South Park's Ex-Gay Episode

This one managed to slip by us when it first aired. (The crack team of flying monkeys at AfterElton can hardly keep up with all the great television that's on these days!) Thanks to several readers for mentioning it.

On March 14th, South Park ran an episode that dealt with Ex-Gay Ministries.

The "Cartman Sucks" episode had poor, hapless Butters getting mistaken for homosexual, and then shipped off to an ex-gay Christian youth camp by his parents.

When presented with the youth camp idea by their minister, Butter's father (himself a closeted homosexual) had this to say:

"A secluded camp where lots of bi-curious boys are all put together? That sounds like a good idea!"

Poor Butters isn't "bi-curious" -- doesn't even understand the concept. But his father is so afraid of the possibility that he ships him off to a place that could do the kid lasting damage.

Once at the camp, the head counselor gives Butters a pep talk while leading him to his room:

"The truth is, with the power of Jesus Christ you can be normal. Now, just to make sure you don't slip up while in camp we assign everybody an 'accountabilibuddy.' Let’s meet Ryan—your accountabilibuddy.”

The counselor stops at the door to Butter & Ryan’s assigned dorm room.

"Ryan thought he could never change, but now with the power of Christ and prayer he can have a whole new life!”

The counselor swings open the door to find Ryan hanging dead from a rope. The counselor quickly shuts the door,

“Now over this way we have the cafeteria…”

As usual, South Park manages to cut right to the ludicrous heart of a social phenomenon.

Butter is assigned a new “accountabililbuddy" named Bradley. But when Bradley develops a crush on Butters, the boy decides that he too must kill himself. The show ends with Bradley on a bridge ready to jump with the camp counselors trying to talk him down.

Bradley: Stand back! I'm an abomination of God!

Counselor: Don't do it, we're fixing you!

Bradley: It's too late!

Butters: Bradley, don't!

Counselor: Get back, you're only making things worse.

Bradley: I'm not normal, I'll never be normal.

Butters: You're perfectly normal Bradley.

Counselor: Get back, you're just as confused as he is.

Butters: That's it, I am sick and tired of everyone telling me I'm confused. I wasn't confused until other people started telling me I was. You know what I think? I think maybe you're the ones who are confused. I'm not going to be confused anymore just because you say I should be. My name is Butters, I'm eight years old, I'm blood type O, and I'm bi-curious. And that's OK, because if I'm somehow made from God, then I figure that God must be at least a little bi-curious himself.

Bradley: I think, I think I'd like to come down.

Counselor: We did it! By the power of Christ we saved him!

My hat is off to Matt Stone and Trey Parker for delivering yet another brilliant, gay-positive episode.