The Death of Eric Cartman
Encyclopedia
"The Death of Eric Cartman" is is the sixth episode of the ninth season
of the animated television series South Park
, and the 133rd episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central
in the United States
on April 13, 2005.
The episode was written by series co-creator Trey Parker
and is rated TV-MA in the United States.
, Kyle, Stan
and Kenny
wait at Stan's house for Sharon to come home with KFC
. When Sharon arrives, she asks the boys to help her unload her groceries, but Cartman remains behind and eats all the skins of every single piece of fried chicken
in the bucket. Extremely outraged by this, Stan, Kyle and Kenny decide that Cartman has finally crossed the line and resolve to just ignore him. When the other boys in their class find out that they are now ignoring Cartman, they all decide to follow them. Cartman, incapable of conceiving that anyone could ignore him on purpose, wonders if he has actually died and become a ghost. He becomes convinced of this after returning home and misunderstanding comments made by plumbers who are replacing the toilet in his house, which he destroyed overnight as a consequence of his chicken-skin binge: he believes that they are removing his body. Cartman also overhears his mother orgasm
while having sex
with one of the plumbers and mistakes this for sobs of grief.
Butters
, however, is not privy to his friends' resolution to ignore Cartman and so greets him as he passes by in a state of despair. Cartman immediately convinces him that he is a ghost and bullies him into helping him pass on, as Butters seems to have the unique psychic capability of seeing and hearing him. Cartman first has Butters apologize to everyone on his behalf, which fails to impress his ex-friends but gets his mother sobbing. No one realizes that Cartman thinks he is dead. Cartman makes emotional goodbyes to Butters, believing that he will now be permitted to go to heaven. When this fails to happen, Butters suggests to Cartman that he might need to atone for past sins. Cartman draws a long list of all the terrible things he has done, and delivers gift baskets to all the victims including Sally Struthers
, Scott Tenorman
, and Kyle's synagogue
. When this too fails, Cartman goes berserk, destroys Butters' room with a baseball bat
, and disappears before his parents turn up. A doctor is called and decides that Butters might suffer from a deep trauma. To find out for sure, Butters is taken in a mental institution and subjected to a terrifying series of tests including being anally probed by a vibrating machine for over 14 hours while suspended in the air. Now genuinely traumatized, Butters accepts that he has been imagining Cartman's visits, but the Cartman breaks into the asylum and to get his help again.
The two consult a psychic
, who suggests that God has kept Cartman on Earth to help with some kind of crisis. When they hear of a hostage
situation at a Red Cross center, the boys set off and Cartman manages to stop the criminals by moving things around in the style of a poltergeist
. The robbers are merely befuddled at the child's behavior, which provides enough of a distraction for Butters to release the hostages and the police to subdue the criminals. Cartman and Butters are credited with saving the day, "armed only with the weapon of confusion", as a news reporter puts it. Cartman and Butters exchange goodbyes and emotional protestations of friendship for the third time when the other boys turn up and praise Cartman's heroic behavior. They tell him they are willing to be his friend again, thinking he has truly changed. When they leave, Cartman now realizes that he was merely being ignored and is outraged. He again goes berserk and blames Butters for the misunderstanding, threatening terrible retaliation. Butters's parents arrive with the doctor, making Butters realize he is going back to the asylum.
, Matt Stone
, and the remaining writing staff were sitting around a table having a bucket of KFC chicken for dinner while they discussed ideas and someone mentioned how terrible it would be if someone stole all the skins when everyone else was out of the room.
South Park (season 9)
Season nine of the American animated television series South Park began airing on March 9, 2005. This season is home to two of the show's most controversial episodes : "Trapped in the Closet" Season nine of the American animated television series South Park began airing on March 9, 2005. This...
of the animated television series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, and the 133rd episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on April 13, 2005.
The episode was written by series co-creator Trey Parker
Trey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
and is rated TV-MA in the United States.
