"Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the animated television seriesSouth Park. An album of the same name consisting of versions of songs from the show as well as a number of additional songs was released the week prior to the episode's original air date, December 1, 1999.
Reception
In September 2008, Russian prosecutors filed a motion to ban the series based on complaints received about this episode. The TV station was allowed to keep its license by agreeing not to re-air the program. Ted Gournelos called "Merry Fucking Christmas" as sung by Mr. Garrison, "ridiculously offensive".
Episode
The episode is styled as a variety show and features Mr. Hankey as the host; he sits by the fire in his sewer home and introduces shorts featuring unusual holiday songs. In a similar fashion to "Starvin' Marvin in Space", the episode was dedicated to Mary Kay Bergman, the original voice of most of the female characters on the show up to that point, who had committed suicide less than a month earlier. Since the episode features audio from the Christmas Classics album, which had been recorded months earlier, it marks the final episode in which Bergman's voice is heard. During the performance of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a brief montage of several of Bergman’s characters are shown and some gather within Mr. Hankey’s home afterwards to sing. During the "Christmas Time in Hell" song Satan is singing along with various celebrities in Hell, including Jeffrey Dahmer, John F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Jr., Diana, Princess of Wales, Gene Siskel, Mao Zedong, Genghis Khan, Michael Landon and Jimmy Stewart. A framed picture of comedian Andy Dick is also seen during the dance number.
A Christmas medley performed by Jesus and Santa Claus as lounge singers, featuring: "Joy to the World", "Up On the House Top", "Away in a Manger", "O Come All Ye Faithful", "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", "Silent Night", "Rio", and "Let it Snow"
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", performed by Mr. Hankey and the cast. During the scene, Kenny is killed when a chandelier falls on him.
During the ending credits a reprise of "Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel" plays.
"Fighting the frizzies, at eleven."
After every commercial break, a live action segment featuring a news anchor is shown, saying "Fighting the frizzies, at eleven." In the DVD commentary, Stone and Parker indicate this is a reference to a bootleg tape of Star WarsHoliday Special. The original tape featured a brief clip at the end from WCBS-TV featuring newscaster Rolland Smith informing viewers, "Fighting the frizzies, at eleven." However, while the original news ad was apparently referring to "frizzy" hair, the ending credits of this episode of South Park feature the news anchor boxing a man in a giant fuzzy suit.
Album
The album features more songs than the show. Additionally, some of those featured in the show are slightly different than the aired versions. The album reached #33 on Billboard's 1999 Christmas albums. The duet between Santa and Jesus that appears in the episode was meant for the album, but music rights for Duran Duran's "Rio" could not be cleared for the album in time.
Singles
"Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo"
; CD1
"Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo" – Performed by Cowboy Timmy
