Hubbry Logo
Ginger CowGinger CowMain
Open search
Ginger Cow
Community hub
Ginger Cow
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Ginger Cow
Ginger Cow
Ginger Cow
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

"Ginger Cow"
South Park episode
Episode no.Season 17
Episode 6
Directed byTrey Parker
Written byTrey Parker
Featured music
Production code1706
Original air dateNovember 6, 2013 (2013-11-06)
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Taming Strange" 		Next →
"Black Friday"
South Park season 17
List of episodes

"Ginger Cow" is the sixth episode in the seventeenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 243rd episode of the series overall, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 6, 2013.[1] In the episode, Cartman modifies a cow to make it look like a ginger as a joke. However, various religious groups see this as a prophecy being fulfilled and peace is brought to the Middle East.

Plot

[edit]

At South Park Elementary, Eric Cartman announces that he wishes to apologize to Kyle Broflovski, saying that Kyle was correct the previous day when he told Cartman that humans are not the only animals that can have light skin and freckles. Telling them that he has discovered a ginger cow, Cartman takes his classmates to a nearby farm, where he shows them a cow that has been given a red wig and painted white with giant red "freckles". Though Kyle sees through this obvious prank, Cartman insists to his credulous classmates that it is real.

News of the cow spreads across the globe and is widely interpreted as the fulfillment of a Biblical prophecy regarding a red heifer that signals the end times, prompting mass suicides. Kyle is then called to Mr. Mackey's office, where he is introduced to three Israeli rabbis, who explain the prophecy to him. Kyle tries to convince them that the red heifer is a forgery on Cartman's part, but the farm where the cow is located becomes a pilgrimage site where large numbers of Jews, Muslims, and Christians congregate, each claiming the cow for their respective religions. However, when the three religious sects meet to plan Armageddon, they realize that they are negotiating in a civil manner and that the prophecy may have meant that the cow would signal the end of war, and not the end of the world. The congregants then agree to sacrifice the cow in order to fulfill the prophecy.

Peace is achieved in the Middle East among the three Abrahamic religions, who morph the Christian cross, Jewish Star of David, and Islamic crescent moon into a new unifying symbol—the logo of the band Van Halen, which appears on a stage to commence a 10-year concert in Israel. Cartman then appears at Kyle's house and admits that the cow was a forgery and states that he intends to admit this publicly. Realizing that this revelation may ruin the interfaith peace that the forgery achieved, Kyle asks him not to. Cartman agrees to withhold this information, on condition that Kyle do everything that Cartman says, which includes indignities such as insulting his own mother Sheila to her face, performing menial tasks and humiliating himself in public by allowing Cartman to fart in his face and claiming that he enjoys it.

Kyle, who is conflicted over the morality of the deception, experiences a vision of a spirit that praises his sacrifice and compels him to shave his head. However, Stan Marsh becomes a critical person to Kyle, telling him that while publicly claiming to like Cartman's farts is his prerogative, the self-righteous manner that he has adopted when doing so is not. Kyle is unmoved, and Stan, noting that Kyle's odd behavior began with the peace in the Middle East, seeks to investigate.

Kyle and Cartman travel to Israel, where Cartman intends to further humiliate Kyle by having him endure his farts and claim to enjoy it on a stage before thousands of people. Their demonstration is interrupted, however, by a broadcast hosted by Anderson Cooper, in which Stan intends to expose the truth about Cartman's red cow. Kyle, speaking to Stan privately by cell phone, explains why he has been enduring Cartman's abuse and convinces Stan not to expose the truth, in order to preserve the new peace. Acquiescing to this, Stan instead announces in the broadcast that he saw the cow descend miraculously from heaven. However, the prophecy stated that a fat child with a small penis would disguise a cow to look ginger, not that one would just miraculously fall from the sky. The short-lived peace among the three religions falls apart. Kyle, realizing that the prophecy really has occurred, tries to convince the rabbis that this is precisely what happened, but Cartman (insulted at his penis size in the prophecy) refuses to corroborate this, claiming, "I have a huge dick." The episode ends with Cartman farting one last time on a crestfallen Kyle.

