Season 1 Episode 8 – Starvin’ Marvin

 

Season 1 Episode 8 – Starvin’ Marvin

Cartman gets sent to Africa when he’s mistaken for a starving African orphan at Thanksgiving…

Original Airdate

19th November 1997

Character Debuts

  • Starvin’ Marvin
  • Gerald Broflovski
  • Carol McCormick
  • Stuart McCormick
  • Kevin McCormick

Synopsis

It’s Thanksgiving in South Park, and the boys adopt an Ethiopian orphan, Starvin Marvin after seeing you can get a sports watch. Meanwhile, Cartman is sent to Ethiopia, and mutant turkeys are holding South Park to its knees.

Kenny's Death

Pecked to death by mutant turkeys during the battle. We also learn that Kenny has blue eyes.

My Thoughts Back Then

I first saw this one in April of 2005, when I got the 1st season on DVD with some birthday money from my 14th. I didn’t know who Sally Struthers was back then, so rewatching this in 2008 after I started watching All In The Family made this episode even better. I knew what Thanksgiving was at the time, so that helped, and I imitated Starvin’ Marvin’s clicking for a few months after I saw this.

My Thoughts Now

2nd of the Western intros with Indian Companion, including a reference to then-Friends star Jennifer Aniston. I used to shut my own parents up when South Park was on when I was a teenager, much like Cartman does to his mum here while the Thanksgiving special of Terrance and Phillip is on. Sally Struthers, the All In The Family star whom Kyle mistakes for being on Full House, is on TV promoting supporting starving African children with donations – a sports watch is part of the deal, so the boys want IN.

South Park is having their annual canned food drive, for Kenny’s family and other poor people in South Park. Mr. Garrison is teaching a garbage lesson about Inglebert Humpledick being the first on the moon, when evil turkeys trash his classroom! Dr. Mephisto alerts the Mayor, admits he made the turkeys, trying to provide food for the poor people.

The boys come home to find no sports watch at the Cartman house, but there’s Part 2 of the Terrance and Phillip Thanksgiving Special. Wait… good old comedic timing chimes in, with an orphan at the door! It’s Starvin’ Marvin, with his clicking sounds. Kenny kicks Cartman when Cartman says he’s too poor to look after Marvin.

The Marshes, Broflovskis and Cartmans are at a buffet, where notably, no one tells off Cartman for his poor people joke at the McCormicks – you’d think Sharon or Sheila would have something to say. Cartman also doesn’t get in trouble for throwing away a tray of prawns, and Kyle is eating HAM?! Maybe they forgot he was Jewish here. Stan scolds Cartman for being greedy.

Creamed corn isn’t the nicest of tinned foods, and at school, the boys are sad they can’t take of Marvin anymore. Kyle tells Cartman to cut the anti-poor sentiment (notice how Stan and Kyle are doing more to keep Cartman in line in this episode). Chef is also working with Dr. Mephisto to stop the turkeys. Marvin manages to convince the agents that Cartman is the starving African (maybe he could be a starving Afrikaner?)

Jimbo and Ned fend off some of the turkeys… and the Mayor is channeling Jones from Dad’s Army with her Don’t Panic! Oh, hello again Sally Struthers, now with Cartman in shot of her commercial (like they wouldn’t have refilmed it), and Kenny of course is thrown into a  machine where getting tinned food is hard. Not the mutant turkeys, and Chef is now in charge in the anti-turkey offense.

The Braveheart references (complete with Chef in war paint) I love a lot more now, I saw Braveheart back in 2014, not long after the No side won the independence referendum in Scotland (hooray!). The episode also changes to letterbox presentation in the battle scenes, simulating a cinematic experience. Cartman meanwhile finds a room of Cheesy Poofs, Snacky Cakes and a fat Sally Struthers. Thanks to Jimbo, Ned, Chef and even Ike, the town is SAVED!

Starvin’ Marvin is sad to leave South Park, but will miss his friends, Kyle also admits he likes him more than Cartman. Love the shot of Sally Struthers, who hated her portrayal here, tied up too – we close with a sad Thanksgiving at the McCormick residence, without Kenny, and no tin opener (at least Stuart doesn’t do a full meltdown like Cartman’s British grandfather, Alf Garnett did!).

 

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