South Park combined the nonsensical slang trend “67” with billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel’s alleged obsession with the Antichrist in its latest episode.
In “Twisted Christian”, which aired Wednesday October 15, Cartman and his fellow students at South Park Elementary have become fixated on the “67” trend that is infuriating real-life teachers.
Many educators have attempted to ban the phrase, which is often blurted out when “six” and “seven” are mentioned together, with one person saying “six” and others responding “seven.” It also comes with an accompanying “juggling” hand gesture.
In the new South Park episode, the school is so concerned about the trend’s supposed “Satanic numerology” that they bring in an “expert on the end of days and the coming Antichrist” to deal with it.
That expert is revealed to be Thiel, the PayPal and Palantir co-founder who in real life has reportedly delivered a series of lectures in Silicon Valley espousing his views on the Antichrist and the potential for a coming Armageddon.
Thiel’s character singles out Cartman, who is so amused by the “67” trend that he repeatedly vomits whenever it is mentioned. In a scene spoofing the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, Thiel grows increasingly frustrated as he pleads with Cartman to: “Tell me what it means... You will tell me the significance!”
The term originally came from rapper Skrilla’s song “Doot Doot (6 7)”, referencing a 6’7” basketball player, which gained popularity through viral videos and memes featuring NBA player LaMelo Ball, according to Merriam-Webster.
But the trend has taken on a life of its own and is typically relished by children specifically because of its lack of a rational explanation. Many educators have begun imposing consequences, from point deductions to essays, for students who use the term.
The South Park episode ends on a cliffhanger, with Thiel set to take Cartman to Washington D.C. where his character believes he can be useful in stopping the coming Antichrist.
“Twisted Christian” was unexpectedly listed as the first episode of the long-running satirical animation’s 28th season. That brings a premature end to the show’s 27th season, which ran for only five episodes instead of the previously announced 10.
Representatives for South Park have reassured fans that the same number of episodes as planned will still be released this year, with the four remaining new episodes set to arrive on October 29, November 12, November 26 and December 10.
It is not immediately apparent why South Park has chosen to split this year’s run into a 27th and 28th season. The huge $1.5bn (£1.1bn) deal that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone signed with Paramount in July specified that they will create 10 new episodes a year for the next five years.