History Recap / SouthParkS11E1WithApologiesToJesseJackson

** Categories on ''Wheel of Fortun'', particularly for the final puzzle, are never as specific as "People Who Annoy You". It would just be "People".

** Categories on "Wheel of Fortune", particularly for the final puzzle, are never as specific as "People Who Annoy You". It would just be "People".

Randy accidentally uses the N-word on ''Series/WheelOfFortune'', leading to widespread public outrage. Stan and Token argue over the word and Randy's use. Meanwhile, a dwarf has a hard time trying to teach Cartman to be sensitive.

* EasilyForgiven: Once Stan finally realizes that he'll never be able to fully understand what the N-word means to black people and admits so to Token, Token reconciles with him. Justifiable, as Token was never really that mad with Stan in the first place, and only got annoyed when Stan started trying to downplay Randy's actions and then make spurious comparisons to other situations.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: How Stan comes off to Token throughout the episode. Stan was trying too hard to get Token's apology, then switched gears to telling him that what Randy did was "no big deal" and that Token should "forget about it" when Token seemingly underreacted to Randy's comment.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The part of the episode where Randy kisses Jesse Jackson's ass in a very literal sense was inspired by how Michael Richards apologized to Jackson following the former's racist tirade at the Laugh Factory. Both Stone and Parker recalled themselves as feeling much more contemptuous towards Richards after he went on Jackson's radio show to apologize, with biracial staff writer Vernon Chatman feeling especially angry about Jesse Jackson positioning himself as the "ambassador of black people", which inspired Token's rebuke about how "Jesse Jackson is not the emperor of black people" against Stan.
* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The episode's themes of racial slurs came from Creator/MichaelRichards' infamous on-stage meltdown, where he screamed racist obscenities at two black audience members during a stand-up show. Token's line about Jesse Jackson not being "the emperor of black people" was actually Trey Parker's reaction to Richards' looking to Jackson for a seal of approval for his public apology.

** When Stan tells Token that Randy apologized to Jesse Jackson, so everything is all right, Token angrily tells him that "Jesse Jackson is not the emperor of black people!"

* {{Catchphrase}}: "Words are like bullets: they just pass right through me," Dr. Nelson says whenever he tries to make a point about verbal abuse. Judging by the reactions of other adult bystanders, nobody else seems to think it's a good analogy.

* CurbStompBattle: This is one of the only times Cartman legitimately wins in a physical fight, forcing Dr. Nelson to attack him once he drops his guard after the fight.

** Even being accidentally racist can be just as serious as being intentionally racist. Also, White people ''do not'' understand the racism that Black people experience. It's better to acknowledge that no, you ''don't'' get it than pretend that you do.
** Some people are just unrepentant jerks, and appealing to empathy and reason doesn't work on them. Dr. Nelson would have been much better off just taking the school faculty's, and later Craig's advice and ignoring Cartman altogether.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The episode's themes of racial slurs came from Creator/MichaelRichards' infamous on-stage meltdown where he screamed racist obscenities at two black audience members during a stand up show. Token's line about Jesse Jackson not being "the emperor of black people" was actually Trey Parker's reaction to Richards' looking to Jackson for a seal of approval for his public apology.

* TrivialTitle: Randy's apology to Jesse Jackson was merely one of his many attempts to repair his reputation early in the episode, resolves basically nothing, and is forgotten about afterwards.

* ArtisticLicenseFilmProduction: ''Wheel of Fortune'' is actually not broadcast live as is depicted in this episode. If a similar incident occurred during taping of an episode, it would never make it to air.

* EasilyForgiven: Once Stan finally realizes that he'll never be able to fully understand what the N-word means to black people and admits so to Tolkien, Tolkien reconciles with him. Justifiable, as Tolkien was never really that mad with Stan in the first place, and only got annoyed when Stan started trying to downplay Randy's actions and then make spurious comparisons to other situations.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: How Stan comes off to Tolkien throughout the episode. Stan was trying too hard to get Token's apology, then switched gears to telling him that what Randy did was "no big deal" and that Tolkien should "forget about it" when Tolkien seemingly underreacted to Randy's comment.

