Ike's Wee Wee: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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| episode = 3

| airdate = {{Start date|1998|5|20}}<ref name="pr">{{Cite press release |url=http://www.comedycentral.com/press/pressreleases/release.jhtml?f=pr1506.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040817195655/http://www.comedycentral.com/press/pressreleases/release.jhtml?f=pr1506.xml |archive-date=August 17, 2004 |date=May 18, 1998 |title=The Boys Set Out To Save 'Ike's Wee-Wee' In The Second Season Debut Episode Of 'South Park,' May 20 At 10:00 P.M. ET/PT |publisher=[[Comedy Central]] |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref>

| production = ~~204~~203

| director = [[Trey Parker]]

| writer = Trey Parker

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The episode introduced Ike's backstory as a Canadian child adopted by [[List of South Park families#The Broflovskis|the Broflovskis]]. Ever since the recurring characters [[List of recurring South Park characters#Terrance and Phillip|Terrance and Phillip]] were established to be Canadians in the [[South Park season 1|season one]] finale "[[Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut]]", and the subsequent [[South Park season 2|season two]] premiere "[[Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus]]",<ref name="comedyarts" /><ref name="canadian">News post dated April 28, 2001. In: {{Cite web |url=https://southpark.cc.com/news/list.html?sect=1&month=04&year=2001 |title=News Archive: April 2001 |publisher=South Park Studios |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020821092753/http://southparkstudios.com/news/list.html?sect=1&month=04&year=2001 |archive-date=August 21, 2002 |access-date=December 8, 2011}}</ref><ref name="101commentary">{{Cite AV media | people = Parker, Trey; Stone, Matt | type = Audio commentary for "[[Cartman Gets an Anal Probe]]" | title = South Park – The Complete First Season: Episode Commentary | year = 2002 | via = CD | publisher = Comedy Central}}</ref> all Canadian characters on ''South Park'' have shared the same simplistic design: having simple beady eyes and a floppy head made up of two halves.<ref name="canadian_design">{{Cite news |first=Melanie |last=McFarland |title=Oh my God, 'South Park' killed a decade! |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer|seattlepi.com]] |publisher=[[Hearst Corporation|Hearst Newspapers]] |date=September 30, 2006 |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/article/Oh-my-God-South-Park-killed-a-decade-1216016.php |access-date=December 8, 2011}}</ref> While Ike had been on the show since [[Cartman Gets an Anal Probe|its first episode]], the writers originally did not know that he was going to be Canadian; he was [[Retroactive continuity|retroactively]] made one based on his visual similarity to Terrance and Phillip.<ref name="canadian" /><ref name="715commentary">{{Cite AV media | people = Parker, Trey; Stone, Matt | type = Audio commentary for "[[It's Christmas in Canada]]" | title = South Park – The Complete Seventh Season | year = 2006 | via = DVD | publisher = Paramount Home Entertainment}}</ref> Ike's backstory would play an important role in the film ''[[South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut]]'',<ref name="canadian" /> which involves a fictional American–Canadian war, as well as in future episodes of the series, such as the [[South Park season 7|season seven]] episode, "[[It's Christmas in Canada]]", in which Ike's biological parents take him away from the Broflovskis and bring him back to Canada.<ref name="715commentary" />

"Ike's Wee Wee" features regular voice acting from series creators Parker and [[Matt Stone]] for most characters, [[Mary Kay Bergman]] (credited as Shannen Cassidy) for female characters, and [[Isaac Hayes]] for [[Chef (South Park)|Chef]]. Additional dialogue was provided by ''South Park'' audio engineer Bruce Howell, while Ike's lines were uttered by Howell's then-five-year-old son Jesse.<ref>[http://www.creativeplanetnetwork.com/news/news-articles/crappy-possible-method-behind-madness-south-park/382927 ""As Crappy As Possible": The Method Behind the Madness of South Park"]. ''Creative Planet Network'' (February 15, 2012). Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref><ref name="ascrappy">{{Cite web|url=http://digitalcontentproducer.com/mag/video_crappy_possible_method/ |title='As Crappy As Possible': The Method Behind the Madness of South Park |date=May 1, 1998 |first=Matt |last=Cheplic |work=Millimeter |access-date=December 22, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123162734/http://digitalcontentproducer.com/mag/video_crappy_possible_method/ |archive-date=November 23, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="ike_voice">{{Cite web |url=https://southpark.cc.com/fans/faq/353336 |title=FAQ: Who does the voice of Kyle's little brother Ike? |date=March 2, 2002 |publisher=South Park Studios |access-date=December 9, 2011 }}{{~~Dead~~dead link|date=~~October 2023~~July 2024|bot=~~InternetArchiveBot~~ medic}}{{cbignore|~~fix-attempted~~bot=~~yes~~ medic}}</ref>

