# "South Park" 3/19/08: Britney's New Look **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081 "2008-03-20T15:51:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/1 "2008-03-20T15:51:05Z")
What **was** that song they were singing/chanting in [last night’s episode](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britney%27s_New_Look)? It seemed be evocative of [“Ave Satani,”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Omen#Music) the theme from _The Omen,_ but the melody and, so far as I could make out, the lyrics were entirely different. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/2 "2008-03-20T16:02:02Z")
I thought it was pretty heavy-handed metaphorically and light on laughs, especially before the first commercial break. Deliberately, I know, but still. There seemed to be a bunch of references to specific shots and dialog from some film or films that I didn’t quite get. Maybe _Wicker Man_ and _The Lottery_? I haven’t seen either in years. The singing struck me as a parody of _The Omen,_ but I didn’t catch the words either. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/3 "2008-03-20T16:17:41Z")
I figured most of the parody was from ''The Lottery." Either way, the look on the boys face was priceless after Britney blew her brains out. I was rolling on the couch laughing. Other than that, a very non-funny South Park. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/4 "2008-03-20T16:23:41Z")
The Wikipedia article says the lyrics were “Rectus Dominus,” Dog Latin for “Ass Master.” Heh. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/5 "2008-03-20T16:33:55Z")
Ok, this was the first SP I’d watched in many years. Strange. I was also wondering about the song. **BrainGlutton** , do you need to change your location tag, or are you still up here? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/6 "2008-03-20T17:31:55Z")
I’m in Tampa. (Where is Schlaraffenland?) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/7 "2008-03-20T18:11:36Z")
Come to think of it, maybe the Dope needs a Celebrity Sacrifice Pool . . . ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/8 "2008-03-20T18:31:49Z")
I love playing “spotting the references,” but in this case it gets rather complicated, so here’s my statistical breakdown: Coding the sources: [“The Lottery”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lottery) [L], [Harvest Home](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_Home_%28novel%29) [HH] (and its made-for-TV adaptation, The Dark Secret of Harvest Home), [The Wicker Man](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wicker_Man) [1973] [WM], [Children of the Corn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_the_Corn) (S. King story) [CCs], [Children of the Corn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_the_Corn_%28film%29) (the 1984 film) [CCf], and, finally, the “Headless Britney” SP ep. [SPhb]: Themes/story elements: rural village setting – all of the above …in New England – L, HH …in American Midwest – CCs, CCf, SPhb necessity of human sacrifice – all of the above link of sacrifice to harvest – all of the above, although in CCs and CCf the link is implicit harvest being primarily corn – L, HH, CCs, CCf, SPhb …or including corn – WM the prior privileging and/or veneration of the sacrificed human – HH, WM, SPhb actual killing committed by device, priest or demon – HH, WM, CCs, CCf actual killing committed by villagers working collectively – L, SPhb sacrifice accompanied by chanting or singing of holy incantations – L[?], HH, WM, SPhb outsider protagonist investigating locals’ rituals – HH, WM, CCs, CCf, SPhb outsider protagonist trying to save the [presumed] sacrifice’s life – WM, CCf, SPhb village turning tables on that outsider – HH, WM, CCs, CCf, SPhb …in a climactic scene in which the villagers surround him/her in a field – HH, WM, CCf, SPhb …and succeeding in killing or maiming him in their ritual – HH, WM outsider killed by demon and not by the villagers – CCs resolution scene depicting satisfaction of villagers post-ritual (or as it’s completed) – L, HH, WM, SPhb resolution establishing that ritual ways will continue post-story – L, HH, WM, CCs, SPhb resolution explicitly including a satisfactory harvest – HH, SPhb ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/9 "2008-03-20T18:45:37Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] I love playing “spotting the references,” but in this case it gets rather complicated, so here’s my statistical breakdown: [/QUOTE] There was also a shot of a photographer screaming that was a visual quote from the 70s version of _Invasion of the Body Snatchers._ ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/10 "2008-03-20T18:47:38Z")
Scrivener. Dude. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you know they have medication that can control that now. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/11 "2008-03-20T18:51:20Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] The Wikipedia article says the lyrics were “Rectus Dominus,” Dog Latin for “Ass Master.” Heh. [/QUOTE] I don’t think that’s right. The “Rectus Dominus” chant was used in the Damien episode (where Satan fights Jesus and Satan’s son, Damien, appears.) This chant was: a) Much different, and b) Had many more words. It was like two full verses of “Latin.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/12 "2008-03-20T18:51:47Z")