Plot
CartmanEric Cartman
Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
, Kyle, Stan
Stan Marsh
Stanley Randall "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
and Kenny
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
wait at Stan's house for Sharon to come home with KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
. When Sharon arrives, she asks the boys to help her unload her groceries, but Cartman remains behind and eats all the skins of every single piece of fried chicken
Fried chicken
Fried chicken is a dish consisting of chicken pieces usually from broiler chickens which have been floured or battered and then pan fried, deep fried, or pressure fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or crust to the exterior...
in the bucket. Extremely outraged by this, Stan, Kyle and Kenny decide that Cartman has finally crossed the line and resolve to just ignore him. When the other boys in their class find out that they are now ignoring Cartman, they all decide to follow them. Cartman, incapable of conceiving that anyone could ignore him on purpose, wonders if he has actually died and become a ghost. He becomes convinced of this after returning home and misunderstanding comments made by plumbers who are replacing the toilet in his house, which he destroyed overnight as a consequence of his chicken-skin binge: he believes that they are removing his body. Cartman also overhears his mother orgasm
Orgasm
Orgasm is the peak of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, characterized by an intense sensation of pleasure...
while having sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with one of the plumbers and mistakes this for sobs of grief.
Butters
Butters Stotch
Leopold "Butters" Stotch is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by series co-creator Matt Stone and loosely based on co-producer Eric Stough. He is a fourth-grade student who commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town...
, however, is not privy to his friends' resolution to ignore Cartman and so greets him as he passes by in a state of despair. Cartman immediately convinces him that he is a ghost and bullies him into helping him pass on, as Butters seems to have the unique psychic capability of seeing and hearing him. Cartman first has Butters apologize to everyone on his behalf, which fails to impress his ex-friends but gets his mother sobbing. No one realizes that Cartman thinks he is dead. Cartman makes emotional goodbyes to Butters, believing that he will now be permitted to go to heaven. When this fails to happen, Butters suggests to Cartman that he might need to atone for past sins. Cartman draws a long list of all the terrible things he has done, and delivers gift baskets to all the victims including Sally Struthers
Sally Struthers
Sally Ann Struthers is an American actress and spokeswoman, best-known for her roles as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, for which she won two Emmy awards, and as Babette on Gilmore Girls.-Personal life:...
, Scott Tenorman
Scott Tenorman Must Die
"Scott Tenorman Must Die" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 69th episode of the series overall. "Scott Tenorman Must Die" originally aired in the United States on July 11, 2001 on Comedy Central. English rock band Radiohead guest star in...
, and Kyle's synagogue
The Passion of the Jew
"The Passion of the Jew" is episode 114 of the Comedy Central series South Park and was originally broadcast on March 31, 2004. The episode is a satire of the movie The Passion of the Christ, which was released in 2004.- Plot :...
. When this too fails, Cartman goes berserk, destroys Butters' room with a baseball bat
Baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
, and disappears before his parents turn up. A doctor is called and decides that Butters might suffer from a deep trauma. To find out for sure, Butters is taken in a mental institution and subjected to a terrifying series of tests including being anally probed by a vibrating machine for over 14 hours while suspended in the air. Now genuinely traumatized, Butters accepts that he has been imagining Cartman's visits, but the Cartman breaks into the asylum and to get his help again.
The two consult a psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
, who suggests that God has kept Cartman on Earth to help with some kind of crisis. When they hear of a hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
situation at a Red Cross center, the boys set off and Cartman manages to stop the criminals by moving things around in the style of a poltergeist
Poltergeist
A poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
. The robbers are merely befuddled at the child's behavior, which provides enough of a distraction for Butters to release the hostages and the police to subdue the criminals. Cartman and Butters are credited with saving the day, "armed only with the weapon of confusion", as a news reporter puts it. Cartman and Butters exchange goodbyes and emotional protestations of friendship for the third time when the other boys turn up and praise Cartman's heroic behavior. They tell him they are willing to be his friend again, thinking he has truly changed. When they leave, Cartman now realizes that he was merely being ignored and is outraged. He again goes berserk and blames Butters for the misunderstanding, threatening terrible retaliation. Butters's parents arrive with the doctor, making Butters realize he is going back to the asylum.
Production
The idea of having Cartman eat the skin off of an entire tub of fried chicken came from a similar script meeting one evening when Trey ParkerTrey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
, Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
, and the remaining writing staff were sitting around a table having a bucket of KFC chicken for dinner while they discussed ideas and someone mentioned how terrible it would be if someone stole all the skins when everyone else was out of the room.
External links
- The Death of Eric Cartman Full episode at South Park Studios
- The Death of Eric Cartman Episode guide at South Park Studios