Deborah Chan
In the 2009 episode The Ring of the animated comedy series South Park, Butters Stotch, one of the show's main characters, delivers a memorable line that has caught the attention of many viewers. In the episode, which focuses on the Jonas Brothers' purity ring campaign and Disney's plot to market sex to pre-teen girls, Butters makes a witty remark about the nature of these rings. He says, A ring that says you'd be together but not have sex. Isn't that called a wedding ring?. This line has been highlighted by viewers and critics alike as a standout moment in the episode, with some praising its cleverness and satirical edge.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Episode name | The Ring |
| Episode type | Season 13 premiere |
| Genre | Animation, Comedy |
| Year | 2009 |
| Plot | Kenny gets a girlfriend, and in an attempt to get her to perform oral sex on him, he gets her tickets to a Jonas Brothers concert. However, the Jonas Brothers give her a purity ring to pledge abstinence. |
| Notable quotes | "A ring that says you'd be together but not have sex. Isn't that called a wedding ring?" — Butters |
| "I've got a ring on my finger to remind me what I cannot do" — Jonas Brothers | |
| "The episode was both funny and smart, a wry commentary on the inherent trickiness of marketing a rebellious art form infused with sexuality to children who have no business being sexually active themselves." — Sonny Bunch, The Washington Times | |
| Featured characters | Trey Parker, Stan Marsh, Eric Cartman, Jimmy Swanson, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Mickey Mouse, Kenny McCormick, Tammy Warner, Jimmy Vulmer, and more. |
| Reception | The episode received generally positive reviews, with some critics praising its commentary on culture and satire of Disney. However, others felt that it relied too heavily on pop culture references and that the plot was overshadowed by the writers' commentaries. |
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What You'll Learn
The episode's commentary on Disney
"The Ring", a 2009 episode of the animated comedy series "South Park", offers a humorous and scathing critique of The Walt Disney Company, the Disney Channel, and the Mickey Mouse cartoon character. The episode centres around the Jonas Brothers, a band that was popular at the time, and their association with Disney and the practice of promoting abstinence through purity rings.
In the episode, the Jonas Brothers are portrayed as being coerced by Disney and Mickey Mouse, a foul-mouthed, greedy, and violent version of the usually wholesome character, to market purity rings to their young fans. This is done to maintain Disney's family-friendly image while also appealing to the sexual desires of these young fans. The episode suggests that the rings are a subliminal way to sell sex to young girls, with Mickey Mouse himself explaining to the Jonas Brothers: "You have to wear the purity rings because that's how we can sell sex to little girls [...] if we make the posters with little girls reaching for your junk, then you have to wear purity rings or else the Disney Company looks bad".
The episode also highlights the band's embrace of purity rings, which were worn by individuals in relationships to encourage celibacy until marriage, as particularly fascinating given that they were simultaneously stirring sexual feelings in their young fans. This aspect of the episode has been interpreted as a commentary on Disney's marketing tactics and the band's role in promoting a specific moral agenda.
Overall, "The Ring" episode of "South Park" provides a humorous and satirical take on Disney's corporate practices and the way they market certain ideologies to their young audience, often under the guise of family-friendly morals and ethics.
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The Jonas Brothers' purity ring campaign
The purity rings were first addressed in an episode of South Park titled "The Ring", which aired in 2009. In the episode, Kenny gets a girlfriend, and to get her to perform a certain act on him, he gets her tickets to a Jonas Brothers concert. However, the Jonas Brothers take her backstage and give her a purity ring, asking her to pledge abstinence. The episode also features a song by the Jonas Brothers titled "I've Got a Ring", which includes lyrics such as "I've got a ring on my finger to remind me what I cannot do" and "Who needs sex and drugs and partying when we can cook a meal and sit around and watch Netflix?".
The South Park episode sparked discussions about the Jonas Brothers' purity ring campaign and its implications. Some viewers interpreted the episode as a critique of Disney's marketing tactics, suggesting that the company was using the Jonas Brothers' wholesome image to sell sex to pre-teen girls. In the episode, Mickey Mouse, a Disney character, says, "You have to wear the purity rings because that's how we can sell sex to little girls, haha! See, if we make the posters with little girls reaching for your junk, then you have to wear purity rings or else the Disney Company looks bad, haha!".
The Jonas Brothers have since reflected on their purity ring phase, acknowledging that it became a defining factor of their band's image. In an episode of James Corden's Carpool Karaoke in 2019, Joe Jonas shared that he initially wore the ring as a symbol of waiting for the "right person" and "right time" to have sex. However, as he grew older, his perspective changed, and he joked about the challenge of upholding that commitment during his teenage years. Nick Jonas also expressed criticism of the questions they received about their purity rings and sex lives, arguing that it was inappropriate to discuss a 16-year-old's sex life in the public eye.
While the purity rings generated controversy and became a source of mockery for the band, the Jonas Brothers have moved on from that phase. The brothers have since gotten married and started their own families, leaving the purity rings behind as they embraced new chapters in their personal lives and musical careers.
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The line Isn't that called a wedding ring?
The line "Isn't that called a wedding ring?" is from the South Park episode "The Ring", which premiered in 2009 as the thirteenth season debut. The episode revolves around Kenny getting a girlfriend and his subsequent misadventures with purity rings and abstinence.
In the episode, Kenny McCormick gets a girlfriend, and in an attempt to get her to perform a sexual act on him, he takes her to a Jonas Brothers concert. However, instead of using her like a groupie, the Jonas Brothers give her a purity ring, pledging abstinence and promising to stay out of trouble. This is where the line "Isn't that called a wedding ring?" comes in, as the characters discuss the irony of a ring that represents being together but not having sex. Butters, one of the main characters, delivers this line, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
The episode "The Ring" received generally positive reviews, with many praising its satirical take on the Jonas Brothers' purity ring campaign and Disney's marketing tactics. It was hailed as hilarious and smart by critics, and some even called it one of the best episodes of the season. The episode also sparked discussions about the show's commentary on modern culture, with some viewers feeling that it had become more of a vehicle for Trey and Matt's cultural commentaries rather than a pure animated comedy.
This particular line from Butters stood out as a witty and insightful moment in an episode filled with humour and social critique. It showcases the show's ability to blend humour with social commentary, highlighting the inherent contradictions in the messages being promoted by the Jonas Brothers and Disney. By drawing a comparison between purity rings and wedding rings, the line adds a layer of satire to the episode's exploration of sexuality, marketing, and the complexities of targeting rebellious art infused with sexuality towards children.
Overall, the line "Isn't that called a wedding ring?" captures the blend of humour and social critique that South Park is known for, contributing to the episode's impact and its lasting impression on viewers.
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The episode's plot and characters
"The Ring" is the thirteenth-season premiere episode of the animated comedy series "South Park". The episode focuses on Kenny McCormick, who gets a girlfriend, Tammy Warner, and wants her to perform oral sex on him. To convince her, he takes her to a Jonas Brothers concert, where they are both given purity rings by the band. The purity rings are part of a marketing scheme by Disney to sell sex to pre-teen girls while maintaining a wholesome image. Mickey Mouse, a Walt Disney Company executive, coerces the Jonas Brothers to continue wearing and promoting the rings.
The episode features several well-known characters from the "South Park" universe, including Eric Cartman, Stan Marsh, Jimmy Swanson, and Kyle Broflovski. Cartman is his usually insightful and amusing self, although some viewers felt that his intelligence was overshadowed by the episode's focus on pop-culture references. Other characters, such as Kenny and Butters, also have notable moments in the episode. Butters delivers the line, "A ring that says you'd be together but not have sex. Isn't that called a wedding ring?", which received particular attention from viewers.
Kenny and Tammy are aghast at the idea of wearing purity rings as they want to engage in sexual activity without getting married. They are forced to spend time with other purity ring-wearing couples, who enjoy boring activities like watching "Grey's Anatomy". The episode includes parodies of the Jonas Brothers' songs, such as "I've Got a Ring" (a parody of "SOS"), which includes lyrics like, "Who needs sex and drugs and partying when we can cook a meal and sit around and watch Netflix?".
The episode received generally positive reviews, with many praising its sharp satire and commentary on modern culture, religion, and sexual freedom. It was also noted for its high number of viewers, with 3.41 million people tuning in for the original American broadcast, making it the second most-watched Comedy Central production of that week.
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The episode's reception and reviews
The episode "The Ring" of the popular show South Park received generally positive reviews from critics and the audience. The episode mocks Disney and the Jonas Brothers and their songs, including "S.O.S." and "Burnin' Up". It portrays Disney as a corporation using the ruse of family-friendly morals to disguise their primary motive of profit. This point is illustrated by the use of Mickey Mouse, a cartoon symbol for the wholesome Disney image, as a foul-mouthed, greedy, and violent character.
Reviewers described the episode as a "wry commentary on the inherent trickiness of marketing a rebellious art form infused with sexuality to children who have no business being sexually active themselves." Sonny Bunch of The Washington Times called the episode "both funny and smart." Tamar Anitai, a blogger for MTV, also found the episode "hilarious". Josh Modell of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A- grade, praising the reactions from the young girls at the Jonas Brothers concert and Kenny's response to his girlfriend's promiscuity.
James Poniewozik of Time said, "The Ring" was better than any of the twelfth-season episodes," and that the "cartoon is best when it focuses on the four kids and when it is driven by a white-hot moral fury." Travis Fickett of IGN also applauded the Disney satire, saying it "elevates this beyond shock humor and into sharp satire." Entertainment Weekly writer Ken Tucker gave the episode a positive review, showing approval of Kenny's misadventure, stating, "South Park ultimately came down on the side of religion and sexual freedom, with lots of big laughs in the bargain."
However, some viewers found the episode predictable and criticized the joke as unoriginal and forced. One Reddit user commented that the joke was "weird" and "below them", while another said that the episode was "obviously implying it," and it was strange for the characters to explicitly state the joke. Despite this, the episode was well-received overall, with IGN giving it a score of 8.4 out of 10 and 3.41 million viewers tuning in during the week of its broadcast, according to Nielsen Media Research.
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Frequently asked questions
The line "Isn't that called a wedding ring?" is from the South Park episode "The Ring".
The episode revolves around Kenny getting a girlfriend and, in an attempt to get her to perform a sexual act on him, he gets her tickets to a Jonas Brothers concert. Instead of using her like a groupie, the Jonas Brothers give her a purity ring to pledge abstinence.
Purity rings are pieces of jewellery worn by individuals in relationships, with the ring encouraging them to practice celibacy until marriage.
