Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut
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"Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut" is the thirteenth and final episode of the first season of the American animated television series ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
''. It originally aired on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
in the United States on February 25, 1998. The episode is the highest viewed episode in the entire ''South Park'' series, with 6.4 million views. It is part one of a two-episode story arc, which concluded with "
Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut "Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut" is the second episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 15th episode of the series overall, it premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on April 22, ...
". The episode follows
Eric Cartman Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly referred to by his surname Cartman, is a fictional character in the adult animated sitcom '' South Park'', created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. He is voiced by Parker, and is one of the series' four main chara ...
, one of the show's child protagonists, becoming curious about the identity of his father. He discovers that his father is most likely a man his mother had sexual intercourse with during an annual party called "The Drunken Barn Dance". Meanwhile, his friends
Stan Stan or STAN may refer to: People * Stan (given name), a list of people with the given name ** Stan Laurel (1890–1965), English comic actor, part of duo Laurel and Hardy * Stan (surname), a Romanian surname * Stan! (born 1964), American author ...
,
Kyle Kyle or Kyles may refer to: Places Canada * Kyle, Saskatchewan, Canada Ireland * Kyle, County Laois * Kyle, County Wexford Scotland * Kyle, Ayrshire, area of Scotland which stretched across parts of modern-day East Ayrshire and South Ayrshir ...
and
Kenny Kenny is a surname, a given name, and a diminutive of several different given names. In Ireland, the surname is an Anglicisation of the Irish language, Irish ''Ó Cionnaith'', also spelt ''Ó Cionnaoith'' and ''Ó Cionaodha'', meaning "descendant ...
participate on '' America's Stupidest Home Videos'', after filming Cartman playing in his yard with plush toys. The episode was written by
Trey Parker Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Matt Stone. P ...
and staff writer David R. Goodman, and directed by Parker. It featured a guest appearance by comedian
Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...
, who provided cat sounds for Cartman's cat. "Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut" had a
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
ending; the identity of Cartman's father was intended to be revealed in the second season premiere, but Parker and co-creator
Matt Stone Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Trey Parker. Stone was interes ...
wrote an unrelated
April Fool's Day April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may ...
episode instead. This was much to the dismay of ''South Park'' viewers. This episode was met with positive responses from critics. In the summer of 2013, fans voted "Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut" as the best episode of season one.


Plot

Stan, Kyle and Kenny decide to check on Cartman when he does not show up for school. They discover that he is having a tea party with his stuffed animals in his backyard. Their school counselor Mr. Mackey advises them to videotape Cartman, so he can study him psychologically. Meanwhile, Cartman does not have a father to celebrate father-and-son day and asks his mother who he is. His mother explains that she met his father, a Native American named Chief Running Water, at the 12th annual "Drunken Barn Dance". However, Chief Running Water informs him that his mother is a slut and that he saw her with
Chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...
later that night at the dance. Chef tells Cartman that his mother preferred
Mr. Garrison Herbert Garrison, formerly known as Janet Garrison, Ethan F Garrison, and the President, is a fictional character and occasional antagonist on the American animated television series ''South Park''. The character is voiced by cocreator Trey Pa ...
over him. At a bar, Mr. Garrison admits to Cartman that he had sex with Mrs. Cartman, but then argues "But who here didn't!?", to which
Mayor McDaniels The following is a list of recurring characters in the animated television series ''South Park''. The list does not include the List of students at South Park Elementary, school children, List of South Park families, family members or List of Sou ...
,
Principal Victoria ''South Park'' is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. The ongoing narrative revolves around five children, Stan Marsh, Eric Cartman, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCor ...
,
Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
and
Father Maxi The following is a list of recurring characters in the animated television series ''South Park''. The list does not include the List of students at South Park Elementary, school children, List of South Park families, family members or List of Sou ...
share guilty glances with each other.
Dr. Mephisto '' South Park'' is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. The ongoing narrative revolves around five children, Stan Marsh, Eric Cartman, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny M ...
is willing to perform
DNA testing Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...
to resolve the issue, but requires $3,000 for the test. Cartman gets depressed, as he does not have the money. In the meantime, Kyle, Stan and Kenny watch '' America's Stupidest Home Videos''; they hear there's a $10,000 grand prize for the stupidest home video. They decide to enter the competition with the video they made of Cartman. Cartman approaches Kyle and Stan (Kenny was dragged to a train track by Stan's
go-cart A go-kart, also written as go-cart (often referred to as simply a kart), is a type of sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performance racing ...
and killed by an oncoming train) with the depressing news about his lack of funds to find out his real father. Stan and Kyle agree that if they win the video contest they will give Cartman the $3,000 needed for the DNA testing. Cartman is overjoyed, but quickly becomes extremely furious after seeing the aired video. Though they do not win the competition, as Stan's grandfather wins with a videotape he made of Kenny's death, they receive a $3,000 runner-up prize instead, which is still enough for the DNA test. Dr. Mephesto calls together Cartman, his mother and all potential fathers (including the
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
), when he gets the test results which is where Kenny comes back to life. When he is about to reveal the identity of Cartman's father, a narrator states that the answer will be revealed in the new ''South Park'' episode four weeks later, much to Cartman's annoyance and anger.