** Some people are just unrepentant jerks, and appealing to empathy and reason doesn't work on them. Dr. Nelson would have been much better off just taking the school faculty's advice and ignoring Cartman altogether.

* {{Catchphrase}}: "Words are like bullets", Dr. Nelson says this everytime he tries to make a point about verbal abuse.
* CurbStompBattle: This is one of the few times if not only time ever that Cartman legitimately won in a physical fight despite that Dr. Nelson attacks him once he drops his guard after the fight.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The episode largely consists of Randy being treated like an African American living in the southern US before the Civil Rights Movement took off, complete with having to flee from roving bands of rednecks who "don't take kindly" to people who aren't tolerant of other races.

** As noted above, the episode compares the social reaction to prejudice against blacks, to prejudice against other groups, and shows the hypocrisy in public response being outrage vs. indifference.
* EasilyForgiven: Once Stan finally realizes that he'll never be able to fully understand what the N-word means to black people and admits so to Token, Token reconciles with him. Justifiable, as Token was never really that mad with Stan in the first place, and only got annoyed when Stan started trying to downplay Randy's actions and then make spurious comparisons to other situations.

* IgnoredEpiphany: Dr. Nelson's attempts to show Cartman how it feels to be mocked for your appearance all fail for this reason; Cartman follows along for most of the attempt, but every time he gets to the "and that's why you shouldn't do that" part, he just starts laughing.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: How Stan comes off to Token throughout the episode. Stan was trying too hard to get Token's apology, then switched gears to telling him that what Randy did was "no big deal" and that Token should "forget about it" when Token seemingly underreacted to Randy's comment.
* ItIsDehumanizing: Cartman refers to Dr. Nelson as "it" several times.

* MoralMyopia: Cartman continually mocks a midget named Dr. Nelson who came to speak at his school, laughing raucously throughout, but when this person gets Cartman's classmates to call him 'fatso', he immediately flies off the handle in a rage. Of course, when he finds out it was all part of Dr. Nelson's plan, he starts laughing again.

** Some people are just jerks, and appealing to empathy and reason doesn't work on them. Dr. Nelson would have been much better off just taking the school faculty's advice and ignoring Cartman altogether.

* CurbStompBattle: This is one of the few times if not only time that Cartman ever won in a physical fight despite that Dr. Nelson attacks him once he drops his guard.

* PyrrhicVictory: Dr. Nelson gets the drop on Cartman by sucker-punching him off his feet at the end and declaring that he's made his point. He hasn't though; he still hasn't gotten through to Cartman, and Cartman technically won the fight against Dr. Nelson despite having his back turned and Cartman honestly doesn't care about being hit off-guard because he ''still'' can't stop laughing uncontrollably at Nelson.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The episode's themes of racial slurs came from Michael Richards' infamous on-stage meltdown where he screamed racist obscenities at two black audience members during a stand up show. Token's line about Jesse Jackson not being "the emperor of black people" was actually Trey Parker's reaction to Richards' looking to Jackson for a seal of approval for his public apology.

** Michael Richards tearfully confesses to Randy that he's "not that good of a comedian" and only used the N-word in an attempt to get some cheap laughs; a stab at both Richards himself, and the idea that just being offensive for the sake of it is enough to be considered humorous.

* AnAesop: Even being accidentally racist can be just as serious as being intentionally racist. Also, White people ''do not'' understand the racism that Black people experience. It's better to acknowledge that no, you ''don't'' get it than pretend that you do.

* AnAesop: Even being accidentally racist can be just as serious as being intentionally racist.

* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Randy never lives down his reputation as the guy who said the N-word on national television.

* MoralMyopia: Cartman continually mocks a short person who came to speak at his school, laughing raucously throughout, but when this person gets Cartman's classmates to call him 'fatso', he immediately flies off the handle in a rage.