==Themes==

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Drug use is often portrayed in conjunction with the [[hippie]] subculture, through hippie characters, such as the two teenagers that give [[Lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]] to Mackey, and the woman that he befriends and eventually marries.<ref name="script">{{Cite web |title=''South Park'': 'Ike's Wee Wee' script |publisher=[[Comedy Central]], South Park Studios |first=Trey |last=Parker |year=1998 |url=http://www.spscriptorium.com/Southparkpdfs/204.pdf |access-date=December 9, 2011}}</ref> [[List of South Park families#Jimbo Kern|Jimbo]] and Cartman both use the term ''hippie'' pejoratively. During their argument, Jimbo tells Mackey that he should just go to a [[Grateful Dead]] concert, to which Mackey says he can't since [[Jerry Garcia]] is deceased. On two occasions, the episode shows people watching ''[[Teletubbies]]'' while high on marijuana or in rehab.<ref name="script" /><ref name="rj_teletubbies">{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QLlbAAAAIBAJ&pg=4015%2C2621555 |title='Teletubbies' are just a bit overbearing for this guy |first=Mark |last=McGuire |date=February 18, 1999 |newspaper=[[Record-Journal]] |page=A6 |agency=[[Times Union (Albany)|Albany Times Union]] |quote=There was an episode of 'South Park' that nailed it, showing a group at the Betty Ford clinic getting a substitute fix and easing withdrawal symptoms by watching the show. |access-date=January 4, 2012}}</ref> In his drug prevention speech, Mackey claims that LSD was made famous by [[John Lennon]] and [[Paul McCartney]], former members of [[The Beatles]]. Both Lennon and McCartney are known to have experimented with the drug.<ref name="beatles">{{Cite book |last=Hertsgaard |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Hertsgaard |year=1995 |chapter=We All Want to Change the World: Drugs, Politics, and Spirituality |title=A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles |isbn=978-0-385-31377-3 |publisher=Delacorte Press}}</ref>

While walking home, Mr. Mackey drunkenly sings the 1983 [[Pat Benatar]] song "[[Love Is a Battlefield]]". During Ike's supposed funeral, a [[bagpipe]] player starts playing the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] folk song "[[Hava Nagila]]".<ref name="script" /> At the funerals, the priest uses the phrase "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust", from the [[Anglican]] burial service. When the townspeople start to harass Mackey, one of them shouts, "Now we see what you and [[Homer Simpson]] have in common... Dope!". This references the famous catchphrase from ''[[The Simpsons]]'', "[[D'oh!]]", which sounds similar to the word ''dope'', meaning illicit drugs. At Kyle's house, Kyle's parents offer the boys a dish called "GaHekgafuga",<ref name="script" /> which is not a real dish.<ref name="gahekgafuga">{{Cite web |url=https://southpark.cc.com/fans/faq/353970 |title=FAQ: What is the name of the dish that Kyle's mom is supposed to make in the 'Ike's Wee Wee' episode? Is it a real dish? |date=December 11, 2004 |publisher=South Park Studios |access-date=December 9, 2011 }}{{~~Dead~~dead link|date=~~October 2023~~July 2024|bot=~~InternetArchiveBot~~ medic}}{{cbignore|~~fix-attempted~~bot=~~yes~~ medic}}</ref> When Mackey is in India, he is captured by members of [[The A-Team]], and driven away in their van.<ref name="script" /><ref name="Off-to-Rehab_clip">{{Cite web |url=https://southpark.cc.com/video-clips/~~150410~~cmp62q/south-park-off-to-rehab |title=Video Clips: Season 2: Ike's Wee Wee: Off to Rehab |date=May 27, 1998 |publisher=South Park Studios |quote={{Interp|...}} Mr. Mackey and his new bride honeymoon in India until the A-Team takes him to rehab. |access-date=December 14, 2011}}</ref> Mackey is taken to [[Drug rehabilitation|rehabilitation]] to the Betty Ford Clinic, which is based on [[Betty Ford Center|a real-life hospital]].<ref name="rj_teletubbies" />

A common [[plot device]] is referenced, where a [[shoulder angel]] (represents [[conscience]]) and a shoulder devil (representing [[temptation]]) appear near a character. This concept is spoofed in the episode, as both the devil and the angel suggest to Mackey that he should drink the beer. When Stan tells Kyle what he thinks a bris means, a [[dolly zoom]] is used, which is an unsettling filmmaking effect often used to show that a character is undergoing a major realization. The hallucinogenic effects of certain drugs are portrayed by different means. When inhaling cannabis, the alley that Mr. Mackey is in suddenly turns very colorful. After taking LSD, Mackey's head inflates like a giant balloon, and then literally detaches from his body, and floats away (the boys interact with Mackey by looking up at his head as it floats over them).

