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{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox South Park episode|

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

episode_name = Smug Alert! |

episode_no = 141 |

{{Infobox South Parktelevision episode|

image = [[Image:butterscartmansmug.JPG|200px|]] |

| airdateseries = [[MarchSouth 29Park]], [[2006]] |

| seasonimage = 10 |

| colorcaption = #DEDDE2

| season = 10

| episode = 2

| airdate = {{Start date|2006|03|29}}

| music = "[[Begin the Beguine]]" by [[Artie Shaw]]

| production = 1002

| director = [[Trey Parker]]

| writer = Trey Parker

| guests = [[George Clooney]] as Himself

| season_article = South Park season 10

| episode_list = List of South Park episodes

| prev = [[The Return of Chef]]

{{SP navigation|[[The Returnnext of= Chef]]|[[Cartoon Wars Part I]]}}

}}

"'''Smug Alert!'''" is the second episode of the [[South Park season 10|tenth season]] of the American animated television series ''[[South Park]]'' and the 141st episode of the entire series overall, it first aired on [[Comedy Central]] in the United States on March 29, 2006. In this episode, [[Gerald Broflovski|Gerald]] buys a [[hybrid electric vehicle|hybrid car]] and buys into the whole progressive movement, moving his family from [[Park County, Colorado]] to [[San Francisco|San Francisco, California]] and disturbing a delicate equilibrium and indirectly causing an environmental disaster along the way. The episode acts as a play on the attitude of owners of hybrid cars, as well as the similarity between the words "[[smog]]" and "[[wikt:smug|smug]]".

'''Smug Alert!''' is episode 1002 of ''[[South Park]]''. It first aired on [[March 29]],[[2006]].

== Plot ==

[[Kyle Broflovski|Kyle]]'s father Gerald buys a new [[hybrid car]]. He soon attempts to convert the other townspeople to [[environmentally friendly]] vehicles. After alienating all of his friends with his preachy attitude, he decides he cannot live in South Park any longer and moves his family to [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]].

After failing to convince Gerald to change his mind, [[Stan Marsh|Stan]] writes a song which convinces the entire town to purchase hybrids. Stan is later approached by Ranger McFriendly, who explains that everybody owning hybrids causes more harm than good: although emission levels are down, people who drive hybrids emit "[[smog|smug]]", and South Park now has the second-highest levels in the country, after San Francisco.

==Plot==

{{spoiler}}

[[Gerald Broflovski|Kyle's father]] buys a new [[hybrid car]], which makes him obsessed with the environment and getting smug; he begins to talk with his eyes closed all the time and "likes to smell his own [[flatulence|farts]]," according to [[Recurring South Park characters#Randall "Randy" and Sharon Marsh, Shelley and Grandpa|Randy]], who is assumed to be speaking figuratively. When the people in town decide they don't like his smugness, Kyle's family decides to move. Before leaving, Kyle's dad says to Stan they can't live in South Park as long as the people don't support the environment; Stan, then, in a bid to get Kyle's family to move back, writes a song about the importance of hybrid cars, which gets on the radio and gets everyone to drive hybrids. They then decide, like Mr. Broflovski, that they are enlightened for their habits and will not associate with people who do not drive a hybrid. Afterwards, Stan meets Ranger McFriendly, protector of the environment, who quickly begins to cuss at him; for it turns out that though smog rates are down, people who drive hybrids create a toxic gas called "smug," which results in South Park having the second highest levels in the country, after San Francisco (actually, smug could be caused not by people being smug, but by their smug farts).

The cloud of smug forms over South Park and begins to combine with that of San Francisco. McFriendly informs the town that a cloud of smug from [[George Clooney]]'s [[78th Academy Awards]] acceptance speech will soon drift between the two potential storms, merging them together to create a system which will heavily damage South Park and completely destroy San Francisco. Meanwhile, [[Eric Cartman|Cartman]] realizes that [[Butters Stotch|Butters]] is not a satisfying target for abuse and wishes for Kyle to return. Cartman and Butters secretly travel to San Francisco, and just as the smug storm hits, Cartman finds the Broflovskis in their house.

