Pop Culture's End of the Road: The South Park Casualty Count

Last week on South Park, Cartman and the gang explored the mythology of sex addiction while wiping out over a dozen wealthy philanders along the way. Last night, however, the boys expanded their scope a bit, ridiculing literary censorship and the intrigue that surrounds it with an epic episode entitled The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs. After the jump, Movieline assesses this week's carnage at the hands of Trey Parker and Matt Stone -- and let's just say, it doesn't end well for Sarah Jessica Parker.

After the boys find out the hard way that there was nothing cruel or offensive about The Catcher in the Rye, they set out to pen a book that'll be "banned way more than" Catcher. Their output: The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs, which the boys blame on Butters after his mother finds the manuscript. Unfortunately for Cartman and Kyle, the book is speedily published and deemed "the most disgusting, foul, sickening book ever written" -- and also, literary genius. Scrotie is published in six languages and covered on a variety of news networks even though "no one has been able to get through the first paragraph without vomiting." Butters gets all of the attention and media interviews, which include Matt Lauer retching into a wastebasket for minutes on end. When the book is not banned by schools, Cartman plans to kill Sarah Jessica Parker and blame the murder on Scrotie so that the book becomes the "most banned book ever."

This week's episode was particularly gruesome with 10 celebrity casualties:

· John Lennon

· The Kardashians (Butters's second book, The Poop That Took a Pee, causes one man to gun down the entire Kardashian family during a taping of their reality show.)

· Bruce Jenner

· Matthew Broderick

· Al Roker

· Meredith Viera

· Matt Lauer

· Ann Curry

· Morgan Freeman (The Today Show commissions Freeman to read Butters' second book, The Poop That Took a Pee, on air.)

· Sarah Jessica Parker

The most brutally beaten victim in last night's episode was Parker. A newscaster announces, "The book is filmed with disgusting words and acts, including Sarah Jessica Parker, who is mentioned 465 times." Later in the episode, a red carpet reporter asks Matthew Broderick, "How come a transvestite donkey witch is standing next to you and why is it wearing a dress?" When the boys tell Butters he caused Parker's death, Butters replies, "Oh well, at least she was ugly."

Kenny's Cause of Death: Video game. Cartman says, "Ehhh, you're dead Kenny" when playing with Kenny and Kyle in the first act.

Obligatory Anti-Hippie Statement: (regarding Catcher in the Rye) "You're telling us this book is filthy, inappropriate and caused a guy to kill the king of the hippies? Can we please read this right now?" -- Cartman

Other targets: Ridiculous game shows (Scrotie inspires the popular game show, How Long Can You Listen to Scrotie McBoogerballs on Audiobook And Not Vomit?), political debate ("Scrotie McBoogerballs is the most conservative-hating liberal in literature.") and mobs of literary fans ("The line stretches all the way around the block. They brought trash bags and buckets to throw up in. Just a festive atmosphere out here!")

Movieline Rating: 9/10