Production

[edit]

On the DVD commentary for the episode, South Park co-creator Matt Stone revealed that the story was inspired by material he had read on the red heifer's prominence in the Abrahamic religions, which lent itself to the story on how peace is achieved in the Middle East.[2]

Parker and Stone felt that, in hindsight, the episode should have been a two-part storyline, explaining that the premise could have been mined for further development, perhaps even for a feature film. They were forced to cut a lot of content to condense the episode to the standard runtime of around twenty-one minutes.[2]

Reception

[edit]

Max Nicholson of IGN gave the episode a score of 7.5 out of 10, stating that it "touches on some great ideas that would have benefited from more time."[3]

Ryan McGee of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+ rating, stating, "'Ginger Cow' comes very close to utterly succeeding on several occasions, but ultimately settles for being fascinating. There are some great ideas here that no amount of screen time would ever sufficiently answer. But those ideas still needed more screen time to sufficiently debate. Still, in a season as subpar as this has been, it’s heartening to see the show can still recapture some of its past heights this late in the game."[4]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Ginger Cow

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
"Ginger Cow" is the sixth episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated adult sitcom , which first aired on on November 6, 2013. In the plot, fabricates a "ginger cow" by disguising an ordinary bovine with , , and spots as a prank targeting his classmate , who has . The ruse spirals when religious leaders mistake the animal for a prophesied sign of the , prompting , , and to unite in and broker a brief peace in the , only for divisions to reemerge over its ritual sacrifice. The episode satirizes religious prophecies, interfaith dynamics, and the fragility of geopolitical accords, drawing loose inspiration from the biblical ritual described in Numbers 19, where a flawless red cow's ashes purify the impure. It received a 7.7 out of 10 rating on from over 2,700 user reviews, reflecting mixed reception for its irreverent take on sensitive theological topics amid 's ongoing pattern of provocative content.

Episode Synopsis

Plot Summary

In the episode, devises a prank against by painting a cow with and affixing a to mimic a "ginger," presenting it to their classmates at Elementary as proof that gingers exist beyond humans. The deception escalates when global news outlets report the cow as the prophesied from Biblical texts, prompting mass pilgrimages by Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders to , each faction interpreting it as a harbinger of the . Religious representatives convene and, recognizing the cow's appearance as a potential unifier rather than divider, negotiate a truce: they agree to ritually sacrifice the animal in to fulfill the prophecy, inadvertently achieving lasting peace in the and adopting the logo as a symbol of unity, culminating in plans for a decade-long in . Cartman privately confesses the to Kyle, who, prioritizing global harmony over personal pride, implores him to maintain the lie in exchange for enduring repeated humiliations, including public insults to his and consuming Cartman's via a custom "fart board." As the group travels to for the ceremony, Kyle experiences a vision affirming his self-, leading him to shave his head in devotion, while grows suspicious of the unfolding events and investigates the cow's origins. During the of the —executed by —Stan attempts to expose the fraud through a reporter, but Kyle intervenes, fabricating a divine origin for the cow to preserve peace; however, scrutiny of the prophecy's reveals discrepancies, including references to a "fat child" disguising the heifer, shattering the illusion and reigniting sectarian conflicts. Kyle, despondent over the futility of his concessions, confronts his friends, as Cartman refuses to corroborate further deceptions.

