10. Elementary School Musical
Season 12 Episode 12
Character of the Week
Mr Güermo stands above the rest of the characters in this episode - even the regulars because of the complete lunacy of his portrayal. Güermo is the antithesis of Zac Effron's father in High School Musical in that he wants his son to be a dancer when his son only wants to play basketball. Not the most inspired of parody concepts but it somehow really works. Trey Parker is at his most outrageous as he camps up the dance-obsessed father taking the most hideous of subject matters (an abusive parent/ spouse) and somehow making it... funny. I feel terrible writing it but, it is. Cartman's Wisdom
Cartman: (Watching High School Musical) Well, I'm out guys. If this is what's cool now, I think I'm done. I no longer have any connection with this world. I'm gonna go home and kill myself. Goodbye friends. Culture Tarnished
High School Musical Why This Episode Is So Good Whilst picking on 'High School Musical' may seem like flogging a dead horse by this point - heck 'High School Musical' is so uncool it's almost cool again... almost, but this episode still has something to offer. As a boy around at the time when the film was causing such a splash with girls my own age I can seriously relate to the incredulity of the main four boys being caught out of the loop of what is 'popular'. The story follows two main narratives; one where we see Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman slowly lose their grasp on pop culture and one where popular theater-kid Bridon Güermo struggles with a tricky relationship with an abusive, flamboyant father. The episode covers a couple of interesting themes one being a Parker/Stone favorite - the idea of the fleeting nature of childhood trends and the other the nature of masculinity. With phrases like 'If I had a sweaty jock for a son I'd be the laughing stock of the mens' choir club' Alpha male of his family, Mr Güermo combines masculine aggressive traits with flamboyant feminine ones ironically remaining the most powerful member of the family. His story is reflected in the irony of the popular kid not being a jock but a musical enthusiast. Tied into the story is the boys' question of why 'High School Musical' is so popular. Ultimately, when the boys turn in their pride and join in with the HSM craze we see that the rest of the school have lost interest, following in the footsteps of Bridon who has finally broken free of his father's influence and joined the basketball team. It transpires that the reason for 'High School Musical's' success is not 'High School Musical' but the fact that the girls have a crush on Zac Effron. It's a very clever insight into the way that crazes work. Would 'Harry Potter' or 'Twilight' have been nearly so successful if it weren't for the female fans. Where the girls go, the boys follow, it's the way of the world. The episode contains spot on spoofs of the type of songs in HSM and you really get into the story with the Güermos. Seeing Mr Güermo discovering the presence of music within the sporting world and therefore finding a connection with his son is actually rather touching.