Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Cartman's mangled pronunciation of authority is the whole joke: a child with a toy badge demanding the deference that real power gets, and getting none of it. It is the show's purest statement of his character, a bully's craving for control. Fans still shout it in his voice at anyone pulling rank over something small, and it ranks among the show's most quoted lines.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for South ParkShow the scene
The catchphrase debuts in "Chickenlover" (South Park, Season 2, aired 27 May 1998). Officer Barbrady, unable to read the note left by the town's chicken-molesting culprit, resigns in shame, and the town promptly falls into anarchy. Cartman steps into the gap, masquerading as a police officer. He patrols South Park on his big wheel, enforcing his own idea of the law, and uses a nightstick on Randy Marsh for allegedly speeding, insisting that people respect his "authoritah". Meanwhile Barbrady goes back to school to learn to read.
Sources (2)
- South Park Archives: Chickenlover (episode synopsis)Plot, Cartman as policeReference checked
- Wikipedia: ChickenloverSynopsisReference checked
Context reviewed