Key Characters and Dynamics

Eric Cartman serves as the episode's primary antagonist and catalyst, devising a prank by outfitting a cow with a red wig and painting it pale with exaggerated freckles to ridicule "gingers" and target his rival Kyle Broflovski. This deception spirals when Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious leaders interpret the altered cow as the prophesied red heifer, prompting them to unite in Jerusalem and broker an unprecedented Middle East peace accord on November 6, 2013, the episode's air date. Cartman capitalizes on the ensuing global adulation to intensify his torment of Kyle, culminating in forcing Kyle to inhale and ingest his flatulence as a humiliating power play. Kyle Broflovski embodies the victimized counterpart, initially skeptical of Cartman's scheme but drawn into the religious fervor due to his Jewish heritage and the prophecy's implications for reconstruction. His dynamic with Cartman underscores their longstanding enmity, amplified here by Kyle's reluctant participation in sustaining the lie for peace's sake, despite personal degradation. provides a of rational , clashing with Kyle over the authenticity of the "miracle," which strains their friendship as Stan questions whether ends justify deceptive means. plays a subdued role, assisting in the farm visit but largely sidelined amid the interpersonal conflicts. Interfaith representatives—a rabbi, priest, and imam—emerge as collective protagonists in the geopolitical subplot, their cooperative zeal highlighting ironic harmony born from Cartman's juvenile ruse, though devoid of individual depth beyond symbolic unity. Overall, the episode's tensions pivot on deception's unintended positives versus relational costs, with Cartman's Machiavellian opportunism clashing against the boys' ethical qualms.

Production

Development and Writing

"Ginger Cow," the sixth episode of 's seventeenth season, was written and directed by series co-creator . Co-creator contributed to the development, revealing in the episode's DVD commentary that the central plot—revolving around a modified cow misinterpreted as fulfilling a religious —drew from his readings on the red heifer's significance across Abrahamic faiths, particularly its role in Jewish purification rituals described in Numbers 19 and eschatological expectations in , . This concept was adapted to satirize interfaith tensions and messianic fervor, tying into earlier lore from the 2005 episode "," where gingerism was mocked as a fabricated . The script incorporated a surprise celebrity cameo by as himself, inspired by the frontman's real-life visit to Studios; Roth had contacted Parker for personal advice, prompting the writers to weave him into the story as a skeptical figure amid the escalating religious hysteria. Production adhered to the show's rapid-cycle format, with writing and initial animation completed in roughly six days to enable quick turnaround, though this episode emphasized speculative religious parody over topical news events. Parker's direction emphasized escalating absurdity, culminating in global peace disrupted by interpretive disputes, reflecting the duo's approach to blending juvenile pranks with broader cultural critique.

Animation and Technical Aspects

The "Ginger Cow" episode adheres to South Park's established pipeline, which digitally replicates the cutout technique originating from the series' pilot. Assets, including character designs and backgrounds, are created as in before being imported for and . This workflow supports the show's signature style, featuring flat colors, minimal frame rates around 12-24 fps, and abrupt movements to emphasize comedic timing. Animation for the episode was handled in , the primary software since season 5, enabling layered manipulation of cutout elements for scenes such as the fabricated "ginger cow" with its applied and . New characters like Davin Milner required multi-view designs (front, side, back) to facilitate consistent posing across sequences. Storyboards preceded key moments, including Kyle's illness sequence, progressing through rough sketches to final animated frames. Technical production involved a for efficient processing, allowing the 22-minute color episode to align with Comedy Central's broadcast standards in 16:9 and sound mix. This rapid pipeline, typically completing episodes in under a week, facilitated the integration of topical without compromising the 2D aesthetic. No experimental techniques or style shifts were employed, maintaining continuity with season 17's uniform .

