"Fantastic Easter Special" is episode 1105 (#158) of the animated series South Park. It parodies the movie The Da Vinci Code, based on the novel of the same name by Dan Brown. It was first broadcast on April 4, 2007. is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... With Apologies to Jesse Jackson is episode 1101 (#154) of Comedy Centrals animated comedy series South Park and the premiere of the shows 11th season. ... Cartman Sucks is episode 1102 of Comedy Centrals South Park and the second episode of the shows 11th season. ... Lice Capades is episode 1103 (#156) of Comedy Centrals animated comedy series South Park. ... The Snuke is episode 1104 of Comedy Centrals animated comedy series South Park. ... D-Yikes! is episode 1106 (#159) of Comedy Centrals animated comedy series South Park. ... Night of the Living Homeless is episode 1107 (#160) of Comedy Centrals South Park. ... Le Petit Tourette ( The Little Tourette) is episode 1108 (#161) of Comedy Centrals South Park. ... More Crap is episode 1109 (#162) of Comedy Centrals South Park. ... Imaginationland is episode 1110 (#163) of Comedy Centrals South Park. ... Imaginationland Episode II is episode 1111 (#164) of Comedy Centrals South Park. ... Imaginationland Episode III is episode 1112 (#165) of Comedy Centrals South Park. ... Guitar Queer-o is episode 1113 (#166) of Comedy Centrals South Park, which aired on November 7, 2007. ... The List is episode 1114 (#167) of Comedy Centrals South Park, and was the Season 11 finale. ... The Return of Chef! episode 140 of Comedy Centrals animated series South Park and aired on March 22, 2006. ... The following is an episode list for the Comedy Central animated television series South Park. ... This article is about the TV series. ... This article is about the film. ... The Da Vinci Code is a mystery/detective novel by American author Dan Brown, published in 2003 by Doubleday. ... This article is about the writer. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Plot

As the Marsh family colors eggs for Easter, Stan questions what it has to do with Jesus Christ. Not satisfied by his father's vague responses, Stan storms off and makes the same inquiries to a mall Easter Bunny. The mall bunny tells Stan that it's "just Easter", and to "just go with it", then makes a mysterious phone call. Stanley Stan Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. ... For a hidden feature or message, see Easter egg (virtual). ... This article is about the Christian festival. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article is about the holiday figure. ...

Stan soon finds himself being chased by men in bunny suits. When he gets home, he finds that his father is part of the plot. Randy calls the men off, and tells Stan he's in a society called "The Hare Club for Men", who have guarded the secret of Easter for generations. Randy takes Stan to the headquarters of the Hare Club, where he is to be initiated into the group, which reveres a rabbit named Snowball. Just as he is about to learn the secret of Easter, Stan's initiation is interrupted as the club is ambushed by ninjas. The Hare Club members rush to protect Snowball, and Randy gives the rabbit to Stan, telling him to run. He escapes with Snowball, and witnesses the ninjas and their leader, Bill Donohue, interrogating, kidnapping and shooting one of the Hare Club members. Stan runs off to his best friend, Kyle's house and tries to extract any knowledge Kyle has of Easter. Kyle, who is Jewish and doesn't know anything about Easter and was busy finger painting does not want to be involved in something so dangerous, but Stan persuades him to help. Randy Marsh is a fictional character in the animated series South Park. ... Jiraiya, ninja and title character of the Japanese folktale Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari. ... William A. Donohue (born July 18, 1947 in Manhattan, New York) has been the president of the Catholic League in the United States since 1993. ...

Stan and Kyle manage to track down a man named Professor Teabag, who supposedly knows the secret of the Hare Club. Teabag lets them in his mansion and explains that Leonardo da Vinci was actually a member of the Hare Club and that St. Peter was not a man but a rabbit (Peter Cottontail), and that laser imaging shows that da Vinci originally portrayed St. Peter as a rabbit instead of as a man in his painting of the Last Supper. Teabag explains that Jesus knew that no human could speak for all Christianity without any act of corruption, and that rabbits were pure and incorruptible. This is why the Pope's hat is shaped to accommodate a rabbit's ears. He further explains that Snowball is actually a direct descendant from St. Peter, and that Stan's father and the members of the Hare Club have been kidnapped by the Vatican, who wish to cover up this secret, thinking of it as blasphemy. Once again the ninjas attack, but Teabag helps the two boys escape by putting marshmallow Peeps in the microwave, creating an explosion that destroys the mansion and kills Teabag and the ninjas. Kyle Broflovski, also spelled Kyle Broflofski, Kyle Broflowski, Kyle Brovlofski, Kyle Broflofki, or in the earlier episodes, Kyle Brosloski and even Kile Barffloski in the episode Guitar Queer-o, is a fictional character in the animated series South Park. ... “Da Vinci” redirects here. ... “St Peter” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Rabbit (disambiguation). ... Here Comes Peter Cottontail is a 1971 Easter television special made by Rankin-Bass, based on the song of the same name. ... The Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his apostles before his death. ... This article is about the ceremonial head-dress; see also mitre (disambiguation). ... Look up Peeps in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Stan and Kyle go to the Vatican where Stan turns the rabbit over to the Catholic Church, on the condition that the Hare Club members are all set free. However, Bill Donohue reveals he had actually made the promise on two separate crucifixes, a "double cross", and plans to make an example of the Hare Club. Fortunately, Jesus miraculously arrives to intervene after answering the prayer of one of the Hare Club members, and tells them that he did, in fact, plan for the popes to be rabbits, citing the current corruption of man. Pope Benedictus is willing to listen and agree with Jesus, but Donohue refuses to listen and seizes the Pope's mitre, and orders his ninjas to capture all of them, including Benedict and Jesus, and declares himself the new Pope. He orders the ninjas to lock up Kyle and Jesus, the "two Jews" and Benedictus and deal with them later, then he leads Stan and Randy to the block where the gigantic pot for Snowball's execution is. William A. Donohue (born July 18, 1947 in Manhattan, New York) has been the president of the Catholic League in the United States since 1993. ... Double Cross is the first produced, but the second aired, episode for the third season of the science fiction television show Sliders. ... Jesus is the Christian messiah who lives in the town of South Park on the animated television program of the same name. ... This article is about the ceremonial head-dress; see also mitre (disambiguation). ...

