Kanye West (or at least the computer-generated version of a construction-paper version of him) was at the center of last night’s South Park episode, in which aspiring comedian Jimmy creates the funniest joke ever, and it spreads like wildfire through the late-night talk-show circuit. The joke, which Cartman is quick to claim as his own:
“Do you like fish sticks?”
“Yes.”
“You like to put fish sticks in your mouth?”
“Yes.”
“What are you, a gay fish?”
Because of his giant ego and self-proclaimed genius, Kanye is the only person who doesn’t get the joke, and this leads him on a quest for self-discovery in which he knocks the joke-stealer Carlos Mencia’s head off with a baseball bat, holds Cartman and Jimmy hostage, and ultimately accepts that he is a gay fish, engaging in underwater Autotuned bestiality.
Like most South Park episodes of recent vintage, the kids are less and less involved, and the whole concept seems taken from Monty Python’s old “Funniest Joke in the World,” but I thought it was pretty hilarious, even though skewering Kanye’s ego is like, ahem, shooting fish in a barrel. (I especially liked his Kanye podium.) As of right now, the academicians over at Kanye Universecity remain silent on the issue on Kanye’s “gay fishiness.”
The awesome “Gay Fish” version of “Heartless”:
Kanye on SP [Dailymotion]
@Rory B. Bellows: I haven’t seen the episode yet (can’t wait to now though), but I know Trey and Matt have gone on record dissing Seth McFarlane (family guy) and saying he doesn’t write his jokes, he has a huge room full of writers just coming up with stuff.
There was a contest for funniest joke in the world and this won:
A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn’t seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator, in a calm soothing voice says: “Just take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy’s voice comes back on the line. He says: “OK, now what?”
@Maura Johnston: That jingle would be so much better if the fish just repeated the “gimme back” line over and over and over. The other lines are just confusing.
Seeing that joke in print doesn’t really work, guys.
@Rory B. Bellows: Well, there was the appearance of noted joke/shtick thief Carlos Mencia.
@chachwitablog: @Audif Jackson Winters III: You guys may be right that this is all its about. South Park is normally so focused in its satire though. I really got the impression that they were attacking someone that was in the writing room and was taking credit (and profiting) even though they had done nothing to help write the jokes.
there’s a cartoon South Park it’s ornery
and last night it laid the smack down on Kanye
funny thing is it actually made him twitch
and he’ll prolly think about it next time he eats fishsticks
wrote about it in a blog post today
how’s he’s trying not to be a douchebag per se
pointed out the difference between rap and real life
and how people like Little Wayne are so nice
to listen to me rap my opinion, visit:
I am just sad that the South Park writers didn’t figure out a way to work in this ode to fish cannibalism:
And I didn’t work in Kanye’s new energy drink. I stink.
Estimated year one will be able to make a post on a high-traffic blog about Kanye West from here on out, regardless of topic (new album, dead relative, announced line of designer neckwear), without some geek making a “gay fish” reference in the comments: 2023
@natepatrin: Seriously? I tend to forget what the subject of the last ‘controversial’ episode of South Park was about 3 weeks after it airs.
@Al Shipley: Maybe I’ve just spent too much time reading Jalopnik, where every single post about the Prius is met with about 80 references to the ‘Smug Alert’ episode.
@Al Shipley: (Also, when I say “high-traffic blog” what I really mean is “The AV Club”.)
@natepatrin: Much like every reference to Arcade Fire must mention that they steal basketballs.
So does anyone know the inside story of this episode? Are Trey and Matt involved in a dispute as to which one of them is actually writing all the jokes? The whole episode seemed to be a thinly vailed attack on someone other than Kanye. I just don’t know who.