Summer Sucks/Trivia

General

Trivia

Images

Script

Extras

Watch Episode

"City on the Edge of Forever (Flashbacks)/Trivia"

"Summer Sucks/Trivia"

"Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls/Trivia"

This page contains trivia for "Summer Sucks". Remember, trivia must be factual, provable, and it is always best to cite your source for not-so-obvious trivia. If you would like to dispute a trivia point, please discuss it in the talk page.

Trivia

• This is the only episode to date in which the snow has melted in South Park.
• This episode is one of a few times South Park is set during a certain season.
• This episode introduces Mr. Twig and marks the departure of Mr. Hat until six episodes later in "Chef Aid".
• In the flashback of the boys as toddlers, their footie pajamas appear to resemble their modern clothes with the exception of Kyle's, who is seen wearing green ones rather than orange ones.

References to Popular Culture

• This episode is centered around the United States of America's Independence Day, which takes place on July 4.
• When the snow begins to melt around South Park, the music playing in the background is similar to that commonly played in animated specials featuring the Peanuts.
• The boys are disappointed to find that firecrackers are illegal in Colorado. This has been a Colorado state law since 1991.
• The only firework that can be sold in South Park is apparently the Black snake type firework. After lighting the small tablet, the firework starts smoking and an ash resembling a snake is created via intumescent reaction.
• Officer Barbrady is trying to find the "little man in the boat". This is sexual slang for finding the clitoris.
• The Dyno Might Firework company would use Comanche helicopters to light the gigantic snake. The Comanche helicopter was commissioned by the US military and designed by Boeing and Sikorsky. Beginning in 1988, however the program was scrapped in 2004 before any were actually used by the military.
• The mayor hopes that the children will sing "Stars and Stripes Forever", the patriotic American marching song composed by John Philip Sousa in 1869.
• The children apparently play a good rendition of Mary Had a Little Lamb, a folk song that originated by Sarah Josepha Hale published May 24, 1830. It is based on a true story (no joke).
• The mayor confuses Uncle Sam with Uncle Remus. Uncle Sam is of course the iconic "embodiment" of America, used as an icon for the US government support in conflicts. He was first conceptualized during the War of 1812. Uncle Remus, however, is a fictional character created by journalist/writer Joel Chandler Harris in 1876 and featured in the 1946 Disney feature Song of the South.
• Kyle sings "Dusty the Dirtball", a parody of Frosty the Snowman a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950, which inspired the TV holiday special of the same name.
• The conductor has the children try to play Mozart's Symphony No. 5. It doesn't go too well.
• The Mexican firework stand owner is wearing a Menudo T-shirt. Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band that was popular in the 1970s. The band was the starting point for Latin singer Ricky Martin.
• Jimbo compares himself and Ned to Santa Claus for getting fireworks to American children.
• Mr. Garrison turns on the TV to find that Sheri Lewis and Lamb Chop are on TV. Sheri Lewis is best known for her ventriloquist act with Lamb Chop, she had her own popular PBS children's show Lamb Chop's Play-Along it aired from 1992-1997. Sheri Lewis died in 1998.
• Cartman confuses the Dog paddle with Doggy style. The Dog Paddle is a form of swimming that is in imitation of a dog or other four legged animal. Doggy style refers to a sexual position where intercourse occurs with one partner on their hands and knees presenting much like a female animal (i.e. a dog) for their mate.
• As the giant snake goes out of control, the children play Nearer, My God, to Thee, a 19th-century Christian hymn by Sarah Flower Adams, based loosely on Genesis 28:11–19. This is a well known reference for being the song allegedly played by the band aboard the Titanic as it sank.
• There are a group of Mormons performing a Baptism as the snake rampages across America.
• Mr. Garrison has gone to New York to get help from Dr. Katz. Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist was another animated television series that aired on Comedy Central from 1995-2002. Coincidentally, a few months later, MAD Magazine would run a dual parody in which Katz, accompanied by son Ben and Ben's girlfriend Laura, sets up shop in South Park. However, only a few days of listening to such head cases as Cartman and Mr. Garrison (while Ben catches Laura in bed with Chef), leave him suddenly nostalgic for the New York practice he left behind, and after a broken pencil starts a chain reaction which results in Kenny's decapitation (though Laura claims to have already killed him twice that morning), he calls his previous clients begging them to take him back.
  • Dr. Katz's appearance has his linework looking wavy. This is referring to the animation style of his show, commonly known as "squigglevision".
• Mr. Hat apparently would fantasize about NFL quarterback Brett Favre.
• After the snake is destroyed and South Park is covered with black ash, everyone's faces are dirtied by black ash and they resemble characters out of a Minstrel show.
• Mr. Twig's shirt features a symbol, which has been historically used to represent homosexuality. It was used in Nazi concentration camp badges to identify male prisoners who were sent there because of their homosexuality. The badge worn by prisoners was a downward pointing pink triangle. Today, the pink triangle symbol has been reclaimed, it is used inverted as an international symbol of the gay pride and gay rights movement.

Continuity

• This episode reveals that Pip Pirrip's parents are dead. This idea is later reused in "Pip", when Pip visits his parents' graves at the beginning.
• Mr. Garrison tells the "unidentified prank caller" to "Go to hell! You go to hell and you die!" a line he told Kyle in "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe".

Goofs

• When the boys call Chef for help, he hangs up the phone and continues singing. Even though the phone is hung up, the boys can hear him singing on the other end.
• The poster in Mr. Garrison's classroom says a boy named 'Jon' is missing. But when 'Jon' is found after the snow melts, his parents call him Kevin.
• When the whole class runs outside leaving school, Red is shown in Wendy Testaburger's jacket.
• For some reason, on the remastered HD version, the mayor saying "shits" when the orchestra plays poorly is bleeped, but Mr. Garrison exclaiming "Shit!" after the kids leave the classroom isn't bleeped.

Kenny's Death

• While the snake grows bigger it attacks the orchestra. Everyone jumps off the stage except for Kenny. It's too late for Kenny to get off so he is thrown off the stage by the snake and lands next to the bleachers where the snake knocks the bleachers over and crushes him, followed by an "Oh my God, they killed Kenny!" by Stan, and then a "You Bastards!" by Kyle, as usual. Another death happens, as well. There was a flashback of the boys younger, playing with firecrackers. Kenny held onto his too long, and his head blew off, resulting in rats eating the corpse, as well as the famous phrase. Stan exclaims, "Oh, that's killed Kenny!" followed by Kyle's "'Oo bastards!"

Hidden Visitor(s)

Visitor at the public swimming pool.

• A visitor is seen swimming in the pool.