Mecha-Streisand

"Mecha-Streisand" is episode 12 of Comedy Central's series South Park. It originally aired on February 18, 1998.

Plot
On a fossil dig, Cartman discovers the Triangle of Zinthar, only to throw it away, but Kyle recovers it, thinking it somewhat cool; Cartman, however, instantly wants it back when Kyle gets on TV because of it. After going through ridiculous measures to reclaim the artifact (sawing a hole through Kyle's roof and searching Kyle's room as he sleeps), Kyle tires of the situation and gives the triangle back to Cartman. Shortly afterward, Barbra Streisand comes to town and meets the boys. Although she becomes angry when she learns they don't know or care who she is, she is greatly interested in the triangle, and later offers a monetary reward in exchange for it, which the boys foolishly accept and go along with Barbra to her house to make the transaction. Meanwhile, Leonard Maltin seeks out Chef and informs him of the situation with Streisand; they then go in search of her mansion home in the mountains to try to prevent her from fulfilling her plot, to combine the triangle that the boys had found with one she previously discovered (while shooting "My Fair Lady") and becoming an evil super-villain.

Once at her mansion home, Barbra Streisand ties up and tortures the boys (by singing) until they relent and give up the triangle (which Cartman had hidden in his shoe). She takes the triangle and combines it with the one she had unearthed years before, forming the Diamond of Pantheos. The Diamond transforms Streisand into Mecha-Streisand, a giant mechanical dinosaur-songstress that begins to wreak havoc over South Park. Shortly thereafter, Leonard Maltin and Chef find Streisand's home and free the boys, who fill them in on what had just occurred.

As Streisand goes about destroying the town, Leonard Maltin transforms into an Ultraman-like superhero, in hopes of defeating the evil Mecha-Streisand. Streisand proves too powerful, though, and Maltin is quickly defeated, when Sidney Poitier arrives in the form of a giant turtle much like Gamera. He, too, is no match for Mecha-Streisand, and South Park appears in utter peril until Robert Smith of The Cure comes and morphs into a giant moth, in the form of Mothra. Discovering that Mecha-Streisand's weak spot is the nose, Smith is able to punch the Diamond of Pantheos out of her - using the Robert Punch, thus rendering her powerless; weakened, Smith is then able to mega-toss Mecha-Streisand into outer space, where she explodes. After the fighting subsides, the boys decide that the diamond is better off separated, as "no one should have that kind of power." However, the episode ends with it being re-discovered, and the boys cowering in the presence of a giant baby, Mecha-Ike.

Kenny's Death
During a battle between Mecha Streisand and Leonard Maltin, Kenny walks with Stan and Kyle to the school playground, starts up a game of tether ball (rather randomly, too), and is hanged to his death when the tether ball rope pins him to the pole as it wraps tightly around his neck. This is presumably because all the viewers expect Kenny to be killed in the crossfire, so this bizarre form of death is totally unexpected.

Trivia

 * Leonard Maltin mentions to Chef that Barbara Streisand found the first triangle while filming "My Fair Lady." However, "My Fair Lady" starred Audrey Hepburn.
 * Barbra Streisand took the opportunity of her characterization in this episode to criticize the show, claiming it was bad for children for promoting cynicism. In a later episode, "Spookyfish", her image was again used, apparently in response.
 * The word "Roshambo" (Rochambeau) is another way of saying rock, paper, scissors. However, Cartman's concept of Roshambo is for opponents to take turns kicking each other in the balls until one of them falls over.
 * Barbra Streisand has a picture of Satan and herself in her torturing chamber.
 * Barbra Streisand's short monologue is heavily accented and grammatically incorrect Japanese, roughly translatable as "Today, for me, it is a new beginning! From this day forward, my name is.... Mecha-Barbra-Streisanda!"
 * The music that plays when Robert Smith walks away after defeating Mecha-Streisand is reminiscent of Love Song by The Cure.
 * This episode largely parodies Japanese Kaiju movies, such as Godzilla.
 * In a reference to The Omen, Leonard Maltin explains that Streisand's parents were a Jackal and an insurance salesman.
 * Guest star Robert Smith was given his lines out of context and told it would be funnier for him to just read them and did not discover the plot until it aired.