Cow Days

"Cow Days"
South Park episode
Cartman rides the bull, trying to win the rodeo.
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 13
Directed by	Trey Parker
Written by	Trey Parker David Goodman
Production code	213
Original air date	September 30, 1998
Guest stars
Dian Bachar as the Cow Days' announcer
Episode chronology
← Previous "Clubhouses" Next → "Chef Aid"
South Park (season 2) List of South Park episodes

"Cow Days" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the animated television series South Park, and 26th episode of the series overall. "Cow Days" originally aired in the United States on September 30, 1998. It features issues of cults and the ethics of rodeos and funfairs.

Plot synopsis

On a game show an interracial couple named Tom and Mary win a trip to South Park for the "Cow Days" festival. Though this was far from what they hoped for in a prize, they decide to try to enjoy it anyway. The usual festival practices events such as releasing cows (a release that results in the death of many people, mainly due to their panicked haste to escape the passive cows), a reference to Pamplona's Running of the Bulls. Meanwhile, Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman are at the carnival, but find it far less than satisfactory, containing rides such as "The Chamber of Farts" (which is rather short) and the "Line Ride." (which consists of nothing more than standing in a long line until they reach the end) They finally find something enjoyable in a ball-throwing game that allows them the chance to win a pair of Terrance and Phillip dolls, but the game is rigged and cannot be won (to win, the balls must be thrown through Jennifer Love Hewitt's mouth, but they do not fit). It is very expensive, costing $5 for three balls; the fact the game cannot be won makes it a cash-guzzling scam. The game's sexual connotations also go unnoticed. At first, Kyle tries to call "shenanigans" in an attempt to bring Officer Barbrady's attention to the rigged game, but the carny running the stall cleverly replaces the last ball with one that is small enough to fit through the hole. Kyle is unable to justify his declaration when his last throw is a winner. Afterwards, once Barbrady is gone, the carny goes back on his word and tells them they have to win seven times to get the dolls. They decide to enter Cartman in the bull-riding contest to try to win $5,000, enough money to play until they get the dolls.

Meanwhile, all the cows in the town discover the festival's symbol, a giant Buddha-shaped clock with the head of a cow which moos every hour, and carry it off to start their own cult, where they begin to worship it as a god. The visitors from the game show are accused of stealing the clock and are thrown in jail.

During practice for the bull-riding contest, making Cartman to ride an elderly bull, but got thrown off and hits his head. He is then diagnosed with a peculiar state of amnesia and believes himself to be a Vietnamese prostitute named Ming-Lee, which references a scene from Full Metal Jacket. He enters the contest anyway and wins the grand prize. After an overnight stay with Leonardo DiCaprio, Cartman finally gets his memory back.

The leaders of the town find the cows and confront them, telling them to go back to their proper places in society. Instead, the cows commit mass suicide in a cult-like fashion; powerless to stop them, the people of the town mourn the cows' sad action.

Back at the carnival, the dishonest carny decides to just let the boys buy the dolls with their $5,000 rather than play for them. However, the boys discover that the dolls are not authentic but cheap knock-offs, as they had originally suspected. Kyle "reinstates [his] claim of shenanigans" on the game, making everyone else realize how stupid and lame the carnival is. Officer Barbrady officially declares "shenanigans", which gives the townspeople free rein to destroy the carnival with brooms, before the carnies are all arrested.

In the excitement of the riot, Tom and Mary are forgotten and starve to death in prison and are found being eaten by mice (presumably all within one day). A plan to cover up the deaths is arranged; everyone is instructed to claim that the couple never arrived in South Park, and thus ends the Cow Days Festival.

The following day Stan and Kyle are at the bus stop playing with their Terrance and Phillip dolls when Cartman arrives explaining that he had the weirdest dream and that he became a Vietnamese prostitute and rode a bull, a limosine pulls up and Leonardo DiCaprio thanks Cartman for his services. Cartman realises his dream was a reality, angered by this he shouts "Son of a Bitch!"

External links

• "Cow Days" Full Episode at South Park Studios
• "Cow Days" Episode Guide at South Park Studios
• "Cow Days" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Cow Days" at TV.com