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==Broadcast, reception, and impact==

Two episodes preceded "Ike's Wee Wee" in the [[South Park season 2|second season]] of the show.<ref name="tribune_review">{{Cite news |url=~~http~~https://~~articles~~www.chicagotribune.com/1998-/05-/26/~~features/9805260016_1_south~~the-~~park~~antics-~~show-s-premiere-twin-peaks~~continue/ |title=The Antics Continue |date=May 26, 1998 |first=Allan |last=Johnson |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |location=Chicago, Illinois |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref> The episode scheduled for April 1, 1998, promised to resolve the [[cliffhanger]] ending of the [[South Park season 1|first season]] finale, "[[Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut]]", regarding the identity of Cartman's father,<ref name="goinsouth">{{Cite news |title=Goin' South |date=February 25, 1998 |newspaper=[[The Sacramento Bee]] |location=Sacramento, California |publisher=[[The McClatchy Company]] |page=F1}}</ref><ref name="ep201_promovid">{{cite web |title=South Park Episode 201 Commercial (1998) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifkWAksBi7o |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/ifkWAksBi7o |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|website=YouTube | date=March 20, 2011 |access-date=April 28, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> but was in fact an [[April Fools' Day]] joke on the creators' part: "[[Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus]]", an entire episode revolving around the two title characters.<ref name="nydailynews_aprilfools">{{Cite web |url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/1998-04-03/entertainment/18069303_1_fools-day-south-park-fools-joke |title='South Park' Fans Aren't Laughing. Viewers Don't Suffer April Fools' Gladly, As Cartman's-father Episode Is Scratched |date=April 3, 1998 |first=Richard |last=Huff |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |access-date=December 22, 2011 }}{{~~Dead~~dead link|date=~~January 2023~~September 2024|bot=~~InternetArchiveBot~~ medic}}{{cbignore|~~fix-attempted~~bot=~~yes~~ medic}}</ref> The April 1 episode was supposed to be a one-off, with the rest of the season starting in May.<ref name="goinsouth" /><ref name="rudetube">{{Cite news |title=The Rude Tube |page=61 |first=Rick |last=Marin |date=March 23, 1998 |magazine=[[Newsweek]] |location=New York, New York |publisher=Newsweek Inc.}}</ref> However, following overwhelmingly negative fan reaction, the episode resolving the Cartman's father storyline, "[[Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut]]", was moved from its planned May 20 air date to April 22.<ref name="nydailynews_aprilfools" /><ref name="moved">{{Cite news |title='South Park' gives in to threats |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N7oyAAAAIBAJ&pg=3061%2C2272499 |publisher=The World Company |location=Lawrence, Kansas |newspaper=[[Lawrence Journal-World]] – Extra |date=April 15, 1998 |page=1 |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref> "Ike's Wee Wee" then started a six-episode run of the season when it was broadcast on [[Comedy Central]] in the United States on May 20, 1998.<ref name="pr" /><ref name="nydailynews_aprilfools" /><ref name="vindicator_newseason">{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=l7RRAAAAIBAJ&pg=1505%2C3606073 |title=South Park: New season begins |date=May 20, 1998 |newspaper=[[The Vindicator]] |location=Youngstown, Ohio |page=C6 |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref><ref name="press-telegram_newseason">{{Cite news |title='South Park' Kicks Off New Season |date=May 20, 1998 |newspaper=[[Press-Telegram]] |location=Long Beach, California |quote=Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny find out that tradition can be pretty scary when a loved one's anatomy is involved in 'Ike's Wee Wee,' the second season premiere of the much-ballyhooed animated comedy 'South Park,' airing at 10 tonight on cable's Comedy Central.}}</ref><ref name="epguides">{{Cite web |url=http://epguides.com/SouthPark/ |title=South Park (a Title & Air Dates Guide) |publisher=[[Epguides]] |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref>

