Remember the time South Park did a joke about the conspiracy theory that teenage pop star Lorde is actually way older than she claims? And the time Spin, a music publication, totally missed the joke and got offended on Lorde's behalf? It was a week ago. Anyway...

Trey Parker and Matt Stone turned Spin's off-the-mark post, "South Park apparently thinks Lorde is a middle-aged man," into the B story for last night's episode.

In Lorde's previous appearance, Stan's dad had to pose as the singer after telling the kids he knew her uncle and could book her for their charity benefit. Spin's Brennan Carley, apparently without watching the whole episode, wrote that Randy Marsh—a middle-aged man!—had been moonlighting as Lorde.

It struck him as a mean, unwarranted joke, considering that, "Lorde is 17 ... and by all accounts — acceptance speeches and otherwise — seems to be pretty humble."

Carley realized he'd missed the Lorde age truther angle—after everyone pointed it out—and updated the story accordingly, but apparently not before Parker and Stone had a chance to read it. Which brings us to this week, and the episode "The Cissy."

In the backup story, South Park takes Spin's speculative "Randy Marsh is Lorde" plot and runs with it. As Randy tries to hide his double life, an intrepid Spin reporter named Brandon Carlile (subtle, guys) arrives in town to expose the conspiracy.

To their credit, Spin definitely got the joke this time.

[h/t Spin, Photo: South Park Studios]