Gnomes/Trivia

Trivia

 * Cartman treats the gnome the same as he treats Mr. Kitty, by whacking him.
 * This episode marks the first appearance of Tweek and his family.
 * After Toto sings, a banner can be seen on the Harbucks store, that reads: "I si para PROP10", probably Spanish for "Yes on prop 10", which possibly has some connection with Sanchez, one of the Harbucks builders.
 * The Underpants gnomes reappear in "Red Sleigh Down". Being Santa's elves is their other job.
 * After Kenny dies Stan and Kyle rush saying "Oh my god, they killed Kenny!" "You Bastards!" as if they were trying to get it out of the way because it was no big deal because it happens all the time.

Pop Culture References

 * This episode is a commentary on commercialization and lampoons the nature of America's free based economy. At the end of the 20th century and onward into the early 21st century there was a surge in franchise stores (Wal-Mart, McDonalds etc) and box stores popping up. Anti-corporate groups would argue that these box stores, with their low prices, would eliminate small businesses owners. This episode makes fun of the ridiculous efforts of both sides of the argument to try and get people to side with them.
 * Mr. Garrison compares the boy's reluctance to work with Tweak to the Chad Everett's character Dr. Joe Gannon on the TV series Medical Center (1969-1976). According to Mr. Garrison Everett's character thought "Who is this woman with her gazungas and high heels? What does she know about medicine?" This is likely in reference to the character Nurse Wilcox played by Audrey Totter. However, unlike Garrison's assertion, there doesn't seem to be an episode where Nurse Wilcox saved Gannon's brother during a kidney transplant operation.
 * The Harbucks coffee corporation is a parody of the Starbucks coffee franchise. Starbucks was founded in 1971; it is one of the worlds largest coffee chains.
 * John Posterm offers Mr. Tweek a Cramsonite briefcase. This is a parody of Samsonite a company that makes durable luggage and briefcases. It is a Colorado based company that has been in business since 1910.
 * Whenever Mr. Tweek goes into a spiel about how great his coffee company is, and its home grown origins, it is a parody of many coffee commercials that talk about their home grown origins and how their coffee is like "dew on an early morning".
 * Cartman suggests that they do their report on comedian Ray Romano and his television show Everybody Loves Raymond. Everyone Loves Raymond aired from 1996-2005.
 * It has been suggested by commentators that the Underpants gnomes in this episode are a reference to the Gnomes of Zürich, which is a disparaging term used against Swiss Bankers.
 * Tweeks parents state that Tweek has ADD aka ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. It is characterized primarily by inattention, easy distractibility, disorganization, procrastination, forgetfulness, and lethargy.
 * John Posterm comes up with a mascot for Harbucks called Joe Camel to try and get young people to drink Harbucks coffee. This is a parody of Joe Camel the former mascot for Camel cigarettes from 1987-1997. The Camel cigarette company bowed down to pressure from Congress, the public and due to bad press from the impending Mangini trial to case using Joe Camel as a mascot. Critics accused Camel cigarettes of using Joe Camel as a mascot to make smoking more appealing to children.
 * The city manages to get the band Toto for Proposition 10 celebrations. Toto is a rock band that was formed in 1977. They are best known for their album Toto IV released in 1982.
 * Mrs. Tweek deplores the people of South Park for using the children like Rob Reiner. Rob Reiner is an actor, director, producer, writer and political activist. He is best known for playing the role of Michael Stivic on the sitcom All in the Family. In recent years Rob Reiner has taken up many political activist roles. In 1997 he founded "I Am Your Child Foundation," now "Parents' Action for Children," a non-profit organization promoting early childhood development by producing and distributing celebrity-hosted educational videos for parents.
 * On another interesting note about Rob Reiner, in California during 1998 he chaired a campaign for Prop 10, the California Children and Families Initiative, which created First 5 California, a program of early childhood development services, funded by a tax on tobacco products. Coincidence?

Hidden Visitor(s)

 * In the last scene in the crowd laughing at Tweek.