly noticing Lisa's down in the dumps and encouraging her to boost her confidence, scolding the other cheerleaders for not being more patient with her being out-of-sync. She also tries to make peace with Butters later in the episode by talking things out and demonstrating how Photoshop can drastically alter the figures of people (which spurns the conflict further, since Butters thinks Kim actually looks like her Photoshopped counterpart).
49	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Wendy caused the entire episode’s events and most of the drama of this episode is because she Photoshopped the picture of Lisa in an attempt to prove her point on unrealistic beauty standards, but Butters ends up thinking its real... ''despite having the original photo Photoshopped right in front of him.''
50	* NotHelpingYourCase: Kanye constantly argues against the allegations that his wife is a hobbit but constantly contradicts himself by unwittingly bringing up similarities.
51	* NotWhatItLooksLike: Every time Wendy tries to preach her beliefs about body image, Mr. Mackey hears this out-of-context and misinterprets it as bullying.
52	* OhCrap:
53	** Wendy when Mr. Mackey and the students catch her pointing out everyone’s imperfections.
54	--->'''Wendy:''' God damn it!
55	** Also Cartman's reaction to Kanye West being the class's guest speaker, remembering the "gay fish" ordeal.
56	--->'''Cartman''': [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Uh oh!]]
57	* OnlySaneWoman: {{Deconstructed\|Trope}}. Wendy is the only one who sees a problem with people using Photoshop to improve their body image, but the others refuse to listen to her and completely miss her point, with Mr. Mackey frequently ''punishing'' her in return. In the end, she has no choice but to join the rest of the students in Photoshop.
58	* RightBehindMe: Happens to Wendy, twice:
59	** The first time is when she tries to explain that the Photoshopped image of Lisa isn't real, and in a moment of frustration, calls her "fat and ugly", just as Lisa passes by.
60	** The second occurs when Wendy becomes angry at Stan for asking her to Photoshop herself and starts ranting at him, pointing out the various physical imperfections of herself and her schoolmates, including the cheerleaders... just as they happen to walk in and overhear her.
61	* RightlySelfRighteous: Deconstructed. Wendy’s very blunt approach to explain the problems with Photoshop only leads everyone to miss the point and think she is "jelly", especially since no-one actually feels insecure when looking at the [=PSed=] pictures after getting one too. By the end of the episode Wendy just gives up and conforms.
62	* RunningGag:
63	** Wendy being called "jel", "jelly", and a hater.
64	** Kanye West constantly calling Kim Kardashian to tell him what to say about comparing her to a hobbit, and calling her "bitch" as a term of endearment.
65	* ShoutOut
66	** The title is meant to coincide with the release of ''Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug''.
67	** Mr. Garrison confuses Kanye West with Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}.
68	** Kanye West interrupting Pope Francis' "Person of the Year" acceptance speech parodies his infamous interruption of Music/TaylorSwift at the 2009 American Music Awards.
69	* SilentCredits: Downplayed. After Wendy tearfully photoshops a picture of her and sends it in a mass e-mail, the credits roll in the empty computer lab without any music for a few seconds [[MoodWhiplash until the upbeat regular credits music kicks in]].
70	* SinisterSilhouettes: When Kanye West's silhouette appears in the doorway to Wendy's bedroom, accompanied by sinister music.
71	* SuddenNameChange:
72	** Lisa Berger was previously known as "Lorraine".
73	** Annie Nelson originally had the surname of "Faulk".
74	** Bill (of the Bill and Fosse duo) had the surname "Allen" in "T.M.I." but is referred to as "Billy Turner" here (which was the name of a different character in ‘Erection Day’ and ‘Tsst’).
75	* TakeThat:
76	** Kim Kardashian is referred to as a [[Literature/TheHobbit hobbit]].
77	** Kanye West returns for another round of ridicule, with him interrupting Pope Francis accepting the Person of the Year award mirroring the infamous [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/kanye-interrupts-imma-let-you-finish "Imma Let You Finish"]] incident.
78	** People that take photoshopped images as reality are portrayed as shallow idiots.
79	* TrainingMontage: A montage showing the fitness coach pushing the girls to work out hard...in Photoshop.
80	* WhatTheHellHero:
81	** Wendy blasts Butters for calling Lisa Berger fat.
82	** Then Mr. Mackey blasts ''her'' for doing the same to prove her point.
83	** Everyone, including Stan, is pulling this on Wendy.
84	* WithFriendsLikeThese: Bebe is the first of the cheerleaders to push for the routine to be done without Wendy after the HourglassPlot switch, even explicitly telling her she has a bad self-image and parroting Lisa's CondescendingCompassion of her.
85	* WrongInsultOffence: Cartman calls out Butters for insulting Lisa [[YouAreFat for her weight]]. He should have insulted her for her looks instead.
86	* YouAreFat: Butters calls Lisa fat when she asks for a date at the cafeteria.

Context Recap / SouthParkS17E10TheHobbit