Kyle moves to [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], and Kyle's father is glad to meet others like himself—people who, mid-conversation, will loudly [[fart]], bend over and sniff with pleasure, then resume discussing their philosophies and congratulating themselves for being more progressive than the rest of the country. Kyle finds himself unable to fit in with the other kids, who explain that they spend their time taking drugs and drinking to help them to deal with their parents' "smugginess". After witnessing a brief scene in which his dad is revealed to be even more arrogant than before, Kyle and Ike accept [[LSD|acid]] from the kids (Kyle asks for "maybe just half a hit," while Ike asks for three.) Meanwhile, Cartman—who was joyous over Kyle leaving, throwing a going-away party to which Kyle wasn't invited—tries to fill the void by ripping on [[Butters Stotch|Butters]], whom he now calls a "stupid [[Jew]]," but finds him too nice and unwilling to defend himself like Kyle.

The storm destroys thousands of homes in South Park, and completely decimates San Francisco, convincing everyone that Kyle and his family have been killed. The Broflovskis reappear, however, unaware that their safety is due to the actions of Cartman. With all their cars destroyed, the townspeople vow never again to buy hybrids, but Kyle tells everyone that it isn't the hybrid cars that cause smug but rather the people who drive them, implying that people need to drive cars and not act like they are above all other people. The town then agrees that perhaps someday they will learn to drive hybrid cars the same way they drive normal cars but for now the technology is too much.

A cloud of smug in South Park develops and begins to combine with the cloud of smug from [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]. In a series of scenes parodying the film ''[[The Perfect Storm (film)|The Perfect Storm]]'', McFriendly then reveals that a cloud from [[George Clooney]]'s [[78th Academy Awards]] acceptance speech — claiming that [[Hollywood]] was ahead of the curve on social issues — will soon drift into the center of the "super cell", combining to create the "perfect storm of self-satisfaction". San Francisco and South Park will be completely destroyed. Stan must help the town to eliminate hybrid cars; Cartman — desperate to get Kyle back so he can resume hating him — plans a daring mission to infiltrate San Francisco, capital of the [[hippie]] movement, and find and rescue his foe.

==Reception==

Cartman enters the city in an "anti-smug suit" (connected to a hose than spanned back to an air tank outside the city, managed by Butters), and finds the Broflovskis in their house, completely stoned on drugs/smug. Just as the storm hits, the scene fades out. Back in town, later, the storm is revealed to have destroyed thousands of homes, and San Francisco has disappeared up its own [[anus|asshole]]. The Broflovskis reappear, explaining they were passed out and mysteriously woke up on a bus. The town discusses getting new cars but declares no hybrids. Kyle makes an compassionate speech that hybrids really are good and just asks that the people who drive them not be smug about it or act as if they are better than everybody else. The townspeople admit they are not ready to drive them without being smug, so they return to driving gas guzzlers. Cartman talks to Kyle, and they get into a fight; as Kyle storms away, Cartman expresses relief to have the [[status quo]] returned.

''[[TV Squad]]''{{'}}s Adam Finley gave the episode a positive review, noting "tons of great moments, from Stan's gay little song to Cartman being forced to don a vintage diver's suit".<ref name="TV Squad">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/03/30/south-park-smug-alert/|title=South Park: Smug Alert!|work=TV Squad|first=Adam|last=Finley|date=30 March 2006|accessdate=24 May 2009}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]''{{'}}s Eric Goldman rated the episode an 8.0 out of 10, noting in particular the "very funny" take on San Franciscans' attitude and the "hysterical plot twist" of mocking [[George Clooney]], who had previously provided the voice of a dog in the episode "[[Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride]]", as well as a doctor in ''[[South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut]]''.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/699/699373p1.html|title=South Park: "Smug Alert!" Review|work=IGN|first=Eric|last=Goldman|date=2006-03-23|accessdate=2009-12-09}}</ref>

==Home media==

A running gag throughout the episode is that people who are being smug in their own sense of superiority, including all hybrid car owners and all residents of San Francisco, speak with their eyes closed and enjoy the smell of their own farts.

