Weight Gain 4000/Trivia

Trivia

 * This is the first episode made with computer animation instead of the earlier construction paper techniques, as used in "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" and in The Spirit of Christmas.
 * This episode is the first appearance of Mayor McDaniels and first speaking role of Bebe and Clyde.
 * In this episode, Bebe was voiced by the late voice actress, Mary Kay Bergman, in subsequent appearances, she is voiced by the show's supervising producer, Jennifer Howell.
 * In this episode, it's revealed that Mr. Garrison never had a full head of hair, even as a child. However, in "Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut", it is shown that a younger Garrison had hair. Although, it might have been a wig.
 * Mr. Garrison and Kathie Lee were shown competing in a grade school talent show even though Kathie Lee grew up in Maryland and Mr. Garrison grew up in Arkansas, as shown in "World Wide Recorder Concert".
 * On the chalkboard in the students' classroom, you can see the sentences "Chupe mis Chi Chis", "No me Toquen los Huevos" and "Mi verga es Fea y Morena", in Spanish these sentences read "Suck My Boobs", "Don't Touch my Balls" and "My dick is ugly and black".
 * This is the first episode which shows Pip without his hat.
 * During the scene in which Mr. Garrison is ready to snipe Kathy Lee, he is seen with his normal sweater instead of the trench coat. However, he most likely took it off in the depository.
 * There is a reference to the original short Jesus vs. Santa where Kyle almost completely quotes an exact line he said in the short. "Goddamn, that's a big fat fuck."
 * Mayor McDaniels lips are not thin and straight as they usually are.
 * This is the first episode where Mr. Hat appears to be a separate entity from Mr. Garrison.
 * Although this was the third South Park broadcasted, this episode was the second one to be made, and is nearly always shown second on re-runs.
 * Ms. Crabtree appears to look younger in this episode, as well as not having bags under her eyes.

Goofs

 * As Mr Garrison addresses the class at the start of the episode, when he blinks his closed eyes appear in front of his glasses. This is remedied in the following shots.
 * Both Kyle and Mr Garrison's mouths disappear during the episode - Kyle as he is talking to Chef, and Garrison as he recalls the talent show.
 * At the beginning when the kids are talking to Chef, Kenny is not wearing his gloves in one scene.
 * Before Chef sings his song he calls Mayor McDaniels "Mr. Mayor".
 * Later in the episode, you can see the wood texture in Mr. Garrison's assault rifle turn from wood to metal, and then back to wood again in the following scene (you can see it during the conversation with Barbrady).
 * The Beefcake guy's hand comes out of the screen.
 * When Mr. Garrison asks Mr. Hat why he was looking at him that way, the wrinkles on his forehead disappear.
 * When Wendy is pulling out papers, she is wearing gloves, however, immediately before and immediately after this scene, she is not.
 * When Cartman is trying to get through the bus' doors, Ms. Crabtree is nowhere to be seen.

References to Popular Culture

 * Kathy Lee Gifford visits South Park. At the time this episode was made she was popular for being the co-host of Live With Regis and Kathy Lee, a daytime talk show she co-hosted with Regis Philbin.
 * One of Mayor McDaniels aides makes a crack about Kathy Lee especially liking kids if "they work in a sweat shop". In 1996, the National Labor Committee had reported that a line of Kathy Lee brand clothing, distributed through Wal-Mart, was made using sweatshop labor.
 * Wendy rebuffs Cartman's boasts of fame by telling him that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was also famous.
 * Chef states that his penis is at least three times bigger than Frank Gifford's. Frank Gifford was an NFL football player for the New York Giants and is also the husband of Kathy Lee Gifford.
 * Kathie Lee singing "If My Friends Could See Me Now" is a parody of her singing the same song in real life in Carnival Cruise Lines commercials.
 * Weight Gain 4000 and the commercial selling it are a spoof on "bulk up" powders used by those who would like to gain more muscle mass. Commonly known for their dubious promises, usually they're only effective if you exercise regularly, and most can cause serious health problems.
 * According to the history of South Park, the land was originally inhabited by the Ute Indians. the Ute tribe did live on land that would become the States of Colorado and Utah.
 * Mr. Garrison and Mr. Hat attempt to shoot Kathie Lee from the book depository which is analogous to Lee Harvey Oswald shooting John F. Kennedy from the Texas School Book Depository. See The JFK Assassination.
 * Kathy Lee Gifford is shown traveling in a domed vehicle; this is a play on the Pope Mobile a vehicle that had been specially modified with a bullet proof glass area for the Pope following the 1981 failed assassination of Pope John Paul II.
 * Chef states that Kathy Lee is more special than Mary Tyler Moore, an actress famous for her role in the 1970s TV series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He also says that she is more special than a "Value Meal at Happy Burger", probably a reference to Burger King's own value meals.
 * The Mayor when introducing Cartman to the crowd, mistakenly calls him Eric Kaufman. The use of the last name "Kaufman" is probably a nod to filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman co-owner of Troma Entertainment; Troma was the company that released Trey Parker and Matt Stone's first feature film Cannibal! The Musical.
 * Mr. Hat states that they could have gotten away with murdering Kathy Lee if not for those "meddling kids." This line is usually uttered by a captured criminal caught by the Scooby-Doo gang from the TV series Scooby Doo.
 * The episode ends with Eric Cartman finally getting on TV, on a talk show hosted by Geraldo, who before becoming a regular at Fox News in 2001 had his own day time talk show on NBC.
 * There is a golden version of Orgazmo on top of Kathy Lee's trophy.
 * The scene where Mr. Hat's head spins parodies The Exorcist.
 * "It is… too late for me, young Wendy" was paraphrased from Darth Vader in Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, where Luke tries to bring his father back from the Dark Side.
 * Mr. Hat and Mr. Garrison arguing over killing Gifford is a parody of many books and films where the ventriloquist has multiple personality disorder and argues with his puppet, including Magic.

Kenny's Death

 * Shot by Mr. Garrison, this launches him into the air and impales him on a flagpole.

Continuity

 * One of the eagles over the old library was shot and presumably killed in the next episode.
 * Posters of rabbit-bird are shown on the heights of the door in Jimbo's Gun Shop. Rabbit-Birds originally appears in "An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig".
 * Photo of Kathie Lee Gifford is seen in headmaster's office in "Pinkeye" and in Mr. Mackey's office in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
 * Mayor mentions that bringing Kathie Lee Gifford to South Park will show the world they aren't just some "piss ant white bread mountain town". This line is later used in the opening song, "Mountain Town", of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
 * Wendy remembers when she was trying to kiss Stan in the episode "Tom's Rhinoplasty".
 * A photo of Kathie Lee Gifford is seen in Counselor's office in "Cartman's Mom is Still a Dirty Slut".
 * The reused clip with Mr. Garrison's plan to assassination is shown in "City on the Edge of Forever (Flashbacks)".
 * In "The Biggest Douche in the Universe", Rob Schneider was shot-killed and impaled on a flagpole, similar to Kenny.
 * Stan re-mentioned the fact about dolphins as the smartest animals in the whole world in "Whale Whores".
 * The term "Negative Nancy" was used again in "The Simpsons Already Did It".