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"Ike's Wee Wee" was met with favorable reviews. Critics especially praised the episode for its touching moments, in contrast with the [[off-color humor]] often employed in the series. In his review of the episode in the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', Allan Johnson praised the episode, especially in comparison with the first two episodes of the season, considering it to be one of the better episodes of the series.<ref name="tribune_review" /> When the series reached [[I'm a Little Bit Country|its 100th episode]] in 2003, the same writer also listed "Ike's Wee Wee" as one of the "top 10 episodes that have made {{Interp|''South Park''}} one of the most provocative comedies on TV".<ref name="tribune_top10">{{Cite news |url=~~http~~https://~~articles~~www.chicagotribune.com/2003-/04-/09/~~features/0304090091_1_south~~whoever-~~park~~thought-~~music~~this-~~teacher~~show-~~comedy~~would-~~central~~last-100-episodes/ |title=Whoever thought this show would last 100 episodes? |date=April 9, 2003 |first=Allan |last=Johnson |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |location=Chicago, Illinois |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref> A review in the [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] said that "{{Interp|i}}n the midst of all this potty-mouthed humor, there are moments that are downright touching", and particularly highlighted the ending of "Ike's Wee Wee" as an example, explaining that "all's well in the end, and Kyle and the boys learn a lesson about family values that even [[Dan Quayle]] would approve of".<ref name="post-gazette">{{Cite news |title=Naughty boys: 'Very Bad Things' and 'South Park' flaunt a twisted sense of humor |newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |publisher=Block Communications |date=May 21, 1999 |page=42 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z44zAAAAIBAJ&pg=3937%2C427628 |access-date=January 30, 2012}}</ref> In 2000, visitors of the Comedy Central website chose "Ike's Wee Wee" as their favorite episode during a voting called "''South Park'' e-Lections", held around the time of the [[2000 United States presidential election|United States presidential election that year]].<ref name="elections_site">{{Cite web |url=http://comedycentral.com/southpark/e_lections/index.tin |title=South Park e-Lections |year=2000 |publisher=[[Comedy Central]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001117021000/http://comedycentral.com/southpark/e_lections/index.tin |archive-date=November 17, 2000 |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref><ref name="elections_spin">{{Cite journal |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |volume=17 |issue=3 |date=March 2001 |title=On the Download |last=Radestsky |first=Ary Tye |page=56 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YzBMbiDVcKoC&q=%22ike%27s+wee+wee%22&pg=PA56}}</ref>

Mr. Mackey's line, "drugs are bad, m'kay?", has entered popular culture. The [[Eminem]] song, "The Kids" (which is featured on the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] of the single "[[The Way I Am (Eminem song)|The Way I Am]]" and the clean version of ''[[The Marshall Mathers LP]]''), is thematically about drug use, and makes numerous references to ''South Park'' and impressions of the show's characters,<ref name="eminem_voices">{{Cite book |page=[https://archive.org/details/whateveryousayia00anth/page/65 65] |title=Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem |first=Anthony |last=Bozza |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-4000-5380-3 |publisher=Three Rivers Press |url=https://archive.org/details/whateveryousayia00anth/page/65 }}</ref> including an impression of Mr. Mackey's voice and the repetition of his line.<ref name="eminem_lyrics">{{Cite web|url=http://www.eminem.com/lyrics/default.aspx?tid=19431127 |title=Lyrics: Eminem : Kids |publisher=Official Eminem website |access-date=January 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112013656/http://www.eminem.com/lyrics/default.aspx?tid=19431127 |archive-date=January 12, 2016 }}</ref> The song "Hip Hop Quotables" by [[Ludacris]], from his album ''[[Chicken-n-Beer]]'', also contains the line.<ref name="ludacris_ucsd">{{cite news|url=http://www.ucsdguardian.org/leisure/item/6722-ludacrissettoheadlinerdannualsungodfestival |title=Ludacris set to headline 23rd annual Sun God festival |date=May 11, 2005 |newspaper=[[UCSD Guardian]] |quote={{Interp|...}} 'Hip-Hop Quotables,' one of the funnier songs on any Luda album, with myriad pop culture references (including a pretty decent impression of South Park's Mr. Mackey) {{Interp|...}} |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/653aKBNLE?url=http://www.ucsdguardian.org/leisure/item/6722-ludacrissettoheadlinerdannualsungodfestival |archive-date=January 29, 2012 |access-date=January 29, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2008, the line was referenced in the [[dissenting opinion]] of a judge, in a case of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]].<ref name="baird_text">{{Cite court |litigants=Baird v. Department of the Army |vol=517 |reporter=F.3d |opinion=1345 |court=[[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit|Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit]] |date=2008 |url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=9117017084305864549 |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref> Also, in a 2010 marijuana-related court case at the [[Maryland Court of Appeals]], Judge [[Clayton Greene, Jr.]] referenced the episode in his dissenting opinion, calling Mr. Mackey's words "immortal".<ref name="smith_fp">{{Cite news|url=http://business.financialpost.com/legal-post/13561|title=Judge's decision references Cheech & Chong|last=Hasselback|first=Drew|newspaper=Financial Post |date=October 28, 2010|publisher=financialpost.com|access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref><ref name="smith_text">{{Cite court |litigants=Smith v. State |vol=999 |reporter=A. 2d |opinion=986 |court=[[Maryland Court of Appeals|Md: Court of Appeals]] |date=2010 |url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6341291971754167573 |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref> In 2011, during a judiciary committee hearing about a marijuana-related bill in [[Denver, Colorado]], a representative showed off a potential packaging for edible marijuana products. According to a group called the Cannabis Therapy Institute, the label on the package, which bore the placeholder text, "Legal and governmentally approved statement describing that pot is bad, M-ok", was a reference to the ''South Park'' episode.<ref name="hearing">{{cite magazine |url=http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2011/03/medical_marijuana_south_park_drugs_are_bad.php |title=Medical marijuana hearing nods to 'Drugs are Bad, M'Kay' ''South Park'' ep? (VIDEO, PHOTOS) |first=Michael |last=Roberts |magazine=[[Westword]] |date=March 16, 2011 |access-date=December 22, 2011 |archive-date=December 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217021239/http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2011/03/medical_marijuana_south_park_drugs_are_bad.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Home media==

