Goobacks
Encyclopedia
"Goobacks" is the 7th episode of the 8th season of the animated television series South Park
, and the 118th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central
in the United States on April 28, 2004. In the episode, people from a poverty-stricken future travel back in time to find work, affecting the town's economy and the employment of the original occupants.
The episode serves as a satire of illegal immigration
, and mocks both sides of the debate concerning it.
, Kyle
, Cartman
and Kenny
watch a report on CNN
about the mysterious arrival. The alien, who has come from over a thousand years in the future, is looking for work because of the overpopulation and poverty of his time, and he learns that the money that he earns in the 21st century will be enough to feed his family in 3045. Soon enough, large numbers of immigrants begin to come through the portal. The aliens are described by CNN as "a hairless, uniform mix of all races" with the same skin color, while their language is a guttural mixture of all world languages. As the boys return to offer to shovel snow again the next day, they find that the newly arrived time-immigrants have shovelled all driveways on the street for very low pay. As the immigrants are willing to accept jobs for that kind of pay, the original workers throughout South Park are fired, thus resulting in massive unemployment throughout the town.
At a meeting to discuss their concern with the immigrants, construction worker Darryl Weathers complains that they have worked hard to get their pay high enough to make a living, but now are being ousted by the time immigrants. The other workers voice their own complaints, with each sentence finishing off with an increasingly slurred and garbled exclamation of "They took our jobs!", which later becomes their slogan. Later at that meeting, Weathers has the audience suggest ideas for stopping the immigrants from arriving at the town. One man suggests everyone stripping and engaging in an orgy
; Weathers likes the idea, as it is the only way to stop the immigrants from coming because homosexual couples cannot spawn offspring. The protesters agree and begin the orgy.
Meanwhile, Stan's father Randy loses his job to an immigrant and becomes the spokesperson of the protesters. Randy is interviewed by CNN while still naked. Next to him is a very embarrassed and disturbed Stan, who explains that he understands that the immigrants are living in poverty and they are just trying to get by, but realizes that poor societies often hurt other societies instead of helping them. He suggests that the people of the present should try to make the future better so the immigrants will not need to come. The entire town begins to recycle, install solar and wind power devices, plant trees, give to the poor, etc., hoping to cause the Goobacks to disappear. Although the townspeople's efforts are successful, the boys observe that the work is "gayer than all the men getting in a big pile and having sex with each other", and with an exclamation of "To the pile!", the male adults resume their orgy.
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, and the 118th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
in the United States on April 28, 2004. In the episode, people from a poverty-stricken future travel back in time to find work, affecting the town's economy and the employment of the original occupants.
The episode serves as a satire of illegal immigration
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
, and mocks both sides of the debate concerning it.
Plot
Early in the morning, a mysterious alien man appears in South Park, entering from some kind of portal. Unfamiliar with his surroundings, he is hit lightly by a car. After shovelling snow, StanStan Marsh
Stanley Randall "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
, Kyle
Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
, Cartman
Eric Cartman
Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
and Kenny
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
watch a report on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
about the mysterious arrival. The alien, who has come from over a thousand years in the future, is looking for work because of the overpopulation and poverty of his time, and he learns that the money that he earns in the 21st century will be enough to feed his family in 3045. Soon enough, large numbers of immigrants begin to come through the portal. The aliens are described by CNN as "a hairless, uniform mix of all races" with the same skin color, while their language is a guttural mixture of all world languages. As the boys return to offer to shovel snow again the next day, they find that the newly arrived time-immigrants have shovelled all driveways on the street for very low pay. As the immigrants are willing to accept jobs for that kind of pay, the original workers throughout South Park are fired, thus resulting in massive unemployment throughout the town.
At a meeting to discuss their concern with the immigrants, construction worker Darryl Weathers complains that they have worked hard to get their pay high enough to make a living, but now are being ousted by the time immigrants. The other workers voice their own complaints, with each sentence finishing off with an increasingly slurred and garbled exclamation of "They took our jobs!", which later becomes their slogan. Later at that meeting, Weathers has the audience suggest ideas for stopping the immigrants from arriving at the town. One man suggests everyone stripping and engaging in an orgy
Orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
; Weathers likes the idea, as it is the only way to stop the immigrants from coming because homosexual couples cannot spawn offspring. The protesters agree and begin the orgy.
Meanwhile, Stan's father Randy loses his job to an immigrant and becomes the spokesperson of the protesters. Randy is interviewed by CNN while still naked. Next to him is a very embarrassed and disturbed Stan, who explains that he understands that the immigrants are living in poverty and they are just trying to get by, but realizes that poor societies often hurt other societies instead of helping them. He suggests that the people of the present should try to make the future better so the immigrants will not need to come. The entire town begins to recycle, install solar and wind power devices, plant trees, give to the poor, etc., hoping to cause the Goobacks to disappear. Although the townspeople's efforts are successful, the boys observe that the work is "gayer than all the men getting in a big pile and having sex with each other", and with an exclamation of "To the pile!", the male adults resume their orgy.