Starvin' Marvin


 * This article is about the episode. For the eponymous character, see Starvin' Marvin.

"Starvin' Marvin" is the eighth episode of Season One, and the 9th overall episode of South Park. It originally aired on November 19, 1997.

Synopsis
While trying to get a free promotional digital sports watch, the boys end up contacting an organization that helps starving children in Africa. Mistaking Cartman for a starving African child, government authorities send him to Ethiopia. Adding chaos to confusion, a flock of wild turkeys revolt after their treatment at the hands of the local genetic engineer. South Park is at the mercy of genetically altered turkeys.

Plot
The boys are seen watching Terrance and Phillip Thanksgiving Special on television at Cartman's house. A commercial about starving children in Africa featuring Sally Struthers is shown. The boys are initially uninterested, however, after hearing that a Teiko digital sports watch is offered for sponsorship, they give a call to the charity organization. Due to a misunderstanding, Stan says they approve adopting "a starving Ethernopian", as long as they get the sports watch.

Mr. Garrison announces to the class that they will be doing a canned food drive, which is an event to collect canned food for poor people who cannot afford to eat on Thanksgiving, including Kenny McCormick. The lesson is interrupted by a pack of wild turkeys bursting into the classroom. Meanwhile at the City Hall, Dr. Mephesto proclaims to Mayor McDaniels that his genetically engineered turkeys have gone crazy and are attacking the town. Believing Dr. Mephesto is just an "insane genetic engineer", the Mayor and her aides ignore his warning and ridicule him.

The boys return to Cartman's house, waiting for their sports watch to be delivered. Instead an Ethiopian kid is sent, whom the boys quickly befriend and name Starvin' Marvin. Stan, Kyle and Cartman decide to have Starvin' Marvin stay at one of the three's house each week, leaving out Kenny because his family is too poor.

The boys with their families and Starvin' Marvin attend King Jimmy's All You Can Eat Buffet, where Kenny is absent because his family cannot afford the price of $6.99. Cartman refuses to share his pot-pie with Starvin' Marvin, and when he is told he has to share, he instead takes Starvin' Marvin's peach cobbler. At classroom, Mr. Garrison demands the students bring more food for the canned food drive, as only a few cans of Creamed Corn are donated so far. After that, the boys present Starvin' Marvin for show-and-tell. Mr. Garrison disapproves of them adopting a child and proclaims he is going to call Red Cross and have him returned.

Dr. Mephesto shows to Chef the rapidly dividing DNA of the turkeys, meaning they are growing at an exponential rate. Meanwhile, secret service agents enter Cartman's house, looking for a starving African child. Instead of going himself, Starvin' Marvin points to Cartman, and after he is gone he begins to take up Cartman's habits and catchphrases.

As the Mayor is examining the machine for the food drive, which is a food capsule based on the cash grab, a horde of turkeys rush the square and attack people. After the turkeys are gone, the "canned food grab" is started. Kenny enters the Grab-O-Lux and gets a can of string beans. After that, the mutant turkeys come back and attack the crowd again.

Cartman is shown in Ethiopia, where he, as expected, could not bear the living conditions and therefore is looking for some place to eat. Finally he sees a Red Cross van with Ethiopians gathered around it. The attendant reveals they are out of food, much to Cartman's annoyance. He later finds out Sally Struthers is hoarding all the food. When she refuses to share her cake with Cartman, he exposes her actions to the Ethiopians. Meanwhile, the townspeople of South Park kill all turkeys, though Kenny is killed during the battle, which is presented in a way that parodies Braveheart.

The agents arrive to take Starvin' Marvin back to Ethiopia, and Cartman is also returned to South Park. Starvin' Marvin takes the dead turkeys with him to feed them to the starving people of Ethiopia, who now have Sally Struthers tied and spit on her. Kenny's family is shown at their dinner table, when they discover they cannot open the can of beans because they lack a can opener.