Timmy 2000

"Timmy 2000" (AKA "Timmy and the lords of the Underworld") is episode 51 of the Comedy Central animated series South Park. It originally aired on April 19, 2000. It was voted #6 of the "10 South Parks that changed the world".

Plot
The boys have a new fellow student in their class, the mentally and physically challenged Timmy, who is only capable of making various noises, saying his own name, and "LIV-A-LAH." Herbert Garrison and Principal Victoria don't realize that, and Mr. Mackey suggests that Timmy may suffer from ADD. They send him to a doctor who just diagnoses him with that "disease" in a very odd fashion. Timmy is freed from all homework. All the other kids in the class claim they have ADD, because they also want to be rid of homework, and they are all promptly diagnosed as well, and are prescribed Ritalin.

Without the burden of homework, Timmy finds a new pastime as he is discovered by a band named The Lords of the Underworld (see "Cat Orgy"), which takes him on as its new lead singer. The band becomes instantly successful due to Timmy's antics. However, many people are upset as they think that Timmy is being ridiculed. Phil Collins in particular is displeased with the new band, which has been booked to open for him at the Lalapalalapaza festival. Shortly after, Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld take Collins's place as the headliners of the festival.

The other boys have actually started to take their Ritalin medication, making them very calm and rather boring. Cartman develops a side effect that causes him to see pink Christina Aguilera monsters. The adults are uncomfortable among them, but accept their new kind and obedient children when they also start taking Ritalin. Chef and the pharmacists are the only people left who are not under the drug's influence.

Meanwhile, Phil Collins tries to break up Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld. First by appealing to Timmy's parents, Richard and Hellen (who also have large heads, are wheelchair bound, and unable to say anything other than their names), and later by telling the guitarist, Skyler, that Timmy is stealing his fame and is only holding Skyler back. Skyler leaves the band, which is subsequently cancelled from the festival. Collins regains his headlining spot, and Skyler's solo project Reach for the Skyler is booked to open for him.

In the meantime, Chef tries to convince the parents that there are other methods to fight ADD than medication, but as the parents are all taking Ritalin too, he doesn't get any help and is forced to confront the pharmacists alone. After the boys come in and tell Chef that they want to go to the festival to see Phil Collins perform, Chef confronts the pharmacists and tells them that they are responsible for the children liking Collins. Horrified that they are responsible for this, they make a plan to distribute an antidote called "Ritalout" by mixing it into free drinks at the Lalapalalapaza festival. They get the drinks from a lemonade stand run by Mr. Derp (a minor character who appeared last in the Succubus episode).

The plan works perfectly; Collins is booed from the stage, and the crowd starts chanting for Timmy. The band reunites with Skyler and they play their show. Timmy even learns the words to introduce the band properly.

Kenny's Death
Kenny dies when Cartman hits him with a frying pan while hallucinating that a little pink Christina Aguilera monster is crawling on Kenny's face. Stan and Kyle's calm reaction (thanks to the Ritalin) is:
 * Stan: "Oh my goodness; You've killed Kenny."
 * Kyle: "Bastard."

Trivia

 * Phil Collins is depicted as perpetually clutching an Oscar. This was in retaliation for Collins's victory in the Oscar category for Best Song three weeks prior to this episode's airing. Collins's song "You'll Be in My Heart" beat the nominated "Blame Canada" (from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut). The creators have commented "we know it's immature, and I was so ready to lose the Academy Award, but not to Phil Collins."

References to other works

 * The band "Sisters of Mercy Hold No Pain Against the Dark Lord" is an overt parody on the band Sisters of Mercy; the name and sound of the band are rather reminiscent of the real band.
 * The Timmy song contains a guitar riff similar to one in the Rush song "The Spirit of Radio".
 * The Lalapalalapaza festival's name derives from the Lollapalooza festival.
 * As a running gag everybody spells and pronounces "Lalapalalapaza" wrong and in a different way.
 * The song that Phil Collins sings at the opening to the Lalapalalapaza festival is a parody of his 1985 single "Sussudio."
 * Collins talks and acts in a manner similar to the Gumbies from Monty Python.
 * The controversy surrounding Timmy as a handicapped kid fronting a rock band may refer to the popularity of Wesley Willis.
 * The doctor tests the children for ADD by reading aloud The Great Gatsby (which ironically puts the adults to sleep) and A Farewell to Arms

Goofs

 * When the Ritalout is being passed out, in close-up scenes Terrance is seen behind Kyle, however when the scene pans out, he is not there.
 * It should be noted that the episode inaccurately portrays one of the effects of Ritalin on people who don't have ADD. Contrary to popular belief ritalin does not act as a stimulant in the doses that would be prescribed, or greater, in people without ADD. The side effect of "zombie syndrome" only happens when the dose is too high. However, it is true, according to the New Scientist (New Scientist, 31 March 2006), that 5% of ritalin users suffer from minor hallucinations similar to those experienced by Eric Cartman.
 * During the course of the episode, Phil Collins is announced to be heading the festival with Skyler opening. However, after Collins is booed off the stage, Skyler's former bandmate asks him "Isn't Reach for the Skyler (the name of Skyler's solo act) supposed to be on soon?"