Cultural Context

Real-World Inspiration: The Red Heifer Prophecy

The red heifer, known in Hebrew as parah adumah, refers to a specific ritual in the Torah outlined in Numbers 19:1–10, requiring the sacrifice of an unblemished, entirely red female cow that has never been yoked, whose ashes—mixed with spring water—are used to purify individuals from ritual impurity associated with death. This purification is prerequisite for kohanim (priests) to perform Temple services without defilement, a requirement rooted in ancient Israelite purity laws. Jewish tradition, as codified by , holds that only nine such qualifying heifers were prepared from the time of through the Second Temple period, with the tenth prophesied to be overseen by the himself, signaling the restoration of full sacrificial worship. Certain Orthodox Jewish groups interpret the successful identification and preparation of a blemish-free today as enabling the resumption of these rites, potentially paving the way for construction of the Third Temple on the in —a site currently occupied by Islamic holy places—and thus heralding the Messianic era. This view is not universally held among ; mainstream denominations like Reform and largely reject Temple rebuilding efforts as anachronistic or politically fraught, while some Orthodox scholars caution against proactive steps that could provoke conflict without divine mandate. The Temple Institute, founded in 1987 in to reconstruct Temple vessels and train , has pursued breeding programs and international sourcing to obtain a viable , emphasizing strict adherence to halakhic criteria such as no more than two non-red hairs and no substantive white markings. Efforts date back to at least , when the group announced a candidate heifer in that ultimately failed qualification due to a stray hair, and continued with importations, including five Angus heifers from in September 2022 by affiliated organizations for evaluation and potential ritual use. As of 2025, no heifer has met all standards for sacrifice, with recent disqualifications attributed to minor defects emerging during maturation. Evangelical Christians often view the through an eschatological lens, citing it as a fulfillment of in books like and , where construction precedes the Antichrist's or Christ's return, though this interpretation extrapolates beyond the Jewish textual focus on purity alone. The 's cross-Abrahamic resonance—appearing in Islamic traditions as a of end times—underscores its inspirational value for , as noted by co-creator , who drew from sources highlighting the heifer's role in unifying religious expectations of or redemption. In the , this manifests as a contrived "ginger cow" exploiting interfaith desperation for , mocking the high-stakes symbolism while exaggerating the logistical and doctrinal hurdles of real-world Temple preparations.

Broadcast and Release Details

"Ginger Cow," the sixth episode of South Park's seventeenth season, originally premiered on in the United States on , 2013. The episode, produced under code 1706, aired as part of the network's Wednesday night lineup at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Home media release for the full seventeenth season, including "Ginger Cow," occurred on DVD and Blu-ray on September 16, 2014, distributed by . Digital streaming availability followed, with the episode becoming accessible on platforms such as Paramount+ and the official website for subscribers. International broadcasts varied by region, typically airing on local channels affiliated with shortly after the U.S. premiere, though specific dates depended on licensing agreements.

Reception

Critical Response

Critical reception to "The Ginger Cow," the sixth episode of South Park's seventeenth season aired on November 6, 2013, was mixed, with reviewers praising its ambitious satire on religious and interfaith unity while critiquing its overcrowded narrative and uneven execution. The episode's central premise—Cartman's prank involving a modified cow interpreted as fulfilling a uniting , —drew commendation for blending high-concept commentary with the show's signature lowbrow humor, such as the logo gag symbolizing . However, several critics noted the script's tendency to cram multiple ideas without sufficient development, resulting in a rushed resolution that undermined the thematic potency. The A.V. Club awarded the episode a B+ grade, describing it as potentially the strongest of a lackluster season despite its flaws, highlighting the effective fusion of critique and fart-based comedy while lamenting the limited exploration of Kyle's moral dilemma and the "queasy" ending that prioritized shock over depth. rated it 7.5 out of 10, acknowledging solid conceptual jokes around the prank's unintended global consequences but faulting the one-note repetition and lack of expansion, suggesting the episode could have benefited from tighter focus amid 's weekly production constraints. In contrast, Assignment X deemed it the season's weakest installment, criticizing the repetitive Kyle-Cartman dynamic, unoriginal , and absence of sustained laughs, with the resolution restoring conflict in a manner that felt predictable and uninspired. Broader commentary positioned the episode within South Park's evolving style, where rapid topicality often sacrifices polish; Vulture later reflected on it as indicative of seasonal fatigue, grouping it with weaker entries that hinted at creative exhaustion despite flashes of ingenuity. , however, highlighted it positively as one of the standout Kyle-Cartman rivalries, valuing the escalation from prank to geopolitical crisis for its character-driven absurdity. Overall, the response underscored divided opinions on whether the episode's bold thematic risks outweighed its structural shortcomings, reflecting South Park's polarizing approach to and .

