Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics
"Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the animated television series South Park. An album of the same name consisting of versions of songs from the show as well as a number of additional songs was released the week prior to the episode's original air date, December 1, 1999.
"Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" | |
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South Park episode | |
Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 15 |
Directed by | Trey Parker |
Written by | Trey Parker |
Production code | 315 |
Original air date | December 1, 1999 |
Reception
In September 2008, Russian prosecutors filed a motion to ban the series based on complaints received about this episode.[1] The TV station was allowed to keep its license by agreeing not to re-air the program.[2]
Ted Gournelos called "Merry Fucking Christmas" as sung by Mr. Garrison, "ridiculously offensive".[3]
Episode
The episode is styled as a variety show and features Mr. Hankey as the host;[4] he sits by the fire in his sewer home and introduces shorts featuring unusual holiday songs. In a similar fashion to "Starvin' Marvin in Space", the episode was dedicated to Mary Kay Bergman, the original voice of most of the female characters on the show up to that point, who had committed suicide less than a month earlier. Since the episode features audio from the Christmas Classics album, which had been recorded months earlier, it marks the final episode in which Bergman's voice is heard. During the performance of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a brief montage of several of Bergman’s characters are shown and some gather within Mr. Hankey’s home afterwards to sing.
During the "Christmas Time in Hell" song Satan is singing along with various celebrities in Hell, including Jeffrey Dahmer, John F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Jr., Diana, Princess of Wales, Gene Siskel, Mao Zedong, Genghis Khan, Michael Landon and Jimmy Stewart. A framed picture of comedian Andy Dick is also seen during the dance number.
Songs/scenes
- "Mr. Hankey The Christmas Poo", performed by a postman (a reference to Fred Astaire's character in Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town), Mr. Hankey and the students of South Park Elementary (students voiced by the voice actors of Ike Broflovski)
- "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel (The Dreidel Song)", performed by Kyle Broflovski, with Eric Cartman, Stan Marsh, and Gerald, Sheila and Ike Broflovski
- "O Tannenbaum", performed by Adolf Hitler
- "Christmas Time In Hell", performed by Satan and the damned
- "Carol of the Bells", performed by Mr. Mackey
- "O Holy Night", incorrectly performed by Eric Cartman[5]
- "Merry Fucking Christmas", performed by Mr. Garrison
- "I Saw Three Ships", performed by Shelley Marsh
- A Christmas medley performed by Jesus and Santa Claus as lounge singers, featuring: "Joy to the World", "Up On the House Top", "Away in a Manger", "O Come All Ye Faithful", "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", "Silent Night", "Rio", and "Let it Snow"
- "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", performed by Mr. Hankey and the cast. During the scene, Kenny is killed when a chandelier falls on him.
- During the ending credits a reprise of "Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel" plays.
"Fighting the frizzies, at eleven."
After every commercial break, a live action segment featuring a news anchor is shown, saying "Fighting the frizzies, at eleven." In the DVD commentary, Stone and Parker indicate this is a reference to a bootleg tape of Star Wars Holiday Special. The original tape featured a brief clip at the end from WCBS-TV featuring newscaster Rolland Smith informing viewers, "Fighting the frizzies, at eleven." However, while the original news ad was apparently referring to "frizzy" hair, the ending credits of this episode of South Park feature the news anchor boxing a man in a giant fuzzy suit.[6]
Album
South Park: Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics | ||||
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Soundtrack album by Various Artists | ||||
Released | November 23, 1999 | |||
Genre | Comedy, Christmas Music | |||
Length | 36:34 | |||
Label | Columbia American Recordings | |||
Producer | Rick Rubin (exec.) Marc Shaiman, Matt Stone, Trey Parker | |||
South Park chronology | ||||
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The album features more songs than the show. Additionally, some of those featured in the show are slightly different than the aired versions. The album reached #33 on Billboard's 1999 Christmas albums.[7]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performed by | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Mr. Hankey The Christmas Poo" | Trey Parker, Marc Shaiman | Cowboy Timmy | 2:16 |
2. | "Merry Fucking Christmas" | Parker | Mr. Garrison | 2:04 |
3. | "O Holy Night" | (Traditional) | Eric Cartman | 1:57 |
4. | "Dead, Dead, Dead" | Parker | Juan Schwartz and the South Park Children's Choir | 2:13 |
5. | "Carol of the Bells" | Leontovich, Peter Wilhousky | Mr. Mackey | 0:57 |
6. | "The Lonely Jew on Christmas" | Parker, Shaiman | Kyle Broflofski | 2:46 |
7. | "I Saw Three Ships" | (Traditional) | Shelley Marsh | 1:02 |
8. | "It Happened in Sun Valley" | Mack Gordon, Harry Warren | Stan Marsh and Wendy Testaburger | 2:21 |
9. | "O Tannenbaum" | (Traditional) | Adolf Hitler | 1:10 |
10. | "Christmas Time in Hell" | Parker, Shaiman | Satan, The Dark Prince | 2:15 |
11. | "What the Hell Child is This?" | (Traditional, adapted by Marc Shaiman) | Chef | 4:28 |
12. | "Santa Claus is on His Way" | Parker | Mr. Hankey | 0:28 |
13. | "Swiss Colony Beef Log" | Parker, David Goodman | Cartman | 2:16 |
14. | "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" | (Traditional) | The South Park Children's Choir | 0:40 |
15. | "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" | (Traditional, adapted by Marc Shaiman) | The Broflofskis with Eric Cartman and Stan Marsh | 3:20 |
16. | "The Most Offensive Song Ever" | Parker, Shaiman | Kenny McCormick and Mr. Hankey | 3:00 |
17. | "We Three Kings" | (Traditional) | Mr. Ose | 0:51 |
18. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | Hugh Martin, Ralph Blaine | Mr. Hankey with Stan, Kyle and Cartman | 2:30 |
Singles
- "Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo"
- CD1
- "Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo" – Performed by Cowboy Timmy
- "Cheesy Poofs (Theme)" – Performed by Eric Cartman
- "Chocolate Salty Balls" (Karaoke Version) – Performed by Chef
- CD2
- "Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo" – Performed by Cowboy Timmy
- "My Best Friends" (Snippet) – Performed by Eric Cartman
- "Swiss Colony Beef Log" – Performed by Eric Cartman
References
- "Bid to ban "extremist" U.S. cartoon". Reuters. 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- Dobson, William J. (2012-06-05). The Dictator's Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. pp. 171–. ISBN 9780385533362. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- Gournelos, Ted (2009-09-30). Popular Culture and the Future of Politics: Cultural Studies and the Tao of South Park. Lexington Books. pp. 65–. ISBN 9780739137222. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- Ariano, Tara; Bunting, Sarah D. (2006). Television Without Pity: 752 Things We Love to Hate (and Hate to Love) about TV. Quirk Books. pp. 169–. ISBN 9781594741173. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- Werts, Diane (2006). Christmas on Television. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 178–. ISBN 9780275983314. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- The Complete South Park Season 3 DVD
- Inc., Nielsen Business Media (2000-09-16). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 69–. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
External links
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics |
- Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics Full episode at South Park Studios
- Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics Episode guide at South Park Studios
- "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" on IMDb
- "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" at TV.com