In the episode, Randy says the word niggers on the real-life game show Wheel of Fortune, leading to widespread public outrage.
Parker and Stone had long wanted to create an episode exploring the racial slur, but struggled with a plot line beyond its opening scene.
They subsequently found it easier to work on following comedian Michael Richards' controversy, in which he screamed the slur at hecklers.
Parents Television Council founder L. Brent Bozell criticized the lack of protest against the episode.
The episode is airing live, with his family in the audience and the South Park residents watching from home.
After this, Nelson calls all of the students to the gymnasium to teach Cartman a lesson by making fun of his obesity with the words "Hello, fatso!"
When walking away from the grand opening, he is chased by a trio of socially progressive, shotgun-wielding rednecks who are angry at him for slandering an entire race of people.
However, other "Nigger-Guys", led by Seinfeld alumnus Michael Richards and including former Los Angeles investigator Mark Fuhrman, rescue him and scare the rednecks off.
Parker and Stone had wanted to create an episode centered on the racial slur "nigger" for a considerable time.
"[2] Shortly beforehand, comedian Michael Richards courted massive controversy due to an infamous performance at the Laugh Factory in November 2006 in which he screamed the word "nigger" repeatedly at a group of African American and Hispanic patrons who heckled him.
[2] In the episode's DVD commentary, they noted that it was clear from the video of Richards that he had significant problems, but that they really felt contempt for him when he apologized to civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.
[2] They continued to struggle with the subplot until roughly three days prior to air, when they created the idea of Cartman encountering a little person.
[2] This episode received coverage by the CNN programs Showbiz Tonight and Paula Zahn Now[3] in the days following its broadcast.
Kovon and Jill Flowers, who co-founded the organization Abolish the "N" Word, which is linked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, praised this episode, calling it a hilarious but good example of educating the public on the impact of racist slurs such as nigger.
This show, in its own comedic way, is helping people to educate the power of this word, and how it can feel to have hate language directed at you.
[5] Travis Fickett of IGN gave the episode a 10/10, commenting, "There's really no other way to explain how this show remains not only brilliantly funny, but more relevant and insightful than anything else on television.