Viewership and Audience Metrics

"Ginger Cow" premiered on on November 6, 2013, drawing 2.39 million viewers according to Nielsen measurements for its initial U.S. broadcast. The episode has sustained audience engagement, evidenced by its 7.7 out of 10 rating on , aggregated from 2,775 user votes. Season 17 of , including "Ginger Cow," contributed to the series' robust viewership during that period, with the season described as one of the strongest in recent years for maintaining consistent ratings. Streaming availability on platforms like Paramount+ has further extended its reach, though specific post-premiere streaming metrics remain undisclosed.

Analysis and Legacy

Satirical Themes and Commentary

In "Ginger Cow," the episode satirizes religious literalism by depicting how a juvenile prank—Cartman adorning a cow with a and —escalates into a perceived fulfillment of ancient prophecies central to , Christianity, and Islam, specifically the ritual described in Numbers 19 of the , which requires an unblemished red cow for purification ashes to enable reconstruction. Religious leaders from conflicting faiths converge in , interpreting the altered bovine as the long-awaited sign that halts Middle Eastern hostilities and fosters interfaith harmony, thereby lampooning the notion that eschatological expectations can override doctrinal divisions when a superficial "" aligns with scriptural . The narrative underscores the absurdity of prophecy interpretation through escalating revelations: initial unity stems from shared oversight of textual details, only for the "true" to specify a "fat kid with a small dick" orchestrating the event, a crude twist that exposes prophetic narratives as potentially self-serving or coincidental fabrications rather than infallible divine mandates. This device critiques how religious authorities retrofit vague ancient texts to contemporary anomalies, prioritizing ritualistic consensus over empirical scrutiny, as evidenced by the leaders' willingness to sacrifice the cow despite its artificial origins. Cartman's opportunistic reluctance to dismantle the —despite his anti-Semitic glee at initially targeting Kyle—further satirizes human agency in religious affairs, portraying geopolitical stability as contingent on individual pettiness rather than transcendent forces, with the prankster's threat to confess solely to reignite conflict highlighting the episode's cynical view of sustained amity as unnatural or unsustainable without ongoing . Media amplification of the "Ginger Cow" phenomenon parodies sensationalist coverage, where outlets uniformly hype as apocalyptic without verifying its authenticity, reflecting broader commentary on how unexamined narratives propagate across institutions. Overall, the episode aligns with 's tradition of equal-opportunity irreverence toward Abrahamic faiths, using the motif—drawn from verifiable theological expectations tied to messianic anticipation—to argue that religious fervor, while capable of improbable positives like transient peace, rests on foundations as contrived as a painted farm animal.

Controversies and Interpretations

The "Ginger Cow" episode has been interpreted as a pointed satire on the interplay between religious and international conflict, particularly illustrating how a perceived fulfillment of shared eschatological signs across , could theoretically bridge divides but ultimately proves ephemeral when rooted in deception rather than genuine resolution. In the narrative, the faked ginger cow—modeled after the biblical (parah adumah) described in Numbers 19:2 as a blemish-free red cow required for purification rituals enabling reconstruction—unites warring factions temporarily, leading to absurd peace accords like non-ballistic nuclear weapons and a concert in on December 21, 2012, before the dye fades and hostilities resume. This setup underscores the fragility of faith-driven unity, with analysts noting it critiques reliance on miraculous signs over pragmatic diplomacy amid tensions, coinciding with contemporaneous nuclear negotiations. Kyle Broflovski's subplot, where he endures Eric Cartman's escalating humiliations (including consuming flatulence) to preserve the illusion and avert renewed war, adds a layer of commentary on individual for collective , though framed through the show's characteristic irreverence toward moral heroism. Broader readings position the episode within South Park's tradition of exposing religious absurdities, such as the rarity of qualifying red heifers—historically limited to nine instances since , due to stringent criteria excluding even two non-red hairs—while questioning the prophecy's interpretive evolution from purification rite to apocalyptic harbinger in modern evangelical and messianic contexts. Controversies surrounding the episode were muted compared to South Park's more incendiary religion-themed installments, with no organized protests or network interventions reported, though some religious viewers objected to the trivialization of the as a prank, viewing it as disrespectful to scriptural imperatives tied to Temple restoration and end-times fulfillment. Jewish media outlets like and addressed the satire factually, contextualizing the prophecy's Abrahamic overlaps (including a yellow cow variant in 2:67-71) without endorsing outrage, attributing the show's approach to its history of irreverent religious critique rather than targeted malice. Post-2013 developments, including the 2022 breeding and 2023 shipment of qualifying red heifers from to for potential use, prompted retrospective discussions framing the episode as prescient, with online commentators linking its temporary peace motif to ongoing disputes, though these remain speculative and unverified by primary religious authorities.

