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What do you think of the "The Cissy" episode of South Park?

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Personally, within the small and often questionable number of episodes that include trans characters or topics in South Park, I feel that “The Cissy” is one of the most acceptable. Yes, the main premise is that Cartman pretends to be a trans girl so he can use the girls’ bathroom because he thinks it is better. I understand that this can sound contradictory with saying it is the least problematic. But the key for me, like in most cases in South Park, is who the target of the joke is. At no moment is the show making fun of trans people. The joke is that Cartman is an idiot trying to take advantage of a situation. It is similar to what happens with Mr. Garrison. The problem is not that he is gay, the problem is that he is Garrison. “There is a difference between gay people and Mr. Garrison.” There is a difference between trans people and Cartman. Also, the secondary plot, which many people forget when talking about this episode, is a metaphor about identity and how society reacts. In Randy’s parallel story, even though he is a cis man, it works as a metaphor. They try to push him aside, give him a separate bathroom, or treat him like something uncomfortable that people do not want to talk about, and it is clear that this is wrong. The discomfort he experiences and the need to hide show how unfair that kind of treatment is. On the other hand, I think what happens with Stan is important. When Wendy starts identifying as a boy to teach Cartman a lesson by invading the private bathroom they gave Eric, Stan begins to doubt himself. And even though in the end he concludes he is cis, what matters is that he takes the time to think, to ask himself questions, and to explore instead of automatically denying it. That opens the door to the idea that questioning your identity is valid. I am not saying the episode is perfect or free of problems, and I imagine that maybe other trans people, regardless of my opinion, can still find it uncomfortable to watch, but compared to other moments in the series, I think it is quite correct.

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Posted
Feb 12, 2026 at 3:14 PM UTC
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