Season 1 Episode 2 – Weight Gain 4000

 

Season 1 Episode 2 – Weight Gain 4000



 

Cartman decides he needs to gain even more weight… all because Kathie Lee Gifford is coming to South Park! Mr. Garrison, however, is NOT happy with Gifford’s visit…

Original Airdate

20th August 1997

Character Debuts

  • Mayor McDaniels
  • McDaniels’ aides
  • Clyde Donovan
  • Bebe Stevens
  • Jimbo Kern

Featured Music

·        If My Friends Could See Me Now (sung by young Kathie Lee Gifford)

Synopsis

Starting off with Cartman ranting about how much he hates rainbows, which he thinks are a bug, it turns out Cartman won the national prize in an essay writing contest! Kathie Lee Gifford comes to South Park to present Cartman his prize, and Cartman wants to get into shape! The town decides to put on a show for Gifford, but Mr. Garrison wants his revenge against her.

Kenny's Death

Shot by Mr. Garrison and then speared by the flagpole.

My Thoughts Back Then

Another episode I first watched back in 2004, from a tape I rented from the video shop, I didn’t know who Kathie Lee Gifford was, I found the young Mr. Garrison complete with baldness funny. At the time, I thought Cartman gaining weight was hilarious, but lines like “Castrate the cows” went right over my head.

I knew about the Kennedy assassination at the time of first watching this at the age of 13, something I imagine those I went to primary school who watched it back then probably didn’t. Being academically more like Wendy than Cartman (and always have been), I’d have been angry if one of my Year 8 English essays at the time had the name swapped too!

My Thoughts Now

Re-watching this after I finished high school and 2 university degrees, I know a lot more about essays and writing than I did first watching this. Brings back memories of when some of my meaner classmates would get me to do their homework for them (I was a smart kid in a regular class in Year 8). Mr. Garrison’s evil side, via Mr. Hat, first comes to play here, when he wants to assassinate Gifford for upstaging him in primary school. Turns out Cartman forged an essay! How did Cartman get a 72 for his actual work?!

Cartman wanting to “get in shape” is hilarious too – as someone who’s been fat for most of his life, before burning it off, (and also gained weight since the pandemic hit, but is currently working it off), I can relate to being not quite Cartman-sized when I was younger, but also to becoming a fitness/gym freak in my older years, I’m not the sort who would use weight gain powder like that, that’s for sure!

The play of the founding of South Park shows the founding exaggerated, and the Mayor does NOT approve of the kids beating each other. Garrison bad mouthing Kathie Lee Gifford is also an early sign of him being unpopular with much of the town, as shown in later episodes. Watching the scene where Garrison buys a gun of Jimbo Kern, as an Australian, shows the stark differences in buying a gun where I am, and in rural Colorado. Also where Barbrady has NO issue with Garrison and his gun on the street.

So Kathie Lee Gifford arrives in town to a large crowd, and Chef sings one of his racy signature songs, this one about wanting Gifford himself, in front of a family-friendly audience. The Mayor cuts it off early. Stan and Wendy find Garrison before he fires any shots, and Cartman has to be hauled onto stage. Cartman breaks the stage and Kenny is shot when Garrison is aiming for Gifford.

Gifford leaves and the Mayor calls the town a bunch of hick rednecks with the mic on! Garrison ends the show in a nuthouse, and Cartman has become so fat he can’t leave the room! Kathie Lee Gifford has a nice ending too 😉

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