"Ike's Wee Wee" was released on [[VHS]] in April 1999, along with the episode "[[Chickenlover]]", on a video titled ''South Park: Volume 8''.<ref name="vol8">{{Cite book |title=South Park, Vol. 08: Chickenlover/Ike's Wee Wee <nowiki>[VHS]</nowiki> |isbn = 0790741369}}</ref> The episode saw its first [[DVD]] release in December 1999, on a disc called ''South Park: Volume 4'', which also included "Chickenlover", as well as "[[Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut]]" and "[[Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut]]".<ref name="vol4">{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/South-Park-Vol-Trey-Parker/dp/B00000JQ9T |title=South Park, Vol. 4 |website=Amazon |date=December 14, 1999 |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref> ''South Park: The Complete Second Season'' was released on DVD on June 3, 2003.<ref name="season2dvd_ign_review">{{cite web |url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/426/426456p1.html |title=South Park: The Complete Second Season – DVD Review |website=[[IGN]] |first=Tal |last=Blevins |date=July 2003 |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref> On these home releases, "Ike's Wee Wee" has a humorous introduction by series co-creators [[Trey Parker]] and [[Matt Stone]], who are playing music to the elderly in a retirement home. Episodes of season two have also been released digitally, on services such as [[Amazon Video]],<ref name="amazon_instant_video">{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GF7IO0 |title=South Park Season 2, Ep. 4 "Ike's Wee Wee" |website=Amazon |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref> the [[iTunes Store]],<ref name="itunes">{{Cite web |url=https://itunes.apple.com/tv-season/south-park-season-2/id118796658 |title=TV Shows – South Park, Season 2 |date=August 12, 1997 |publisher=[[iTunes Store]] |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref> and [[Xbox Live Marketplace]].<ref name="xboxlive">{{Cite web |url=http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/TVShow/South-Park/Season/2/01bcff53-9b0d-4916-ad3c-58e6e8ab89e2 |title=South Park: Season 2 |publisher=[[Xbox Live Marketplace]] |access-date=December 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730224238/http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/TVShow/South-Park/Season/2/01bcff53-9b0d-4916-ad3c-58e6e8ab89e2 |archive-date=July 30, 2012 }}</ref> Like most episodes of ''South Park'', "Ike's Wee Wee" is available to watch for free on the show's website, SouthParkStudios.com.<ref name="watch">{{Cite web |url=https://southpark.cc.com/~~full-~~episodes/~~s02e04~~i3ry4k/south-~~ikes~~park-ike-s-wee-wee-season-2-ep-4 |publisher=South Park Studios |title=Full Episode Player: Ike's Wee Wee |date=May 20, 1998 |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref>

==References==