At the cell, Benedictus apologizes to Jesus for his actions, pleading for forgiveness. Jesus tells Kyle that his "superpowers" only work when he is dead, and the only way to escape is for Kyle to kill him so he can return to life outside the cell. Kyle is naturally reluctant to kill Jesus, but eventually agrees, saying that "Eric Cartman can never know about this.", and does so. As Pope Donohue is about to execute Snowball in front of Stan, Randy and the Hare Club members, Jesus appears in the crowd after resurrecting, and kills Donohue. Snowball is elected Pope, and as he is a rabbit and cannot speak, he cannot tell people how they should lead their lives, just as "Jesus intended". Stan reveals that he has learned his lesson through all of his adventures: do not ask questions; just dye the eggs and keep his mouth shut, and Randy becomes proud of him. Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly referred to by his family name, Cartman, is a fictional character in the animated series South Park. ...

Continuity in South Park

• Although this episode claims St. Peter was a rabbit ("Peter Cottontail"), a human St. Peter was previously seen in his traditional role as Heaven's gatekeeper in "Best Friends Forever."
• This episode marks the first physical appearance of Jesus in South Park for four and a half years (Excluding the cameo in I'm a Little Bit Country ). His absence is acknowledged when Benedict's assistant's comments on Jesus' apparent death in "Red Sleigh Down."
• When Kyle is about to kill Jesus, he says "Eric Cartman can never know about this." This is in line with a long-running joke about Cartman's antisemitism and claims that the Jews were responsible for Christ's death (first mentioned in "It's Christmas in Canada", but shown in detail on "The Passion of the Jew").
• Though Jesus states he only has special powers when dead, he previously had the power of master carpentry and was able to fly ("Super Best Friends"), as well as the power of prophecy ("Death").
• Randy Marsh, though a long-time keeper of the Hare Club secret, had previously been an atheist in "Red Hot Catholic Love".
• The ongoing joke of Grandpa Marsh referring to Stan as "Billy" was used once again in this episode.

“St Peter” redirects here. ... Here Comes Peter Cottontail is a 1971 Easter television special made by Rankin-Bass, based on the song of the same name. ... Best Friends Forever (also known as Kennys PSP) is episode 904 of the Comedy Central series South Park paralleling the Terri Schiavo controversy. ... Im a Little Bit Country is episode 701 of the Comedy Central series South Park. ... Red Sleigh Down (a. ... Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly referred to by his family name, Cartman, is a fictional character in the animated series South Park. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... Its Christmas in Canada (sometimes called Christmas in Canada? or simply Christmas in Canada) is episode 715 of Comedy Centrals South Park. ... The Passion of the Jew is episode 114 of the Comedy Central series South Park. ... Super Best Friends is episode 68 of the Comedy Central series South Park, aired on July 4, 2001. ... Death is the sixth episode of Comedy Centrals animated series South Park. ... For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ... Red Hot Catholic Love is episode 608 of the Comedy Central series South Park. ... Grampa Marvin Marsh is a fictional character in the animated series South Park. ...

