Joe Jonas is opening up about the infamous South Park episode mocking him and the rest of the Jonas Brothers back in 2009.
The 35-year-old singer and his brothers were skewered for their ‘purity rings’ in the Season 13 premiere of South Park dubbed The Ring.
The episode follows Kenny, who, along with his girlfriend, are encouraged by the Jonas Brothers to wear purity rings and abstain from sexual activity.
The rest of the main characters – Stan, Kyle and Cartman – decide to confront the JoBros, when they’re taken prisoner by Mickey Mouse himself, as they realize the purity rings were just a ploy to sell sex to young girls while feigning a moral high ground.
The episode also features a memorable scene where Mickey Mouse savagely beats up the animated Joe Jonas – who recently opened up about co-parenting with Sophie Turner – after the brothers tried taking a stand against their ‘boss.’
Joe was a guest on the Last Meals podcast, where he was asked about the episode, 16 years later, admitting that he was the only brother who enjoyed the parody.
Joe Jonas is opening up about the infamous South Park episode poking fun at him and the rest of the Jonas Brothers back in 2009
The episode also features a memorable scene where Mickey Mouse savagely beats up the animated Joe Jonas after the brothers tried taking a stand against their ‘boss’
When asked how big of an ‘impact’ the episode had on the group, Joe admitted, ‘I think I was the only brother that loved it.’
‘We didn’t have as tough a skin back then, and I thought it was hilarious because I watch South Park. This is so funny. I know what they’re doing. They make fun of everyone,’ Joe added.
He added, ‘to be made fun of by a comic is usually a sign that they give a s**t and they care and it’s funny and you’ve got to be able to take a punch.’
‘They really went for us. I think they were going more so on the idea of what it is,’ Joe said, adding, ‘What an honor to get my a** kicked by Mickey.’
Joe admitted that now all the brothers think it’s funny, adding, ‘Now we just laugh. We love it. I think it’s so great. Definitely a claim to fame for me.’
The Jonas Brothers’ father, Kevin Jonas Sr., a pastor who shepherded their careers early on, was not as happy with the episode, according to the 2024 book Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire by Ashley Spencer.
‘When the South Park episode came out, their father was super offended,’ said Jonas Brothers tour photographer Elise Abdalla in the book.
The episode also featured a rather sexual portrayal of the JoBros’ concert film’s water and foam gun scenes.
When asked how big of an ‘impact’ the episode had on the group, Joe admitted, ‘I think I was the only brother that loved it’
‘We didn’t have as tough a skin back then, and I thought it was hilarious because I watch South Park. This is so funny. I know what they’re doing. They make fun of everyone,’ Joe added
‘When the South Park episode came out, their father was super offended,’ said Jonas Brothers tour photographer Elise Abdalla in the book
Joe admitted that now all the brothers think it’s funny, adding, ‘Now we just laugh. We love it. I think it’s so great. Definitely a claim to fame for me’
Abdalla added, ‘But I was like, don’t you think the foam thing look a little weird?’
Disney Channel president Anne Sweeney had a much different take, revealing in the book, ‘We were absolutely thrilled because it meant that the rest of entertainment actually noticed us. I thought it was funny.’
Nick Jonas said in a 2016 Reddit AMA that he was not a fan of the episode, but now he thinks it’s hilarious.
‘When it first came out I didn’t think it was funny to be honest. But years later and once the purity rings were no longer around, it was very funny to me,’ he said.
