Season 2 Episode 11 – Roger Ebert Should Lay Off The Fatty Foods

The Planetarium causes interesting side effects when it opens in South Park…

Original Airdate

2^nd September 1998

Featured Music

• Footloose by Kenny Loggins (1984)
• She Works Hard For The Money (originally by Donna Summer, 1983, sung by Cartman)

Synopsis

When a planetarium opens in South Park, Stan, Kyle and Kenny become rather sucked in like a black hole… is it something more than just a learning centre? Meanwhile, Cartman wants to be the mascot for his favourite snack of Cheesy Poofs!

Kenny's Death

Head explodes while Stan and Kyle make him a test subject in the planetarium.

My Thoughts Back Then

Loved the opening bacon sketch, and my city of Perth had a planetarium not long open when I first watched this one, if I recall correctly this was in January of 2005, in the summer between Year 8 and Year 9 for me, from the video shop. I went to the planetarium in my city in late 2004, so that was fresh in my mind, and being a big lover of science and space at the time, this episode really shone for me. Being a lover of crisps and the like meant I also liked Cartman’s quest to be Mr. Cheesy Poof.

My Thoughts Now

2^nd last of the Bakin'
Bacon with Macon show… Western Iowa Bacon Casserole sounds nice, and Trey Parker doesn’t know what a pig in blanket is… aka a sausage wrapped in bacon.

I had no idea what Barnaby Jones was (a 1970s crime show) when I first watched this, so the scene at the start where they’re watching it clicks more with me now. Never heard of a forced excursion, and doesn’t Mr. Garrison know how to fast forward commercials?

SIT DOWN, KNOCK MR. GARRISON OVER AND SHUT UP! I’ve never hit the brakes on my car that hard either. And trust Cartman to want to be a truant and cut the excursion so he can go to the plane’arium, as Dr. Adams mentions is caused by his bone disease.

Little Missy has white eyes… and loves her job too much like a robot. Also, how is she not in school or homeschool? The boys aren’t too phased at first, and Cartman decides to sneak out, without Mr. Garrison noticing.

Cartman should know better than to mow a boy over, and disses Night Court’s 5^th season in his audition for the Cheesy Poofs song – most likely an endorsement of Night Court as Cartman said it, not Stan or Kyle. On the bus home from Denver, an escapee employee from the Plane’arium sneaks on the bus and goes to Nurse Gollum back in South Park.

Love the Footloose montage, even though I’m as far from a stoner as you can get – knowing the song helps big time. Back in class, Cartman is cutting school, winning regional champion, missing Mr. Garrison’s xenophobic description of the Japanese poem haiku. And 45 miles is NOT just down the street!

Back at the planetarium, new employees (the stoners) are here to add to the experience. Dr. Adams amps the intensity up when Mr. Garrison goes to the gents, but quickly covers. Cartman lies to a poor girl and her mum to eliminate the competition, about food, and the kids become… volunteers?! Cartoon logic at its finest, you’d think they were teenagers at least! 

Stan and Kyle test it with Kenny, turning the intensity up, and up…. And up…. And up…. And Kenny dies! Something is WRONG! Cartman meanwhile dresses in a feminine disco dress while singing Donna Summer… something I noticed more as an adult, and a sign that Cartman will do anything to get what he wants.

How did Dr. Adams NOT find out Kenny died in the planetarium? He’s invited the whole town…, and Stan, Kyle and Officer Barbrady walk in to find a brainwashed CHEF (Barbrady thinks school chef isn’t a real job) Meanwhile Cartman starts his over 9000 takes of the commercial! Showbiz is hard, believe me I’m no actor, if I was in the TV industry I’d be a videotape editor most likely.

Cartman can’t wait for the premiere! But will anyone in Park County watch it? Officer Barbrady becomes Elvis! Dr. Adams’ commentary about technology would work even better in 2022, especially with e-sports and streaming. Mr. Mackey comes to save the day, as one of the only sane adults even without the planetarium, but he’s doomed too… Cartman is MAD everyone missed him being on TV, and kills the planetarium, taking out Dr. Adams and putting him into a permanent seizure. Cartman saved the day for once! Nice to see as early as the middle of the second season, South Park was shaking up what you’d expect from it.