Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo/Trivia

Trivia

 * This was the first full-length Christmas-themed South Park episode.
 * This episode satirizes political correctness, and what would happen if you were to remove everything anyone would find offensive.
 * A running gag in this episode was Kenny surviving things that would have normally killed him. This is the first episode where he survives and when the phrase "The End" appears on screen Kenny cheers in joy. This makes this the first time that Kenny is shown to be aware of his tendency to die. The other boys also noticed that something felt "unfinished" but they could not place it.
 * The original Christmas episode was supposed to be Damien, with Jesus and Satan boxing each other.
 * During a spring 2002 rerun cycle, this was named by Comedy Central as the 4th most "notorious" episode of the series.

Introducing Mr. Mackey

 * This is first episode with school counselor Mr. Mackey, Mr. Hankey and Priest Maxi.
 * Mr. Mackey believes that Kyle is suffering from "fecalphilia". The actual term for this is Coprophilia.
 * According to "Goin Down To South Park", Mr. Hankey was inspired by an event that happened to Trey Parker: When Trey was a kid, he had the habit of not flushing the toilet; because of this, Trey's dad told him that if he didn't flush the toilet, Mr. Hankey would come out and eat him.
 * Mr. Mackey was based on Trey Parker's junior high counselor, Mr. Lackey.
 * Mr. Mackey has Kyle put on a prescription of Prozac to cure him of his fecalphilia. Prozac is the third most prescribed antidepressant in America.

In the Audience

 * big bold man in white shirt
 * Johnson
 * curly blonde man
 * white Token with his mother
 * Two Adults Resembling Bill and Fosse
 * Ned
 * Jimbo
 * Priest Maxi
 * During "The Lonely Jew on Christmas", while Stan, Cartman and Kenny are meeting Santa, a pink-purple version of the Boy with Blue Cap is seen.
 * There is a picture of Kyle with his elephant on his dresser.

In the Children's Choir

 * Craig Tucker- 2nd appearance.
 * Bebe Stevens
 * Pip Pirrup
 * Scott Malkinson early version without ears.

Songs Featured

 * Three popular South Park songs debuted in this episode:"Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo", "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch", and "The Lonely Jew on Christmas.". "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" also made a brief appearance for the first time in the series (having first appeared in Jesus vs. Santa).
 * The "Driedel Song" that is sung is really called "I Have a Little Dreidel", which was originally written by Samuel S. Grossman.
 * In the song "The Lonely Jew on Christmas", Kyle references Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus, and the song Silent Night.

References to Popular Culture

 * The entire episode is a parody of Christmas specials, right down to the music sounding somewhat (especially the Mr. Hankey song) like songs from other holiday specials. The opening sequence to the episode is a direct parody of A Charlie Brown Christmas right down to Stan's monologue about Christmas.
 * When everyone goes to get Kyle out of the insane asylum, they all shout "Merry Christmas Kyle Broflovski!" They do so in the same way everyone wished Charlie Brown a Merry Christmas at the end of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
 * Further, this episode is a commentary on what seems yearly and constant debate on how to make Christmas non-offensive to other nationalities/faiths. In their typical style, both sides of the argument are shown going to ridiculous extremes.
 * Sheila Broflovski complains about Kyle playing St. Joseph. However, Joseph was in fact Jewish, making the casting rather appropriate.
 * Kyle's mother confuses Joseph of Arimathea with Joseph of Nazareth. Joseph of Nazareth was the adoptive father of Jesus Christ, Joseph of Arimathea -- depending on what gospels you subscribe to -- Was a rich man who donated his own prepared tomb for Jesus after he was crucified.
 * Mr. Garrison accuses Sheila Broflovski of raising Kyle up as a Pagan. Modern day associations aside, this is a accurate term which was used as blanket term denoting any religions that were founded prior to pre-Christian Europe.
 * This is the first time Mr. Garrison suggests they get rid of all the Mexicans. He suggests it again in It's Christmas in Canada, to which the Mayor, in annoyance says "Every year you suggest that, and every year we tell you 'NO'!"
 * Of all the things that people in South Park decide to remove from the Christmas pageant include mention of Frosty the Snowman.
 * This episode includes a live action parody commercial advertising a make-your-own Mr. Hankey kit. It parodies many toy commercials, and the Mr. Hankey toy has similar properties to a Mr. Potato Head toy.
 * Stan is getting a John Elway football helmet for Christmas. Elway was quarter back for the Denver Broncos. He played in the NFL from 1983-1998.
 * Interrupting the end credits is a scene where Jesus is sullenly wishing his birthday to himself. This is a symbol that people usually forget what Christmas is about: Commemorating the birth of Jesus.
 * Philip Glass is a contemporary composer best known for his chamber music, orchestral and film scores (e.g.Koyaanisqatsi). Often credited together with Terry Riley and Steve Reich as the innovators of the 'minimalist' style.
 * King Kamehameha referenced in Cartman's song about Sheila Broflovski was the greatest of the Hawaiian kings.

Goofs

 * In the beginning you can see Cartman is not in the performance, but you can still hear him.
 * Token is white, watching the performance
 * Kenny appears listening to Mr.Garrison with the rest of the cast while taking down the "offensive" star
 * The star appears above a sharktank backstage as Kenny is taking it down, but is shown infront of the main curtain to the audience
 * When Kyle is being punished by his father, the menorah in the living room is lit to the sixth night of Chanukah. According to the Hebrew calendar, if this episode was set in the year it aired, the events would begin three days after Christmas.
 * Mr. Garrison said that Kyle was a Pagan. Kyle is not a Pagan, but Abrahamic like the other boys. Abrahamic refers to a religion connected to Abraham- Christianity, Judasm, Islamic, etc. Paganism refers to a religion not connected to Abraham- Wicca,Buddism, Hinduism, etc.