References

  1. https://southparkstudios.com/episodes/1uyt33/south-park-ginger-cow-season-17-ep-6
  2. https://glidemagazine.com/113982/south-park-breakdown-ginger-cow/
  3. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3237516/
  4. https://newvoices.org/2013/11/20/south-park-brings-peace-to-the-middle-east-for-10-minutes/
  5. https://southpark.cc.com/wiki/Ginger_Cow
  6. https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/07/south-park-ginger-cow-review
  7. https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/south-park-ginger-cow-review/
  8. https://southpark.fandom.com/wiki/Ginger_Cow/Trivia
  9. https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/17579/what-kind-of-animation-drawing-program-do-they-use-to-make-south-park
  10. https://southpark.fandom.com/wiki/Animation_Changes
  11. https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/26328/why-are-the-latest-episodes-of-south-park-not-in-3d-animation
  12. https://southpark.cc.com/news/qghw9v/behind-the-scenes-of-ginger-cow
  13. https://shotonwhat.com/south-park-ginger-cow-2013
  14. https://www.watchmojo.com/articles/how-south-park-is-made
  15. https://www.gotquestions.org/red-heifer.html
  16. https://templeinstitute.org/para-aduma-the-red-heifer/
  17. https://templeinstitute.org/red-heifer-the-tenth-red-heifer/
  18. https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2013-11-13/ty-article/.premium/south-parks-red-cow-end-of-days/0000017f-dbd7-d3ff-a7ff-fbf7a91f0000
  19. https://templeinstitute.org/red-heifer-introduction/
  20. https://templeinstitute.org/para-aduma-the-red-heifer-4/
  21. https://x.com/AFpost/status/1953636946569572588
  22. https://harvestprophecyhq.com/red-heifers-third-temple-rapture/
  23. https://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/1uyt33/south-park-ginger-cow-season-17-ep-6
  24. https://37prime.com/news/2013/11/04/south-park-season-17-episode-6-ginger-cow/
  25. https://southpark.cc.com/wiki/South_Park:_The_Complete_Seventeenth_Season
  26. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/south_park/s17/e06
  27. https://tv.apple.com/ie/episode/ginger-cow/umc.cmc.r1gpk67weftclgi0syfk77ee
  28. https://www.avclub.com/south-park-ginger-cow-1798178603
  29. https://www.assignmentx.com/2013/tv-review-south-park-season-17-ginger-cow/
  30. https://www.vulture.com/2017/08/the-five-stages-of-south-park.html
  31. https://screenrant.com/south-park-best-kyle-cartman-episodes/
  32. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/south_park/s17
  33. https://www.vulture.com/2013/12/17-years-in-south-park-delivered-one-of-its-strongest-seasons-yet.html
  34. https://www.timesofisrael.com/south-park-sacrifices-red-heifer/
  35. https://forward.com/culture/187593/south-park-and-the-jewish-red-heifer-tale-of-armag/
  36. https://linglewilliam13.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/textual-analysis-south-park-s17-e6-ginger-cow/
  37. https://www.bubbleblabber.com/2013/11/review-south-park-ginger-cow/
  38. https://southpark.cc.com/video-clips/j6272u/south-park-ginger-cow-in-the-news
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.