Guitar Queer-O

Stan and Kyle are obsessed with the video game Guitar Hero, and attempt to break the game's scoring record in front of their friends. As soon as they break the 100,000 points record on "Carry on Wayward Son", they are contacted by Charles Kincade, a talent agent, who wants to offer them recording contracts. They become Guitar Hero rock star celebrities overnight, enjoying the hedonistic "sex and drugs" lifestyle. The record company organizes a future event where Stan and Kyle will attempt to break a 1 million point record in front of a live audience. Stan is taken aside by his manager and told that Kyle is holding him back, and encourages Stan to dump Kyle in favor of another kid, Thad Jarvis, who can play many Guitar Hero songs "acoustically", having memorized what buttons to press instead of relying on the on-screen cues.

Kyle discovers Stan practicing with Thad and angrily breaks up their "band". Kyle goes on to perform at a local bowling alley by its owner for free food and drink, improving as he plays. Stan becomes stressed out over the upcoming event, and tries to seek refuge using a different video game, Heroin Hero, where the only objective is literally chasing a dragon (futilely) as the in-game player injects himself with heroin. The game further shortens his temper and concentration, and he gets into a fight with Thad, who subsequently leaves Stan. Stan, still intoxicated with Heroin Hero, is forced to play the event solo, but ends up getting a miserable score and throwing up on stage; after the audience leaves and the game audience "boos" Stan, Kincade angrily admonishes him by saying "You blew it! You had it all and you blew it!" and subsequently leaves him.

Stan comes back to the video game store and decides to pick another game to play, but when offered by the game store owner Rehab Hero (which remedies the heroin-like addiction of a former player to Heroin Hero), Stan instead selects a simple driving game. While driving around in-game, Stan hears "Carry on Wayward Son" on the radio and remembers the good time he had with Kyle. Stan goes to apologize to Kyle and, after a brief spat, the two become friends again, dumping the recording contract. They go back home and go on to break the 1 million point record in front of their friends. To their shock, the game rewards them by telling them, "Congratulations! You Are Fags!". The two become upset that they have worked so hard only to be insulted, and angrily walk out; Cartman and Butters start to play the game, with Butters eagerly requesting that he gets to be the one to betray Cartman "after the sex and drugs party".

The celebrities that the boys meet at the party are real-life Colorado celebrities: KDVR news anchor Ron Zapollo (though he is recognized as being from "channel 4", where he had not worked since the late 1980s),{{cite web|url=http://kdvr.com/2013/04/03/from-sports-to-south-park-zappolos-move-to-news-caught-eye-of-colorado-hollywood/|title=From sports to 'South Park': Zappolo's move to news caught eye of Hollywood|date=April 3, 2013|author=Jeremy Hubbard|publisher=KDVR}} American Furniture Warehouse President Jake Jabs,{{cite web|url=http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/469858-jake-jabs-shows-up-on-south-park|title=Jake Jabs shows up on South Park|date=November 8, 2007|author=Heath Combs|publisher=Furniture Today}} and diamond mogul Tom Shane.{{cite web|url=https://theringer.com/now-you-have-a-friend-in-the-diamond-business-7b508426883f#.cw9zbw8l4|title=Now You Have a Friend in the Diamond Business|date=July 15, 2016|author=Claire McNear|publisher=The Ringer}}

Jay Cutler, the then-quarterback for the Denver Broncos, was insulted by Stan in the episode ("You kind of suck, but my dad says you might be good some day"). Cutler himself responded lightheartedly, saying "I thought it was funny. They can make fun of me if they want to."{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3111100|title=Cutler has 'little' chip on his shoulder from draft|author=Teresa M. Walker|date=November 14, 2007|publisher=ESPN}}

Stan's new Guitar Hero partner, Thad, saying "I quit! I quit, I quit, I quit!" is a reference to the film That Thing You Do!.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0995580/movieconnections?ref_=tttrv_sa_5|title=Guitar Queer-O Connections|date=January 14, 2017|publisher=IMDb}}

Stan's manager Charles Kincaid is a reference to Reuben Kincaid of The Partridge Family and even looks like him, while the record company executive is a reference to The Colonel James from the film Boogie Nights.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}

Stan asks his new partner to play Jordan and John the Fisherman, written by guitarist Buckethead and theme song artist Primus, respectively.

