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"The Worldwide Privacy Tour" is the second episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 321st episode of the series overall. It premiered on February 15, 2023. The episode, which was first announced on February 13, 2023, depicts a visit to the town of South Park by the Prince of Canada and his wife, who say they are seeking privacy and seclusion, which brings them into conflict with fourth grader Kyle Broflovski, in a parody of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to step back as senior members of the House of Windsor and their subsequent rebranding.

Plot

A grief-stricken Ike Broflovski, who is Canadian-American, watches the televised funeral for the Queen of Canada, who died four months ago. The Prince of Canada and his wife receive a poor reception from other attendees because they have been bashing the Canadian monarchy. Ike's monopolizing of the computer prevents his older brother Kyle from appearing online to play a video game with his friends, which results in their leveling up without him, leaving him feeling left out. Butters Stotch tells Kyle that he needs brand management and takes him to CumHammer Brand Management, where an agent named Mr. Davis suggests possible brands, which all include the word "victim".

The Prince and his wife go on a tour to promote his memoir and to demand privacy. They move into the house across from the Broflovskis. Though they say they want privacy, their activities, such as playing drums and polo, and setting off fireworks, are disruptive to Kyle. When he complains, they scream at him that he is violating their privacy.

Kyle attempts to use the brands suggested to him by Mr. Davis, telling his friends that he is a victim and is working on himself, but they react with indifference. He also persistently complains about the royal couple, which prompts his friends to distance themselves from him. When Kyle's house is plastered with magazine covers featuring the Prince's wife, he tries a brand that says "nothing bothers him". Failing to get a reaction from him, the wife accuses Kyle of victimizing her because she is "ethnic". The Prince then tries to provoke Kyle by exposing himself to Kyle, who continues to ignore him.

The next day, Kyle walks into school with a new look and a more positive demeanor but learns that Butters is being beaten up by Bebe Stevens because Butters launched an abusively misogynistic tirade against her, which Butters refers to as his "strong and assertive" brand. Kyle goes to CumHammer's offices, where he is confronted by the Prince and his wife, who is consulting with Mr. Davis on how to retaliate against Kyle. Kyle says that when one tries to engineer the image by which others perceive them, it just makes that person a performer instead of a human being. Hearing this, the Prince resolves to do away with magazine covers and television appearances in favor of a more normal life, realizing what is within them defines who they are, and not commodifying oneself as a product. When this gets no response from his wife, he flips open the top half of her head, and inside finds only a chasm from which his voice echoes. The Prince leaves CumHammer without her.

Kyle decides to allow Ike his repeat viewings of the Queen's funeral, realizing that this is who Ike is and that he does not care if this negatively affects his standing with his friends. Kyle's friends show up at his door and invite him to play outside to relieve his stress. They go to the local basketball court, where the Prince asks if he can play. When they assent, he sets up his drum set on the edge of the court, playing music as the boys play basketball.

Reception

John Schwarz with Bubbleblabber.com rated the episode a 8.5 out of 10 and claimed the episode reaffirmed South Park's status as "the undisputed king of adult animated comedy", noting that it got "people talking, pissing off celebrities, and making tons of money in the process while doing so" and "week over week, 'The Worldwide Privacy Tour' actually has gone up in the ratings from South Park’s premiere episode of 'Cupid Ye'”.

Tom Peck, writing in The Independent, opined that the episode " the absolute piss out of them " and "is absolutely hilarious, a brutalizing satire delivered with the kind of economy and precision that has kept South Park on air for fully 25 years. Peck concluded, "the problem with South Park getting their claws into them is not a small one. It makes it clear that they have turned themselves into a joke, both in their old home and their new one."

Journalists speculated that the episode was inspired by the Duchess of Sussex's remarks when interviewed by Oprah Winfrey; when asked whether the Duke and Duchess should expect a loss of privacy in exchange for royal status, Meghan replied, "I think everyone has a basic right to privacy. Basic. We're not talking about anything that anybody else wouldn't expect." The perceived hypocrisy within the Duke of Sussex criticizing journalists for profiting off of intrusion into people's private lives after the Prince included highly personal details about himself and others in his memoir, Spare, is also regarded as a catalyst for the satire in "The Worldwide Privacy Tour".

Response from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Shortly after the episode aired, the Duchess of Sussex was reportedly "upset and overwhelmed" and "annoyed" by the episode and refused to watch it in its entirety. A spokesperson for the couple denied rumors that she and Prince Harry planned to file a lawsuit over the episode.

See also

• Monarchy of Canada § In popular culture

Notes

1. While the press release from Comedy Central/South Park, the full episode video link from Comedy Central, and multiple other sources list the title as "The Worldwide Privacy Tour", other sources list the title as either "Worldwide Privacy Tour" or "The World-Wide Privacy Tour". The press release title is being used for consistency.

References

1. Flook, Ray (February 13, 2023). "South Park Season 26 Episode 2 Promo: Kyle's Being "Royally" Annoying". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
2. Valdez, Nick (February 13, 2023). "South Park Season 26 Releases Episode 2 Teaser: Watch". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
3. Kanter, Jake (February 16, 2023). "'South Park' Tears Into Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's "Worldwide Privacy Tour"". Deadline. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
4. Schwarz, John (February 16, 2023). "Review: South Park 'The World-Wide Privacy Tour'". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
5. Schwarz, John (February 23, 2023), South Park: The Fallout from 'The Worldwide Privacy Tour', Bubbleblabber, retrieved March 5, 2023
6. ^ Peck, Tom (February 24, 2023), "Oh my God! They killed their credibility! South Park's Harry and Meghan parody proves one thing", The Independent, retrieved March 5, 2023
7. ^ Petit, Stephanie; Hill, Erin (February 21, 2023), "No, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Not Suing Over 'South Park' Episode: 'It's All Nonsense'", People, Dotdash Meredith, retrieved March 5, 2023
8. ^ Barilla, Lucille (February 22, 2023), ‘South Park’ Uses Meghan Markle’s Own Words Against Her in ‘Worldwide Privacy Tour’ Spoof, Showbiz CheatSheet, retrieved March 5, 2023
9. Kennedy, Kara (February 20, 2023). "Meghan Markle 'upset' at her depiction in South Park". The Spectator. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
10. Petit, Stephanie; Hill, Erin (February 21, 2023). "No, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Not Suing Over 'South Park' Episode: 'It's All Nonsense'". People. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.

External links

• "The Worldwide Privacy Tour" Full Episode at South Park Studios
• "The Worldwide Privacy Tour" at IMDb
• Keates, Emma (February 16, 2023). "South Park takes on famous couple that definitely isn't Harry & Meghan". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023.

• South Park (season 26) episodes
• Television episodes set in Canada
• Cultural depictions of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
• Cultural depictions of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex