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{{Infobox Television episode
'''Antara''' is the equivalent of a [[verse]] in [[Hindustani classical music]].
| Title = Starvin' Marvin
| Series = South Park
| Image = [[File:Ep 109 starvinmarvin.gif|200px|alt=A crudely drawn cartoon of a small Ethiopian child standing on the front step of a house. A suitcase rests beside him and a snowy landscape is visible behind him.]]
| Caption = Starvin' Marvin arrives in South Park.
| Season = 1
| Episode = 9
| Airdate = November 19, 1997
| Production = 109
| Writer = [[Trey Parker]]<br />[[Matt Stone]]<br />[[Pam Brady]]
| Director = Trey Parker
| Episode list = [[List of South Park episodes|List of ''South Park'' episodes]]
| Season list =
| Prev = [[Damien (South Park)|Damien]]
| Next = [[Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo]]
}}
"'''Starvin' Marvin'''" is the ninth episode of the [[South Park (season 1)|first season]] of the American animated television series ''[[South Park]]''. It originally aired on [[Comedy Central]] in the United States on November 19, 1997. In the episode, [[Eric Cartman|Cartman]], [[Kenny McCormick|Kenny]], [[Kyle Broflovski|Kyle]] and [[Stan Marsh|Stan]] send money to an African charity hoping to get a sports watch, but are instead sent an Ethiopian child whom they dub [[List of minor characters on South Park#Starvin' Marvin|Starvin' Marvin]]. Cartman is accidentally sent to Ethiopia, where he learns activist [[Sally Struthers]] is hoarding the charity's food for herself. In an accompanying subplot, after genetically engineered turkeys attack South Park residents, [[Chef (South Park)|Chef]] rallies the residents to fight back, in a parody of the film ''[[Braveheart]]''.


The episode was written by series co-founders [[Trey Parker]] and [[Matt Stone]], along with [[Pam Brady]]. It was directed by Parker, and was rated [[Television content rating systems#United States|TV-MA]] in the US. "Starvin' Marvin" was the first ''South Park'' [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] special. The episode simultaneously served as a satire on American indifference toward the [[Third World]] and the humanitarianism industry.
In [[Hindustani classical music]], the fixed ([[dhrupad]]/bandish) section is in four parts of which only the first two are performed regularly: Sthayi (pallavi in [[Carnatic music]]) - the first line of the sthayi serves as a [[cadence]], while the section itself serves as a base for the singer returns to the sthayi time and again after each part; antara (anupallavi in Carnatic music) - the intermediate part sung in a high register focusing on the tar shadja, with a good deal of text manipulation and repeated forays into sthayi; the third section Sanchari (caranam in Carnatic music) - created by the division of the abhoga and it remains a free-moving section; the fourth and concluding section abhoga (pallavi in Carnatic music because this section is often replaced by the sthayi) includes notes from all three registers, and in present-day performances, may well be sung with the sanchari, if these two sections are included.

The episode received generally positive reviews and is considered a classic ''South Park'' episode. According to [[Nielsen Ratings]], it was viewed by about 2.2 million households during its original broadcast, which at the time was about eight times Comedy Central's average viewership. Parker and Stone said they were unhappy with the turkey subplot, which they included only because they felt obligated to include a [[subplot|B story]]. The episode reportedly deeply offended Sally Struthers. In addition to Starvin' Marvin, who became a popular minor character, the episode introduced regular characters [[Gerald Broflovski]] (Kyle's father) and Kenny's family members [[Stuart and Carol McCormick|Stuart, Carol]] and [[List_of_South_Park_families#Kevin_McCormick|Kevin McCormick]].

==Plot==
After seeing a commercial about starving children in Africa, Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and Stan send money to Sally Struthers' charity organization, the [[Christian Children's Fund]]. They do not particularly care about the cause, but want the free sports watch that comes with the sponsorship. However, due to a miscommunication, an Ethiopian boy is delivered to the boys instead of the watch. Although initially shocked, the four boys befriend him, and Cartman names the boy Starvin' Marvin. Meanwhile, mobs of wild turkeys begin attacking and killing South Park residents. Mad scientist [[List of South Park residents#Dr. Alphonse Mephisto and Kevin|Dr. Mephisto]] tries to warn [[List of South Park residents#Mayor McDaniels|Mayor McDaniels]] that genetically engineers turkeys he had been breeding to feed to the poor have gone crazy and are now attacking humans. Mephisto is ignored and ridiculed by McDaniels.

