Al Gore's Fight for Global Warming Awareness Mocked on South Park

I was rather disappointed in Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the Comedy Central series, South Park, for not following through with their threat to show Mohammed during the two-part ‘Cartoon Wars’ episode (bitterly ironic since Mohammed had already been parodied on the show before during the episode called ‘Super Best Friends’ along with Jesus, Moses, Joseph Smith, and other religious figures) but the show is so funny I can’t stay mad at them for long. Former vice-president Al Gore was the subject of this past week’s episode called ‘Manbearpig’.

Here is a quick summary of the episode:

Al Gore visits South Park Elementary, and talks about the terrible Manbearpig, which roams the earth. Manbearpig is either half-man, half-bear and half-pig, or half-man and half-bearpig. It is also suggested that he might be half pig, half man-bear. Stan's Dad says the former VP is desperate for attention; Stan feels sorry for him since he has no friends. Al Gore begins pestering Stan, however, and when Gore breaks down on the phone Stan agrees to go to a meeting about Manbearpig. Al Gore declares that Manbearpig is hiding in the Cave of the Winds, and when he explains they won't have to go to school the kids agree to go with him.

I won’t spoil it for you, but click on the picture above to download the episode for yourself. In short, it mocks Al Gore’s fight for global warming awareness. The creators of South Park had already made fun of the global warming threat in ‘Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow’, so instead of repeating themselves they chose to poke at Al Gore’s inflated ego and insecurity (he uses the word ‘cereal’ instead of ‘serious’ or ‘seriously’ and shouts ‘excelsior’ before running off in a red cap at the end of the episode).

Here are some quotes from the program:

Mr. Mackey: M'kay, students, we have a very special guest speaker today. Who can tell me the name of our country's last vice-president?

Kyle: Dick Cheney?

Mr. Mackey: No, the last one.

Butters: Bill Clinton.

Mr. Mackey: No, Clinton's vice-president. [no one has an answer] He is here today to talk to you students about some very serious issues. Please welcome Al Gure. [some applause. Al Gore arrives and Mr. Mackey steps away to one side]

Stan: Who?

Al Gore: Thank you, Mr. Mackey, students of South Park Elementary.. I'm here to educate you about the single biggest threat to our planet. You see, there is something out there which threatens our very existence and may be the end of the human race as we know it. I'm talking of course about... [a projector comes on and a picture of a monster appears] Manbearpig. [a beast with the legs and tail of a pig, the body and arms of a bear, and the face and upper-body posture of a man]

Kyle: [softly, to Stan] Manbearpig? [Stan just turns his hands up and shrugs]

Al Gore: It is a creature which roams the earth alone. It is half man, half bear, and half pig. Some people say that Manbearpig isn't real. Well, I'm here to tell you know, Manbearpig is very real, and he most certainly exists. I'm serial. Manbearpig doesn't care who you are or what you've done. Manbearpig simply wants to get you! I'm super-serial. [Mr. Mackey and Mrs. Garrison just look at each other.] But have no fear, because I am here to save you! And someday, when the world is rid of Manbearpig, everyone will say "Thank you, Al Gore. You're super awesome." The end.

Mr. Mackey: [reappears and clips a little] Uhhh, ohhhkay, thank you Mr. Gore.

Al Gore: Thank you, class. Excelsior! [Stan and Kyle just blink at each other]

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Al Gore: [whining, stamps his right foot when saying "serial"] Why won't anybody listen to me?! ManBearPig is in there and we have to kill him while we all have the chance. I'm serial!

Tour Guide 3: Mr. Gore, please, we need you to calm down. Now, w-what exactly do you suggest we do?

Al Gore: I told you we need to fill the cave with hot molten lead, 'cause it's the only way to make sure ManBearPig never comes out! And I'm sane and I'm totally serial, but everyone just keeps digging!