Production

"Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut" was written by ''South Park'' co-creator
Trey Parker Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Matt Stone. P ...
and staff writer David R. Goodman, and directed by Parker.Weinstock, p. 234 ''South Park'' would sometimes have guest appearances by celebrities, but they would usually voice a supporting or minor character;
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
winning actor
George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...
had previously provided dog barks for the episode "
Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on September 3, 1997. The episode was written by series co- ...
". Comedian and talk-show host
Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...
provided the sounds of Cartman's cat Mr. Kitty in the episode.Weinstock, pp. 215–216 Leno would return later as himself in the
season two Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * ''2econd Season ''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk. Release It was released on November 4, 2008. Guest Performers The album features gu ...
episode " City on the Edge of Forever".
Toddy Walters Toddy Elizabeth Walters (born October 24, 1969 in Denver, Colorado) is an actress/singer/songwriter. Career A Denver native, Toddy Walters has been a singer/songwriter/actor/voice actor for the bulk of her life. Walters went to the University of ...
provided the vocals for the song used at "The Drunken Barn Dance" (which is a parody of "
My Heart Will Go On "My Heart Will Go On" is a 1997 song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion. The song serves as the main theme to James Cameron's blockbuster film ''Titanic'', based on an account of the transatlantic ocean liner of the same name which san ...
"). Walters was romantically involved with Parker at the time the episode was being produced. She would continue to write and sing for the show throughout its third season. The episode was to conclude with the first episode of the second season, on April 1, 1998, four weeks after "Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut" was first broadcast. However, instead of continuing the episode's storyline, Parker and co-creator
Matt Stone Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Trey Parker. Stone was interes ...
made an episode regarding the ''South Park'' minor characters
Terrance and Philip '' South Park'' is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. The ongoing narrative revolves around five children, Stan Marsh, Eric Cartman, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny M ...
, as an
April Fool's Day April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may ...
prank on viewers of the show. Upset fans wrote more than 2,000 angry e-mail complaints to
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
within a week of the episode's original broadcast, and media outlets said some fans harbored a grudge against the show more than five years after the episode was broadcast.


Theme

Writing for ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
'', television critic Tom Carson stated he felt the episode was "a really plaintive story about craving something, anything, to hold onto", as Cartman tries to adapt the culture of each man he believes to be his father.


Release and reception

The episode was first aired in the United States on the cable television channel
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
on February 25, 1998. It received a
Nielsen rating Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
in the 8.0 range. In
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, the episode premiered on The Comedy Channel on August 20, 1998, it was the last of a three-week ''South Park'' marathon aired by the network. A little over 300,000 viewers watched the episode, which was a record for the channel, which had only been part of Canada's cable networks for ten months. The complete three-week marathon was watched by an average 186,307 viewers per minute per day. When first broadcast in the United States, "Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut" gained positive responses from critics. Writing for ''
The Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published si ...
'', Brian Lowry and Alex Strachan defined "Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut", as well as "
Damien Damien is a given name and less frequently a surname. The name is a variation of Damian (given name), Damian which comes from the Greek ''Damianos''. This form originates from the Greek derived from the Greek word δαμάζω (damazō), "(I) con ...
", " Mecha Streisand" and " Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo", as season one's "classic episodes", commenting that "Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut" was "a heart-warming, tender episode". Carson also praised the episode for its "hilarious sex-jokes". In a top ten list of ''South Park''s best episodes, compiled by ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' reporter Allan Johnson, "Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut" was ranked third, behind "
Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants "Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants" is the ninth episode in the fifth season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 74th episode of the series overall, it was the first ''South Park'' episode to premiere after the September ...
" and "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo". On April 27, 1999, "Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut" was released on the "''South Park'': Volume 7" VHS tape which also contained "
Cartman's Mom is Still a Dirty Slut "Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut" is the second episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 15th episode of the series overall, it premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on April 22, ...
", in a third series of ''South Park'' home video releases. Volume 7 was sold along with Volume 8, which contained "
Chickenlover "Chickenlover" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American animated television series '' South Park''. The 17th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on May 27, 1998. It marks the ...
" and "
Ike's Wee Wee "Ike's Wee Wee" is the third episode of the second season of the American animated television series '' South Park''. The 16th episode of the series overall, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on May 20, 1998. In the episode, sc ...
", and Volume 9, which contained "
Conjoined Fetus Lady "Conjoined Fetus Lady" is the fifth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 18th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on June 3, 1998. The epi ...
" and "
The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka "The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka" is the sixth episode in the second season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 19th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United State ...
". All thirteen episodes of the first season, including "Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut", were released on a DVD box set on November 12, 2002. Parker and Stone recorded commentary tracks for each episode, but the tracks were not included on the DVDs due to "standards" issues with some of the statements; refusing to allow the tracks to be censored or edited, Parker and Stone's commentary tracks were released on a separate CD.Pratt, p. 1123


Notes


References

* * *


External links


"Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut"
Full episode at South Park Studios * {{good article 1998 American television episodes South Park (season 1) episodes South Park episodes in multiple parts Denver Broncos