The boys take Marvin to an all-you-can-eat buffet, where he is shocked by how much food the townsfolk consume compared to his home country, and by how wasteful Cartman is with his food. Back at school, [[Herbert Garrison|Mr. Garrison]] announces the food drive is a failure because students have brought in only a few cans of creamed corn. The boys present Marvin to the class during show and tell, after which Mr. Garrison and [[List of staff at South Park Elementary#Principal Victoria|Principal Victoria]] tell the boys they will have to call [[International Committee of the Red Cross|Red Cross]] and send Marvin home. Meanwhile, Dr. Mephisto shows Chef that the turkey [[DNA]] is growing so rapidly that the turkeys might take over the world if they are not stopped.

The [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] arrives to take Marvin back to Ethiopia, but Marvin tricks them into taking Cartman instead. Cartman, who had previously cared little for the impoverished in Africa, is unable to bear the lack of food and poor living conditions there. During a prayer to God, Cartman says he is sorry he made fun of poor people. He eventually finds a Red Cross shack, where Sally Struthers is hoarding all the food meant for charity. After a brief fight, the Ethiopians take control of the food supply.

Back in South Park, Chef dons war paint like [[William Wallace]] in the film ''[[Braveheart]]'' and rallies the townspeople to fight the turkeys. A massive battle ensues in which Kenny is killed, but eventually the South Park residents kill all the turkeys and claim victory. The FBI returns Cartman to South Park and takes Marvin home, but not before he brings the bodies of the dead turkeys back to Ethiopia for everyone to eat.

==Production==
[[Image:Trey Parker Matt Stone 2007.jpg|thumb|alt=Two seated men. One holds a microphone in one hand and gestures with the other.|250px|right|''South Park'' co-creators [[Trey Parker]] and [[Matt Stone]] wrote "Starvin' Marvin" along with writer [[Pam Brady]].]]
"Starvin' Marvin" was written by [[Trey Parker]], [[Matt Stone]] and [[Pam Brady]], and directed by Parker. It is the first official ''South Park'' [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] episode. Parker and Stone said "Starvin' Marvin", like other holiday episodes, proved difficult to make because they felt a responsibility to constantly top other previous holiday shows. Stone provided the voice of Marvin.<ref name="Commentary">{{cite video | people=Trey Parker, Matt Stone|year=2003|title=South Park: The Complete First Season: "Starvin' Marvin"|format=Audio commentary |medium=CD||publisher=Comedy Central}}</ref> Parker and Stone said the character is not named after the [[Starvin' Marvin's]] brand of American gas stations, and that the similarity between the two names is just a coincidence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAQ - South Parks |date=2002-11-05 |work=[[South Park|South Park Studios (official site)]] |accessdate=2009-04-12 |url=http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?id=10217}}</ref> The agent of [[Jerry Seinfeld]], comedian and star of the popular sitcom ''[[Seinfeld]]'', contacted Parker and Stone and asked whether Seinfeld, a fan of the show, could record a guest voice performance. After Parker and Stone offered Seinfeld the throwaway background part of one of the turkeys, the agent was "a bit put off", according to them, and did not accept.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAQ - South Parks |date=2003-12-27 |work=[[South Park|South Park Studios (official site)]] |accessdate=2009-04-12 |url=http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?id=14927}}</ref>

The episode was partially inspired by the commercials for the [[Christian Children's Fund]], in which Sally Struthers encourages viewers to donate money to provide food for starving children in Africa. Parker said he did not really believe Struthers was hoarding food from the charity, but he came up with the concept because he found it funny that such an obese woman would make a public plea for food for others. Parker said he had always wondered how a starving African child would react if they were taken to a large buffet dinner at an American restaurant, with "people leaving tons of food on their plates", which served as further inspiration for the episode. Parker and Stone originally planned for Struthers to die at the end of the episode and have the African children eat her and live off her fat; Comedy Central executives told the duo they could not kill Struthers, although celebrities would be killed off in future episodes without any problem.<ref name="Commentary" />