The episode drew in 4 million total viewers (P2+) and was the most watched telecast of the year on Comedy Central, as well as the most watched program in all of television for Wednesday night among men 18–34 and the most watched program on cable among persons 18–49.{{Cite web |url=http://www.comedycentral.com/press/press_releases/2007/111207_sp_thelist.jhtml |title=Comedy Central "The List" press release |access-date=2007-11-13 |archive-date=2007-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071115154855/http://www.comedycentral.com/press/press_releases/2007/111207_sp_thelist.jhtml |url-status=dead }} The episode was the highest rating since "Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut",South Park: Season 2 DVD Boxset "Goin' Down to South Park" Documentary beating the previous record-holder "Imaginationland Episode III", the episode that aired one week before "Guitar Queer-O".{{Cite web |url=http://www.comedycentral.com/press/press_releases/2007/110507_sp-imaginationlandratings.jhtml |title=Comedy Central Imaginationland ratings press release |access-date=2007-11-13 |archive-date=2007-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118123423/http://www.comedycentral.com/press/press_releases/2007/110507_sp-imaginationlandratings.jhtml |url-status=dead }}

Despite good ratings, the episode received some mediocre reviews. IGN called it a "lackluster episode" saying that it was "based on a concept that could have proved fun – but ultimately doesn't seem to be enough for an entire episode."[http://tv.ign.com/articles/833/833816p1.html IGN "Guitar Queer-o" review] 411Mania also criticized the episode, saying that "the first twenty-one and a half minutes weren't funny at all" claiming that the last line of the episode was the best part.{{Cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/movies/dvd_reviews/62959/Goin-Down-to-South-Park-11.07.07:-Guitar-Queer-O.htm |title=411Mania "Guitar Queer-o" review |access-date=2007-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110170545/http://www.411mania.com/movies/dvd_reviews/62959/Goin-Down-to-South-Park-11.07.07:-Guitar-Queer-O.htm |archive-date=2007-11-10 |url-status=dead }} TV Squad, on the other hand, gave the episode a somewhat positive review.{{cite web |last1=McDuffee |first1=Keith |title=South Park: Guitar Queer-o |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2007/11/07/south-park-guitar-queer-o/ |website=HuffPost TV |access-date=March 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913180930/http://www.aoltv.com/2007/11/07/south-park-guitar-queer-o/ |archive-date=September 13, 2012 |date=November 7, 2007 |url-status=live }}

A portion of the episode was used on NPR's Day to Day to discuss the idea that the popularity and interest in video games like Guitar Hero III or Rock Band could supplant traditional instruments for kids.Alex Cohen and Carrie Brownstein, [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16693554 Virtual or Reality Rock Band?], Day to Day, November 28, 2007.

The New York Times identified Guitar Hero{{'}}s reference in the episode as the most effective TV product placement for that week.{{Cite web|last=Freierman|first=Shelly|title=Popular Demand|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9E0CEFDF123DF932A15752C0A96E9C8B63.html|access-date=2022-03-13|website=New York Times}}{{Cite web|title=Product Placements Of The Week|url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/71746/product-placements-of-the-week.html|access-date=2021-04-24|website=MediaPost}}

"Guitar Queer-O", along with the thirteen other episodes from South Park{{'}}s eleventh season, were released on a three-disc DVD set in the United States on August 12, 2008. The set includes brief audio commentaries by Parker and Stone for each episode.{{Cite web |title=South Park: The Complete Eleventh Season DVD Review |publisher=IGN |date=August 18, 2008 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/08/12/south-park-the-complete-eleventh-season-dvd-review/ |access-date=February 5, 2017}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/xv5ktr/south-park-guitar-queer-o-season-11-ep-13 "Guitar Queer-O"] Full episode at South Park Studios
• {{IMDb episode|0995580}}

{{South Park episodes|11}}

{{Guitar Hero series}}

Category:South Park season 11 episodes

Category:LGBTQ-related South Park episodes

Category:Guitar Hero

Category:2007 LGBTQ-related television episodes