Here Comes the Neighborhood

Infobox Television episode
Title = Here Comes the Neighborhood
Series = South Park


Caption = Token and his new friends
Season = 5
Episode = 77
Airdate = November 28, 2001
Production = 512
Writer = Trey Parker
Director = Eric Stough
Guests =
Episode list = List of "South Park" episodes
Season list = Infobox South Park season 5 episode list
Prev =
Next ="Here Comes the Neighborhood" is episode 512 of the Comedy Central series "South Park". It originally aired on November 28, 2001.

Plot synopsis

Token Black, the token black child of South Park, also happens to be the richest kid in town, and becomes upset when he can find no other kids in the school he can relate to. He tries to get himself and his family to act poor. They shop at J-mart and eat macaroni & cheese instead of lobster and steak. But when he comes to Stan's house with the other boys and brings a DVD instead of a video tape - Token's family being the only people in town with a DVD player - the boys realize that he hasn't changed. Hurt at his social estrangement, Token decides to arrange for dozens of rich people (who coincidentally all happen to be black) such as Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Oprah, P. Diddy, Kobe Bryant, and Snoop Dogg (who is characterized by very proper mannerisms when not rapping) to move into South Park, which leads to Mr. Garrison complaining about the "richers" in the town, which in turn leads to ire among the other, less affluent members of the community (who all happen to be white). However, Token discovers that the rich kids are as different from him as he is from the poorer kids in town and all the rich kids play Polo, buy shops and talk with exaggerated British accents, and he feels so much like an outcast that he goes to live with lions in the South Park Zoo after the rich kids taunt him to do it.

The situation between the rich and poor residents of town continues as the gentrification escalates. Led by Mr. Garrison the townsfolk enact a series of measures. They decide to plant a lower case "t" (cross) for "time to leave town" in the garden of some of the rich residents, setting it on fire to emphasize their point. They mock the rich residents by insisting they sit at the front of buses claiming it to be the "first class" section. They refuse to let them drink in the bars or eat in the restaurants. Finally, when the rich citizens gather in protest outside the city hall, the poor townsfolk try to scare the "richers" by dressing as ghosts in costumes that resemble those of the Ku Klux Klan. Throughout the episode despite the "richers" all being black, and the poor townsfolk all being white, and despite the re-enactment of various scenes from the height of black/white tension in America, at no point does anyone make any express reference to race, color or make any racist remarks. All the references are depicted as coincidental. The only racial references in the middle of the episode are made by the rich people themselves - they notice Chef working in his garden while they protest their treatment and, assuming that because he's black, he's rich, they call him to come and join them. When he points out that he's as poor as the townsfolk, they offer him $100 to support their cause anyway. At the end, when the Ku Klux Klan-esque ghosts are running around the town the rich black people take them at face value as real ghosts and respond in terror.

Token eventually decides he doesn't want to live with lions anymore (because they only play practical jokes) and leaves; however, he discovers that the poor kids in town who initially made fun of his money didn't really dislike him, but only picked on him because they all pick on each other on a regular basis (they pick on Stan because he's in love with Wendy, Kyle because he's Jewish, Butters because he's wimpy, Cartman because he's fat, Cartman because his mom is a crack whore, Cartman because he's stupid and Cartman because he's a "sadistic asshole" (in Kyle's words)). They wind up deciding to stop picking on him for his money though, and instead mock him "Pussy" for being unable to take being called rich rather than apologizing to him for ripping him for being rich.

Eventually the townsfolk-as-ghosts terrify the "richers" into leaving town. The poor townsfolk gather around their abandoned houses. Mr Garrison suggests that by selling the empty houses the townsfolk can become rich. Jimbo and Randy wisely tell him that if they do they will become the very thing they hate. Garrison shrugs, "Well yeah, but at least I got rid of all those damn nig...", and the episode cuts to credits before he can complete the word.