Cartman is fed up with being unable to use the boy's bathroom during lunch break, so he resorts to using the girl's bathroom while pretending to be transgender, leaving the school staff to install a special private bathroom for him. Meanwhile, Spin Magazine writer Brandon Carlisle investigates why Lorde would perform for such a lowly venue as the boys' big backyard party, and pressure is put on Randy as he considers giving up his career as Lorde.
"The Cissy" contains examples of:
- Ambiguous Situation: Whether Wendy's "Wendell" persona was her coming out as trans or not wasn't actually revealed in this episode, and she didn't show up on screen again until Season 20.
- Answer Cut:Cartman: All I know is I'm transginger, and you can't make me go to the bathroom with the cisgingers.
Principal Victoria: With the what?
Mr. Garrison: (cuts to him in a meeting with Principal Victoria and Mr. Mackey) Cisgender. - Auto-Tune: Randy uses an "Auto-Tuner v10" to transform his singing into a girl's voice.
- Bait-and-Switch: Before Cartman reveals his girl's bow, the beginning is set up to make it seem that Cartman is going to commit a school shooting for all the years he's been screwed over, bullied, and humiliated. After the Sandy Hook school massacre, no less.
- Big "OMG!": Cartman's reaction when he learns that he's getting his own private bathroom.
- Bittersweet Ending: While Stan is accused of being a "cissy" by Butters and people think he's a bigot, he gets to enjoy the private bathroom all to himself.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter:Randy: Shelley, that's enough time on your phone.
Shelley: Leave me alone, Dad! Stop nagging me all the time!
Randy: You know we're all cutting down on phone time.
Shelley: DON'T LIMIT ME! YOU DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND ME! - Captain Ersatz: Brandon Carlisle is this to Brennan Carley
, a real Spin Magazine writer who wrote an article discussing Randy's appearance as Lorde in the previous episode. - Continuity Nod: Butters is no longer suspended, Lorde's appearance at the party at the end of the previous episode is discussed (and revealed to have taken place on a Sunday, while the previous episode used the more vague "weekend"), the gym has partially been rebuilt after Butters destroyed it (though still damaged) and Randy drinks gluten-free beer. In non-season-18 relevance, Sharon comes across pairs of Steamy Ray Vaughn's britches while sorting laundry.
- Insult Backfire: When Randy reveals that he's actually Lorde and shows Stan one of his raw recordings, Stan tries to deny it by saying that Lorde's music actually sounds good (implying that Randy doesn't and thus can't be Lorde). Randy just thanks him for the compliment and says that the final mix is even better.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Cartman is only pretending to be transgender for his own selfish needs, but he’s correct in telling Principal Victoria that one’s gender identity has nothing to do with their sexual orientation.
- Know When to Fold Them: When Wendy complains about Cartman getting a private transgender bathroom, Red tells her to just go with it since it will at least get Cartman out of the girls room.
- Malaproper: Cartman keeps using the word "ginger" in place of "gender".
- One Dialogue, Two Conversations: After Cartman's rumors get to Stan, he visits his dad to discuss the transgender issue, but Randy takes it to mean something else.
- Rapid-Fire "No!": Cartman when he sees that all the stalls in the boy's bathroom are occupied.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: The very next day after Gluten Free Ebola aired, Spin writer Brennan Carley wrote an ill-informed article about the last joke of the episode, claiming that they were making fun of Lorde. They weren't, the real joke was Randy couldn't get Lorde to play for the party due to the whole gluten quarantine, so he dressed up like her to do the show himself. In response, Matt and Trey ran with the "Randy is Lorde" joke to make fun of
Cowboy BeBop at His Computer style journalism. - Reset Button Ending: When Principal Victoria announces that the transgender bathroom is abolished so that any kid can use the bathroom they're comfortable with, Cartman, upset that the girl's bathroom will be just as crowded as the boy's, abandons his transgender identity of "Erica Cartman".
- Secret Secret-Keeper: Sharon seems to know Randy is Lorde when she gave him a pep talk.
- Shout-Out: Cartman identifying as female by simply placing a pink bow on his head could be a reference to Ms Pacman who was differentiated from her male counterpart by similar Tertiary Sexual Characteristics.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Both Cartman and Randy both decided to attempt being transgender solely because the Men's Bathroom was crowded. Although Randy has found actual comfort in being Lorde while Cartman just wants his own bathroom.
- Take That!:
- "You are watching E! Entertainment News! That's how low you've sunk."
- The ending has the school remove the transgender bathroom and instead allow any kid to choose the bathroom they're most comfortable with using. For anyone upset about sharing a bathroom with someone transgender, Principal Victoria declares that they should be fine with using "the special designated bathroom designed to keep them away from the normal people who don't care", taking a shot at transphobes.
- Trans Equals Gay: Principal Victoria assumes this, but Cartman tells her it's not true, and he's nonetheless correct. Later on, he starts spreading rumors that Wendy, who has adopted her own transgender persona of Wendell, is attracted to girls, and that Stan is gay for dating her, leaving him questioning his own gender identity.
- Uniqueness Decay: The transgender bathroom was originally installed as Cartman's private bathroom, but then Wendy becomes a transgender herself and starts using it.
- Unishment: Following the fiasco over the bathroom, Stan is bullied into using the "Cissy" bathroom for his supposed discrimination. Since this is in fact Cartman's old personal toilet, he finds the experience quite comfortable.
- Villainous Breakdown: As soon as he sees Wendy become Wendell, Cartman drops the façade without another thought and bellows at Stan to "keep [his] dog on a shorter leash."
- Waxing Lyrical: When Stan learns about Cartman getting a transgender bathroom installed:Stan: Cartman's a girl now?
Butters: He's not a woman, he's not a man, he is something that you'll never understand. But he would Die 4 Me. - What Happened to the Mouse?: Wendy's attempts to bring down Cartman with "Wendell" are forgotten about after Stan becomes confused by the ordeal.
- "Which Restroom?" Dilemma: Stan gets one after being overwhelmed by Cartman's rumors and Randy's confession that he's Lorde. He ends up going into Cartman's bathroom.
- Wondrous Ladies Room: Cartman's impression of the girl's bathroom. Later, it is revealed that Randy had the same impression when he started using the ladies' room as Lorde, giving him the freedom to sing.Cartman: Oh, wow! This is nice in here. The girl's bathroom is a lot cleaner than the boy's. (continues pooping) Dude, this is awesome! I should've used the girl's bathroom a long time ago!