"Smug Alert!", along with the thirteen other episodes from ''South Park''{{'}}s tenth season, was released on a three-disc DVD set in the United States on August 21, 2007. The set includes brief audio commentaries by series co-creators [[Trey Parker]] and [[Matt Stone]] for each episode.<ref>{{cite web |title=South Park: The Complete Tenth Season DVD Review |website=[[IGN]] |date=November 22, 2006 |last=Iverson |first=Dan |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/11/23/south-park-season-10-review |accessdate=April 30, 2017}}</ref>

==TriviaReferences==

{{reflist|30em}}

*[[Isaac Hayes]] is no longer credited. In the opening sequence, the likeness of [[Chef (South Park)|Chef]] is now replaced with [[Darth Chef#Darth Chef|Darth Chef]], who was "introduced" in the previous episode.

*The most frequently seen hybrid in this episode is a newer [[Toyota Prius]], called Pious, an obvious pun, in the episode. A [[Honda Insight]] is also seen, called a Hindsight. No other hybrids vehicles are mentioned, even though many other hybrid vehicles were available or had been announced. Obviously the hybrid criticism is aimed at the two cars sold strictly as hybrids.

*Though [[George Clooney]] and the ''South Park'' creators were once close&mdash;Clooney's promotion of the pre-''South Park'' short "[[The Spirit of Christmas]]" played a key role in helping the series get off the ground; he also played Dr. Doctor in ''[[South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut]]'', as well as Sparky in "[[Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride]]"&mdash; Clooney's liberal views have caused [[Matt Stone|Stone]] and [[Trey Parker|Parker]] to mock him in recent years, as in ''[[Team America: World Police]]'' (although this was after Clooney had said that he would have been offended if he ''weren't'' made fun of in the film) as well as this episode.

*All the mutterings of the George Clooney smug are actual quotes from his acceptance speech, although it is [[Trey Parker]] saying them rather than actual audio footage of the speech. The full text of Clooney's speech is as follows: ''"Wow. Wow. All right, so I'm not winning director. ''[Clooney won Best Supporting Actor for ''[[Syriana]]''.]'' It's the funny thing about winning an Academy Award, it will always be synonymous with your name from here on in. It will be Oscar winner, George Clooney. Sexiest Man Alive, 1997. Batman, died today in a freak accident at a -- Listen, I don't quite know how you compare art. You look at these performances this year, of these actors and unless we all did the same role, everybody put on a bat suit, and we'll all try that. Unless we all did the same role, I don't know how you compare it. They are stellar performances and wonderful work, and I'm honored, truly honored to be up here. And finally, I would say that, you know, we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while. I think it's probably a good thing. We're the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular. And we, you know, we bring up subjects. This Academy, this group of people gave [[Hattie McDaniel]] an Oscar in 1939 when blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. I'm proud to be a part of this Academy. Proud to be part of this community, and proud to be out of touch. And I thank you so much for this."''

*[[Kenny McCormick|Kenny]] is nowhere to be found in this episode. In fact, the only proof given that Kenny's family was around at all was the tip of Stuart McCormick's hat showing up in the crowd scene at the episode's end. A possible explanation for this is that Kenny's family is too poor to afford a hybrid car. Fans have noticed that Kenny has, in fact, been missing from several recent episodes, such as "[[Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow]]" (coincidentally also mocking [[environmentalism]]), and in other episodes barely appears at all.

*The store that Gerald, Kyle, and Ike visit is [[True Value]], coinciding with the earlier episode ''[[Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes]]'' where Mr. Garrison last mentions "Let's go shop at True Value" after burning down the rest of the town's stores.

*The song [[Cartman]] sings at Kyle's going-away party to try to get them in the mood is a slightly altered version of the chorus to [[Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye]] by one-hit-wonder [[Steam (band)|Steam]].

*Ranger McFriendly may be a reference to Officer Friendly from ''[[Princess (Trey Parker & Matt Stone)|Princess]]'', a [[Flash cartoon]] Matt and Trey created.

