Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride/Trivia

Trivia

 * This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award. One year before, The Simpsons won an Emmy for the episode Homer's Phobia, which also dealt with homosexuality even though Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride was released a year before Homer's Phobia.
 * Clyde's voice is different in this episode than the later episodes; instead of his naval tone, he has a higher-pitch voice.
 * The Sports Book betting shop is about the size of an outhouse from the outside, but gigantic when they go inside.
 * Jersey numbers: 00 Pip, 4 Stan, 12 Kyle, 13 Kenny, 29 Clyde, 59 Kevin C., 68 Cartman. "13" is often considered unlucky, while "00" emphasizes just how bad Pip is.
 * This was the only South Park episode that displayed the Comedy Central "card scan" closing logo when it first debuted, as all the other episodes used the "transmitter" closing logo (all new distributions of this an all other episodes have plastered the newest closing logo over the earlier ones).
 * You can see a lighter version of Token sitting behind Mr. Garrison at the football game.
 * First episode that Mr. Garrison takes off his glasses.
 * TV Guide refused to advertise it under its actual name for fear of offended readers, and instead called the episode "Big Al's Boat Ride".

Pop-Culture/Historical References

 * Instead of writing about Asian culture, Cartman writes an essay on how the characters on the TV series Simon &amp; Simon aren't brothers in real life.
 * Fosse asks Stan if his dog Sparky has been in any Pride marches recently. Pride marches are common practice of Gay pride movements all over the world.
 * Bill suggests that Stan take Sparky to a Barbara Streisand concert.
 * Singing at the football game half time show is Richard Stamos, the older brother of actor John Stamos. The song he is going to sing is Lovin' You which was originally sung by Minnie Ripperton. Also, in real life, John Stamos doesn't have an older brother named Richard.
 * Cartman believes God hates gay people and he believe it's why he "smote those sodomies in France." Cartman is confusing the story of Sodom and Gammorrah as told in the Bible.
 * The host of the South Park cable access show Jesus and Pals is apparently Jesus who according to the bible is the son of God.
 * Stan wishes his dog could be a "Rin-Tin-Tin." Rin-Tin-Tin was a heroic dog featured in a series of radio and television programs of the 1920s & 30s.
 * Chef's words of wisdom "you can't teach a gay dog straight tricks" is a play on the phrase "you can't teach an old dog new tricks."
 * The sports announcer, when watching a tackle states he hadn't seen a beating like that since Rodney King. In 1991, Rodney King was recorded being beaten by six LAPD police officers. The incident sparked tensions in LA that eventually led to the 1992 LA Riots. When Pip is tackled later, he states that he hasn't seen an Englishman take a blow like that since Hugh Grant, this is in reference to Hugh Grant's arrest in June 1995, when he was caught performing a lewd act in public with a Hollywood prostitute.
 * While Stan is on Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride, a portion of it features a number of miniature characters singing a song called We Are Gay, which is a parody of the ride It's a Small World which is an attraction at the Disneyland theme park and it's other sister parks in Florida, Paris, Japan and Hong Kong. Among the dancing miniatures is Olympic figure skater Brian Boitano.
 * The disappearance of Big Gay Al at the end of the episode is a spoof of Dr. Lao's disappearance at the end of the movie The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao.
 * The song played during the closing credits is "Now You're a Man" by DVDA, a band that includes South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. This song was also featured in their film Orgazmo.

Goofs

 * When Kenny receives the punt, the announcer says that he is number 23. But the number on his jersey is 13.
 * The first two shots show the school with a football field, but in the third shot of the school, the football field is not there. In the fourth shot of the school, the football field is there again. According to the game, the field is on the right side of the school, though.
 * When you see Token sitting on the bleachers, his face appears to be like a white character but his hands are still black.
 * There are two Butters watching football game: one of them is sitting with aliens, another sitting with Cartman's mother, Liane Cartman.
 * There are two Bebes watching the game.
 * Bebe has a different mother in this episode.
 * At one point, it show's Butters in Kevin Stoley's jacket.
 * Clyde's voice in the episode is that of Butters.
 * There was a boy with Token Blacks shirt.

Kenny's Death

 * Tackled by three Middle Park players causing his head and arms to rip off. Rats chewed on his corpse, following an early running gag. This was an episode where Kyle says the entire "Oh my God. They killed Kenny! You Bastards!"

Hidden Visitor(s)
Two visitors can be seen in the upper right crowd at the football game.