AWESOM-O
| "AWESOM-O" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| South Park episode | |||
|
|
|||
| Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 5 |
||
| Directed by | Trey Parker | ||
| Written by | Trey Parker | ||
| Original air date | April 14, 2004 | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
|
|||
| List of South Park episodes | |||
"AWESOM-O" is the 116th episode of the Comedy Central animated cartoon series South Park. It was originally broadcast on April 14, 2004.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Cartman plays a prank on Butters by disguising himself as a robot named "The A.W.E.S.O.M.-O 4000" and by putting himself in a crate on Butters's doorstep. Cartman is planning to befriend the gullible Butters and discover his embarrassing secrets, so he can blackmail him or embarrass him in school. Though Butters acknowledges that his birthday is "not until September 11", he enthusiastically accepts this deception and reveals several personal secrets. However, Cartman's prank backfires when Butters reveals that he knows one of Cartman's secrets - he has a videotape of Cartman doing a Britney Spears dance routine to a life-sized cutout of Justin Timberlake while dressed as her, which he plans to show to his classmates the next time Cartman plays a prank on him, which Cartman is already doing.
Cartman, terrified about Butters' plan of revenge searches desperately for the tape but to no avail. Cartman soon is starving because Butters believes that, since he is a robot, he does not need to eat. Butters also forces the robot to do all his chores for him, including some of the more unpleasant tasks. With the agreement of Cartman's mom, Butters' parents (knowing who AWESOM-O really is but thinking it an elaborate game that Butters is in on) decide to let AWESOM-O come along with Butters on a trip to Los Angeles to see his aunt. Cartman realizes that he will have to accompany Butters on the trip, in order to keep up his disguise. Upon arriving, he is so hungry and worn out after wearing the suit for a whole airplane ride that he makes up an excuse to use the bathroom and proceeds to eat toothpaste.
In Hollywood, movie producers hear about the "robot" and decide to hire him from Butters to create movie ideas. Cartman, as the robot, pitches over one thousand nonsensical ideas (800 of which star Adam Sandler), whilst the movie producers are gullible enough to buy them as brilliant. To make matters worse for Cartman, the fortune that he makes from the movie ideas is donated to charity by Butters, who believes that AWESOM-O has no need for the money. Meanwhile, the U.S. military hears about AWESOM-O, and decides to capture it and make it into a weapon. AWESOM-O flees the movie studio in panic after a film producer tries to engage in sexual activity with him, thinking that he may be a "pleasure model." The military captures AWESOM-O by shocking him and conveying him to a secret base.
Cartman tries to explain that he is really just a kid, but the military believes he is a robot with artificial intelligence enabling him to think like a human, even possessing the memories of an 8-year-old child. A scientist, moved by this, attempts to save Cartman, who is about to reveal that he is a human when Butters shows up to rescue him. He has to maintain his disguise, allowing the military to kill the rebellious scientist. Butters pleads with the military to spare AWESOM-O: the general is touched. Just as it appears he will get off undetected, Cartman farts, causing Butters to suspect and finally discover his true identity. Butters carries out his promise and shows the video to the whole town, as well as the movie producers and the military.
[edit] Production
"AWESOM-O" was written and directed by series co-founder Trey Parker, and was rated TV-MA in the United States. It first aired on April 14, 2004, in the United States on Comedy Central. Shortly after "AWESOM-O" was broadcast, T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts based on the episode were made available at South Park Studios, the official South Park website. They feature Cartman in the AWESOM-O costume and the words "I will be your best friend." "AWESOM-O" has the shortest production in South Park's history, being made in just three days.[1]
[edit] Cultural references
The name of Cartman's robotic alter ego is derived from Honda's ASIMO humanoid robot.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ "southpark: AWESOM-O 4000". Zazzle. 2004-04-14. http://www.zazzle.com/southpark/gifts?cg=196017361443031678. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
- ^ "Southparkstudios FAQ". Southparkstudios.com. http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?id=16442. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