Cultural references

• The song chanted by the members of the Hare Club for Men is based on "Peter Cottontail", written by Steve Nelson and Walter E. "Jack" Rollins in 1949. Sung in Latin, the chant combines lyrics from the eponymous song and traditional Catholic hymns. During the Vatican scene at the end of the episode, the last line is changed to "in the name of God." The lyric "hippitus hoppitus" is a Dog Latin "translation" of the lines "hippity hoppity".
• In the meeting room of the Hare Club For Men, the letter H can be seen on the wall. This is a reference to Freemasonry, which has the letter G on the wall in their lodge rooms.
• The entire Hare Club For Men lodge scene (prior to the ambush) is an almost shot-for-shot reenactment of the lodge scene from the 1986 high school comedy Peggy Sue Got Married.
• The weapon that Jesus uses to spectacularly dispatch William Donohue at the episode's conclusion is the Glaive: the bejewelled ninja star from the 1983 fantasy film Krull. After Donohue is killed, the weapon returns, boomerang-like, to Jesus. As he catches it, he adopts a dynamic posture and coolly puts on sunglasses, a clear reference to the character of Blade the vampire hunter in the popular movie trilogy of the same name. Blade also uses a Glaive on several occasions to slay vampires. (It may also be a reference to the infamous film Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter.)
• The scene where Professor Teabag puts the Peeps into the microwave and they explode is a direct reference to The X-Files movie.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail is a 1971 Easter television special made by Rankin-Bass, based on the song of the same name. ... Walter E. Jack Rollins was a resident of Keyser, West Virginia, born on September 15, 1906. ... The phrase Dog Latin refers to the creation of a phrase or jargon in imitation of Latin, often by directly translating English words (or those of other European languages) into Latin without conjugation or declension. ... “Freemasons” redirects here. ... Peggy Sue Got Married is a 1986 comedy / drama film which tells the story of a woman, on the verge of divorce, who finds herself transplanted back to the days of her senior year in high school. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. ... Krull is a 1983 heroic fantasy film directed by Peter Yates and produced by Ron Silverman. ... This article is about the wooden implement. ... Blade is a 1998 film starring Wesley Snipes and Stephen Dorff, loosely based on the published stories of the Marvel Comics character Blade. ... Further reading Christopher Frayling - Vampyres: Lord Byron to Count Dracula 1992. ... Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter is a 2001 cult film from Odessa Filmworks which deals with Jesus modern-day struggle to protect the lesbians of Ottawa, Canada, from vampires with the help of Mexican wrestler El Santos (Based on El Santo Enmascarado de Plata) (played by actor Jeff Moffet, who starred... The X Files (sometimes known as The X Files: Fight the Future) is a 1998 movie which is part of the television series The X-Files. ...

The Da Vinci Code

The episode parodies elements of the book The Da Vinci Code and by extension its film version: The Da Vinci Code is a mystery/detective novel by American author Dan Brown, published in 2003 by Doubleday. ... This article is about the film. ...

• The Hare Club for Men is a parody of the cabal Priory of Sion as portrayed in the book and film, as well as a play on words on "The Hair Club for Men."
• St. Peter being really a rabbit is similar to the Code's assertion that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.
• Professor Teabag is a parody of Sir Leigh Teabing, and the way he introduces the conspiracy of St. Peter is very similar to the way the The Last Supper is presented in both the book and the film

A cabal is a number of persons united in some close design, usually to promote their private views and interests in a church, state, or other community by intrigue. ... Prieuré de Sion, usually rendered in English translation as Priory of Sion or even Priory of Zion, is an elusive protagonist in many works of both non-fiction and fiction. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “St Peter” redirects here. ... Sir Leigh Teabing portrayed by Sir Ian McKellen in The Da Vinci Code. ... The Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his apostles before his death. ...

William A. Donahue

William A. Donohue, head of the American Catholic League, is parodied as a ruthless, extremist executioner leading a band of black ninjas, and who sees himself as more holy than the Pope or Jesus. Donohue has been a vocal critic of South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, particularly over the episode "Bloody Mary." Some of his lines seem to parody controversies about him: William A. Donohue (born July 18, 1947 in Manhattan, New York) has been the president of the Catholic League in the United States since 1993. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Matthew Richard Matt Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American animator, screenwriter, film director, voice actor and actor. ... Randolph Severn Trey Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an Academy Award nominated American animator, screenwriter, film director, voice actor, actor and musician. ... Bloody Mary is episode 914 of the Comedy Central series South Park. ...

• After the two-part "Cartoon Wars" episode, Donohue commented that Stone and Parker were "little whores" for being against the censorship of Muhammad but still being willing to make money by mocking Jesus. In this episode Donohue calls Stan and Kyle "whores."^[1]
• In the episode, Donohue also orders the ninjas "Lock up those two Jews, we'll deal with them later." This could be a reference to allegations of antisemitism after the December 8 2004 episode of Scarborough Country in which Donohue said (regarding The Passion of the Christ), "Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. It's not a secret, OK? And I'm not afraid to say it. That's why they hate this movie. It's about Jesus Christ, and it's about truth. It's about the Messiah."

Cartoon Wars Part II is episode 143 of South Park which aired on April 12, 2006. ... William A. Donohue (born July 18, 1947 in Manhattan, New York) has been the president of the Catholic League in the United States since 1993. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Scarborough Country is an opinion/analysis show broadcasted on MSNBC Monday - Thursday at 9 P.M. ET. It is hosted by former congressman (R - Fla. ... This article is about the film. ...

References

MSNBC logo MSNBC (Microsoft & National Broadcasting Company) is a 24-hour news channel in the United States. ...

External links

• "Fantastic Easter Special" at South Park Studios
• "Fantastic Easter Special" at the Internet Movie Database
• Fantastic Easter Special at TV.com