The Jeffersons (South Park)

"The Jeffersons"
South Park episode
Mr. Jefferson, Cartman, Stan, Blanket, and Kyle sleeping in Stan's bed.
Episode no.	Season 8 Episode 6
Directed by	Trey Parker
Written by	Trey Parker
Original air date	April 21, 2004
Episode chronology
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List of South Park episodes

"The Jeffersons" is episode 117 of the Comedy Central animated series South Park. It was originally broadcast on April 21, 2004 and has been described as "a howlingly funny assault on Michael Jackson."^[1]

Plot

Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny are riding their Big Wheels when they noticed that someone new has moved into the Donovans' former residence. When they stop to inspect the house a little boy named Blanket tells them they moved to South Park to escape city life. He invites them inside but they decline, but rethink the offer when Blanket tells them they have Arcade Games inside. They then realize the House is filled with toys and games, and the backyard is a circus.They meet Blanket's father Mr. Jefferson a wealthy, eccentric, effeminate, pale-skinned man-child (who is really Michael Jackson but calls himself Michael Jefferson and wears a Fake moustache) invites them to play with him and climb 'his wishing tree' and bursts out into song.

Kyle begins to notice Mr. Jefferson is neglecting his own son and paying more attention to the other children. He starts to feel bad for Mr. Jefferson's son and brings it up with his friends, after which Cartman warns Kyle to not ruin his relationship with Mr. Jefferson. Stan tells his parents about the Jefferson's and Sharon Marsh decides to invite them over to a dinner party they are having with Gerald and Sheila Broflovski and Stephen and Linda Stotch. The adults try to talk with Mr. Jefferson later that night at the dinner but he is more shy around adults then children, and manages to revolt the other parents when he praises the kids. Cartman becomes jealous that they are having Mr. Jefferson over without him and starts to feel paranoid that he is being besmirched to Mr Jefferson by his friends.

Later that midnight at Stan's house, he is woken by Mr. Jefferson dressed up as Peter Pan who wants to play. Cartman then comes through the window after Mr. Jefferson not wanting Stan to have Mr. Jefferson all to himself. Kyle then shows up at the door with Blanket who he found alone in his backyard. Mr Jefferson suggests a sleepover between the boys and even though they are reluctant they agree. That next morning Stan's parents walk in to see Mr. Jefferson in Stan's bed and reprimand Mr. Jefferson for this instance of inappropriate behaviour and tell him to leave, he offer Stan's parents $100 dollars each to be quiet. Sharon forbids the boys to see Mr. Jefferson anymore, none who have a problem with it except Cartman. Meanwhile at the Park County Police Station Harrison Yates about gets a report about the Jefferson's that says they are wealthy and black, and the whole department sets off to frame him for a crime as they express their disdain for African Americans who are wealthier than them. They spend that night planting cocaine and blood in Mr. Jefferson's home and wait for him to come home. When Mr. Jefferson returns with Blanket from Stan's house they see he really isn't black and they abort the operation, sick with themselves that they had almost put an innocent white man in jail.

Mr. Jefferson refuses to let Blanket outside anymore because he thinks everyone is against them. Stan and Kyle start to fear for the safety of Blanket after Mr Jefferson dangle him from the balcony of his house. They decide to rescue him from the house by replacing him with Kenny in his bed .Harrison Yates returns home planning on quitting the force, but his wife tells him into him telling him 'framing wealthy black people is in his blood', and encourages him to stay on the force. Harrison agrees and decides to check into the Mr. Jefferson case to see what went wrong. Mr. Jefferson, meanwhile is desperately trying to stop his face from falling apart from year of plastic surgery, and calls his Plastic Surgeon in California to see if he can fly out and put his face back together that it falling apart. Harrison Yates at that time is calling the Santa Barbara Police Department, Mr. Jefferson's former residence and they alert him that they framed a rich black man of molestation who didn't look black at all, and he ran away before the trial. Stan and Kyle try and smuggle Blanket out of the house but are confronted by a horribly disfigured Mr. Jefferson who wants them to play. They run away to Blanket's room and Mr. Jefferson, upon seeing Kenny dressed up like Blanket, throws him in the air playfully. However, Kenny is thrown too high and is killed when his head smashes through the ceiling. Mr. Jefferson chases the other three outside where the Police Department is waiting to arrest him for the molestation charges put on him by the Santa Barbara Police force and a crowd gathers around.

Cartman then jumps to the defense of Mr. Jefferson, saying he is tired of all the 'lies' being spread about Mr. Jefferson. He adds that Mr. Jefferson may be different but it was only because he had to work all the time when he was young and never had a childhood of his own, which was why he associated more with children. Kyle then adds to it by explaining to everyone that it might seem logical that the police really do spend all their time framing rich black people (the police look at each other nervously at this point) and that it might be OK that Mr Jefferson acts like a child because he never had a childhood, but delivers the message that he has to grow up because he has a child of his own now. Mr. Jefferson then sees what he should do and decides to be more of a father to Blanket and give away their wealth to the needy, no longer leaving a reason for the Police to arrest him since he is no longer rich.

Reception

Amazon.com's official review states Michael Jackson is "portrayed in the episode 'The Jeffersons' not as a child molester, but as an infantile parent who needs to grow up."^[2] Maxim magazine states Mr. Jefferson is "a Michael Jackson-like freak",^[3] and The National Board of Review's John Gallagher calls this episode "a howlingly funny assault on Michael Jackson."^[1].

References

1. ^ ^{a b} John Gallagher review
2. ^ "Amazon: South Park - The Complete Eighth Season"
3. ^ "South Park: The Complete Eighth Season DVD Movie Review on Maxim"

External links

• The Jeffersons Full episode at South Park Studios
• The Jeffersons Episode guide at South Park Studios