*One of the shops in San Francisco is called Jen and Berry's, Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream, which is an obvious play on [[Ben & Jerry's]] Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt. It is shown at the corner of [[Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, California|Haight Street and Ashbury Street]], where there is an actual Ben & Jerry's.

*The song that Stan writes to get people to drive hybrid cars, slightly parodies [[The Youngbloods]]' hit song "[[Get Together (Youngbloods song)|Get Together]]".

*In Kyle's San Francisco room there is a poster for 'MC Dreidel' a parody of [[Matisyahu (reggae artist)|Matisyahu]] and [[MC Hammer]].

*The hybrid dealership in South Park is Toyonda. A combination of the leading two hybrid producers, [[Toyota]] and [[Honda]].

*Gerald's license plate says "1TMYMPG" &ndash; pronounced "Want my [[miles per gallon]]?".

*This episode reminds viewers that the fictional city of South Park is just south-west of [[Denver]], [[Colorado]], in the general area of the real-life [[South Park (Colorado basin)|South Park]] basin and [[Fairplay, Colorado]].

* While Stan is writing his song, a poster of Mad Max from ''[[The Road Warrior]]'' can be seen on his wall. ''The Road Warrior'' is set in a chaotic, post-apocalyptic world experiencing a severe gasoline shortage. The movie's setting in the desert and over-the-top car chase was used in the next South Park episode, [[Cartoon Wars Part I]].

*This is the second time Cartman attempts to replace Kyle, the first time was in [[Bebe's Boobs Destroy Society]].

*From this episode forward [[Cartman]] has an [[Xbox 360]] with a wired [[controller]].

*This episode was parodied in a series of commercials for the [[Volkswagen]] [[Volkswagen Passat|Passat]] which aired in mid-[[2006]], where drivers of flashy cars drove around with megaphones announcing the reasons for their vehicle choice. The closing shot shows the rear of a Passat with "Lowest Ego Emissions".

*This was the fourth episode to show Mr. Adler. (The other three being [[Tweek vs. Craig]], [[Proper Condom Use]] and [[The Return of Chef]] (sitting next to [[Mr. Mackey]] at Chef's funeral)).

*"A Smuggy Day (In San Francisco Town)" is a parody of "A Foggy Day (in London Town)".

*Notice that when Cartman is walking through San Francisco in his underwater get-up, none of the bystanders seem to notice him. Also you hear a conversation between two men at a cafe where he says, "San Francisco is more like a European city, like Paris or Milan." This is obviously adding to the joke of the episode that people in San Francisco are more smug and stuck up than other parts of the country.

*The scene where the radio DJ is speaking and you only see the jaw area of his face may be a reference to the female radio DJ from the film ''[[The Warriors|The Warriors]]''.

*The aftermath of the Smug Storm seems to be a reference towards the tragedy of [[Hurricane Katrina]].

*The scene when the Broflovski family meets their neighbours in San Francisco is a parody of the growing usage of [[Double-barrelled surname]]s.

==External links==

{{wikiquote|South_Park#Smug_Alert.21_.5B10.2.5D|Smug Alert!}}

* [http://www.southparkstudios.com/downloads/display_video.php?ep_number=1002&ep_name=Smug%20Alert&vid=http://images.southparkstudios.com/media/video/1002/1002_teaser.mov&vid_name=Episode%201002%20Teaser/ Teaser Video Clip on SouthParkStudios.com]

* [https://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/o0wg88/south-park-smug-alert-season-10-ep-2 "Smug Alert!"] Full episode at South Park Studios

* [http://www.academyawards.com/oscarnight/winners/bestsupportingactorcategory.html George Clooney's remarks upon winning the Best Supporting Actor award for Syriana, in which he portrays a CIA agent at the center of a conspiracy to guarantee U.S. access to foreign oil.]

* {{IMDb episode|0783418}}

{{South Park episodes|10}}

{{SP navigation|[[The Return of Chef]]|[[Cartoon Wars Part I]]}}

[[Category:South Park episodes: Seasonseason 10 episodes]]

[[Category:Television episodes set in San Francisco]]