[QUOTE=vibrotronica] Scrivener. Dude. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you know they have medication that can control that now. [/QUOTE] Nice snark, but without the occasional indulgence in fan wankery or other geekery, there’s little point to engaging in message board pop culture threads in the first place. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/13 "2008-03-20T18:58:02Z")
[QUOTE=vibrotronica] Scrivener. Dude. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you know they have medication that can control that now. [/QUOTE] It’s called Ritilout. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/14 "2008-03-20T18:59:23Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] I’m in Tampa. (Where is Schlaraffenland?) [/QUOTE] Whaddya know? I thought you’d move to Miami-Dade. Schlaraffenland is the German version of the land of plenty (Pieter Bruegel did a painting of it, there are also books, films and songs). My Swiss-German colleague used to tell me childhood stories about the place. He said you had to eat through ten meters of pudding to get there. The English version would be the land of milk and honey or the land of plenty. “This mythical country had houses of barley sugar, roofs of cakes, rivers of wine, and streets paved with pastry; buttered larks (a delicacy of the period) fell instead of rain; roast geese passed slowly down the streets, begging to be eaten; even better, shops provided goods without asking for payment.” Most links I can find that refer to this name are in German. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/15 "2008-03-20T19:08:05Z")
[QUOTE=ShibbOleth] Whaddya know? I thought you’d move to Miami-Dade. Schlaraffenland is the German version of the land of plenty (Pieter Bruegel did a painting of it, there are also books, films and songs). My Swiss-German colleague used to tell me childhood stories about the place. He said you had to eat through ten meters of pudding to get there. The English version would be the land of milk and honey or the land of plenty. “This mythical country had houses of barley sugar, roofs of cakes, rivers of wine, and streets paved with pastry; buttered larks (a delicacy of the period) fell instead of rain; roast geese passed slowly down the streets, begging to be eaten; even better, shops provided goods without asking for payment.” Most links I can find that refer to this name are in German. [/hijack] [/QUOTE] Or the French equivalent, the [Land of Cockaigne](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockaigne). This paradise was alluded to in a _Simpsons_ episode, in which Homer fantasizes about a gluttonous paradise in which food (including live farm animals) and drink float through the air and try to enter his mouth. (Also similar to this: the Land of Chocolate). ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/16 "2008-03-20T20:04:21Z")
So the chanting specifically–was than an “Omen” ref? I figured most of it for a “Lottery” ref just as the rest of you did (they even mention that they used to do it by lottery and the part where the mom gives the little boy a camera). ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/17 "2008-03-20T20:45:21Z")
And remember, ladies, don’t blow the top 2/3 of your head off or you’ll only be able to make low-pitched male gargling sounds. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/18 "2008-03-21T19:20:03Z")
Has anyone noticed this is the second episode without Kenny since his death in the last episode of season 11? Coincidence, or is something more sinister afoot? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/19 "2008-03-21T22:13:03Z")
I laughed a couple times, but when the credits rolled I looked over at my wife and said, “more creepy than anything,” to which she agreed. The [mostly] headless Britney really squicked me out for some reason, and the whole tone of the episode was pretty dark. Funny high notes were the singing and, “we’ve blurred some parts out to avoid offending anyone” - cut to a clear shot of Britney pissing with her face blurred out. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081/20 "2008-03-21T22:30:42Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] I laughed a couple times, but when the credits rolled I looked over at my wife and said, “more creepy than anything,” to which she agreed. The [mostly] headless Britney really squicked me out for some reason, and the whole tone of the episode was pretty dark. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I think I felt the same way. The headless Britney was sort of funny in a “Oh, that’s sick” way at first but when they kept showing it/her…it got kind of creepy. Overall, I don’t think I need to see it again. It’s not another “Butters Show” or “NAMBLA” episode that in spite of the sickness, I can keep watching again and again. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-19-08-britneys-new-look/442081.md?page=2)