Death

Death is episode 6 of Comedy Central's series South Park. It originally aired on September 17, 1997.

Plot
The Marsh family is celebrating Grandpa Marsh’s birthday but Grandpa isn’t having a good time. He wishes he was dead, and tries to accomplish this goal while he and Stan watch Terrance and Phillip after the birthday festivities. As Grandpa is too old to do it himself, however, he asks Stan to help, but he refuses.

Meanwhile at Kyle’s house, Kyle and Ike are also watching Terrance and Philip when their mother, Sheila, comes in and gets upset by the content of the program. The next day at school Kyle discovers that Sheila has called everyone else’s parents and is leading a boycott of Terrance and Phillip in front of Cartoon Central's headquarters in New York City. During the school day, Stan seeks out various adults to find out whether or not he should assist his Grandpa in killing himself, but no one wishes to discuss the issue, so Stan talks to the guys about it.

Meanwhile still, Kenny's case of explosive diarrhea is spreading to the whole town, particularly to the adults protesting Terrance and Phillip. Despite their protest of the show, they are shown laughing at various bits of "real life" toilet humor.

At home, the boys have been left alone to watch Terrance and Phillip at their leisure, as most of the community has followed Sheila to Cartoon Central to demand the show be taken off the air. All the while Grandpa Marsh is trying to convince Stan to kill him. In order to show him what it's like to be live like him he traps Stan in a room playing Enya, at which point he and the rest of the boys agree they must do it. They hang a cow from a tree to drop on Grandpa when Death shows up. Although Grandpa is yelling, "I'm over here, you son-of-a-whore!" Death is really after Kenny. Back in New York, although a dozen people have been slingshotted and smeared on the face of the network building, the network refuses to take Terrance and Philip off the air until an executive comes out (in a gas mask) and announces; "Ladies and gentlemen, your nazi-esque tactics of trying to stink us out with rancid feces...has worked. Therefore, today we will be officially taking Terrance and Philip off the network and replacing it with reruns of She's the Sheriff staring Suzanne Somers."

In South Park, while chasing the boys, Death stops at the window of a TV store and watches an episode of Terrance and Philip. The boys join him in watching until the announcement of its cancellation.

After Death touches Kenny, Grandpa argues with Death about not taking him. Then, Grandpa’s Grandpa shows up and tells him to not kill himself or he'll end up in limbo like him. Taking his Grandpa's advice, Grandpa Marsh plans a trip to Africa where over 400 people are eaten by Lions every year.

At the end, Sheila sees the boys watching She's the Sherrif and is again upset with the content and prepares for another boycott.

Kenny's Death

 * Touched by Death.


 * A man by the name of Mr. McCormick is the first person to be ftally sling-shot onto the Cartoon Central building..

Trivia

 * This episode pokes fun at the way some parents reacted when South Park was put on the air.
 * This marks the first of many battles South Park's parents fight to protect their children.
 * This episode, according to Trey Parker, was the model for the film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
 * Both Stan and Kyle's mothers are referred to as "Carol" in this episode. Eventually they receive the names Sharon and Sheila. Cartman's mom calls Kyle's mom "Carol" in one scene, who in turn calls Stan's mom "Carol" in a following scene.
 * This is the first episode that features Stan's grandfather, Marvin Marsh.
 * A "Mr. McCormick" is depicted in this episode being flung into the Cartoon Central building, this was probably supposed to be Kenny's father, he would look vastly different (being the trademark poor person that he personifies in modern episodes) in his next appearance.
 * Along with a few other episodes, this episode is never aired on Comedy Central anymore. The reasons are unknown. It is, however, aired on Syndication as well as in Canada on The Comedy Network.

Pop-Culture/Historical References

 * Stan's favorite show Terrance and Phillip is a partial parody of popular adult themed cartoon Beavis & Butt-Head. The title characters of this series often sat on their couch and would exchange fart jokes and other toilet humor.
 * When debating the subject of assisted suicide, Kyle mentions a guy named "Jack Leborkian" who "goes around and murders people who asks him to, and he doesn't get in any trouble at all." Kyle is referring to pathologist Jack Kevorkian who subject of controvercy in the 90's for his involvement in nearly 100 assisted suicides between the years 1990 to 1998.
 * Jesus not wanting to "touch" the subject of assisted suicide with a "fifty food pole" is most likely a comment on the Catholic beliefe that in most cases assisted suicide would be considered a sin.
 * The Cartoon Central TV network is an obvious parody of Comedy Central, the TV Network that airs South Park.
 * Mrs. Broflovski demands more "quality" television like the TV show Full House.
 * The song that Stan's grandpa forces him to listen too is Orinoco Flow by Enya.
 * Bowing down to protests, Cartoon Central replaces Terrance and Phillip with She's the Sheriff starring actress Suzanne Somers.

Quotes
Randy Marsh: How's it feel to be 102, Grandpa?

Grandpa Marsh: Shoot me!

 Grandpa: What has America's youth come to? Kids won't even kill their own grandparents.

 Ms. Cartman: Eric, dear, I just got a call from your friend Kyle's mother. She said that this show is naughty and might make you a potty-mouth.

Cartman: That's a bunch of crap. Kyle's mom is a stupid Jew.

 Stan: Jesus, is it okay to kill somebody if they ask you to? Because they're in a lot of pain…you know, like assisted suicide…

[pause]

Jesus: My son, I'm not touching that with a 60 foot pole.

Stan: [hangs up] Goddammit!

Jesus: I heard that!

 Cartman: My uncle says smoking crack is kinda cool…

 TV: We interrupt this program to bring you loud static.

 Protestor: Look, It's the president of the network.

President: Ladies and Gentlemen. My name is John Horsoff. I have prepared a speach on behalf of the network. (puts on glasses and clears throat) F*** you! (protestors look shocked) Thank you ladies and gentlemen. If there are any questions, you may direct them to that brick wall over there (camera cuts to a brick wall).

 Enya-style music: Take a look, take a look, take a look above the sky; come and fly, take a ride...

Stan: This music is terrible! It's cheesy but lame, and eerily soothing at the same time!

Grandpa: Now you know what's it's like to be old!