Parker and Stone were unhappy with the turkey attack subplot, which they felt "never really went anywhere" and ended abruptly without any satisfying conclusion. They nevertheless included it because they felt obligated to include a [[subplot|B story]], since every episode in the season so far had included one. Later in the series, they said they realized this was not necessary and made many episodes without a B story. Although the duo liked the "payoff" of the Starvin' Marvin main plot, they did not know how to end the turkey subplot, so they simply had the characters kill all the turkeys and claim that there were none left; they decided this sudden ending was the funniest possible option. Stone said of the subplot, "The turkeys were just an excuse to have the ''Braveheart'' sequence." The animators enjoyed creating the turkey battle scene, which was designed to be shown in [[widescreen]] aspect ratio while the rest of the episode was animated normally. However, the animation proved to be very difficult and took a long time to do because it involved a larger number of characters and animals in one scene than had ever been featured previously in the show before. Some of the characters in the far background were animated as gray and shadowy, which Parker said was not so much a visual effect as it was a "lighting effect meaning we didn't want to draw all these people".<ref name="Commentary" />

"Starvin' Marvin" was released, along with eleven other episodes, in a three-[[DVD]] set in November 1998. It was included in the third volume, which also included the episodes "[[Mecha-Streisand]]", "[[Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo]]" and "[[Tom's Rhinoplasty]]".<ref name="OCR1113" /> "Starvin' Marvin" was also one of six episodes included on a 1998 [[VHS]] called "South Park Festival Special", which included "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo", "[[Merry Christmas, Charlie Manson!]]", "[[Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics]]", "[[Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery]]" and "[[Pinkeye (South Park)|Pinkeye]]".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Our competition could cause anarchy |date=2000-12-19 |work=[[Grimsby Telegraph|Grimsby Evening Telegraph]] |page=12}}</ref> The episode, along with the other twelve from the first season, was also included in the DVD release "South Park: The Complete First Season", which was released on November 12, 2002.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lawson |first=Terry |title=4-disc "Rings" could take up a whole weekend |work=[[Detroit Free Press]] |date=2002-11-12 |location=[[Detroit|Detroit, Michigan]]}}</ref> Parker and Stone recorded commentary tracks for each episode, but they were not included with the DVDs due to "standards" issues with some of the statements; Parker and Stone refused to allow the tracks to be edited and censored, so they were released in a CD completely separately from the DVDs.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Owen |first=Rob |title="South Park" warped and worthy |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=2002-11-22 |location=[[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] |page=39}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Pratt |first=Doug |title= Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More! |year=2005 |publisher=UNET 2 Corporation |isbn= 1932916016 |page=1123}}</ref>

==Themes==
Psychologists Gilbert Reyes and Gerard Jacobs have cited "Starvin' Marvin" as one example of popular culture voicing criticisms of [[humanitarianism]] "as an overblown industry leeching off others' suffering and harming its purported beneficiaries".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Reyes |first1=Gilbert |last2=Jacobs |first2=Gerard |title=Handbook of International Disaster Psychology (Praeger Perspectives) |edition=Hardcover |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group|Praeger Publishers]] |year=2006 |month=January |isbn=0275983161}}</ref> The episode also highlights America's [[consumerism|consumerist]] society and American indifference toward the [[Third World]].<ref name="Advertiser">{{Cite news |title=Earl hunts fine homes |date=1998-08-12 |work=The Advertiser |location=[[Lafayette, Louisiana]]}}</ref> The moral of the episode, explained by Stan in the final scene, encourages viewers to see suffering citizens of third world countries as real people, rather than images on television screens, which tend to make the viewers feel detached and alienated from them.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Owen |first=Rob |title="South Park" surge Heigh-di-ho! The hippest show on TV has become a cult phenomenon |work=[[Times Union (Albany)|Times Union]] |location=[[Albany, New York]] |date=1998-01-31 |page=D1}}</ref> The episode also explored and satirized [[gluttony]] in the US, particular through its unflattering portrayal of Sally Struthers, who gorges on donated food meant for starving children.<ref name="DFP1216">{{Cite news |last=Duffy |first=Mike |author-link=Mike Duffy |title=Rudeness rules! Comedy Central hit "South Park" is smarter than it looks |date=1997-12-16 |work=[[Detroit Free Press]] |page=1D}}</ref> The greed and wastefulness shown at the buffet scene, as well as Cartman's overall greediness and lack of understanding regarding the plight of starving African children, has been said to demonstrate an over-abundance and decadence typically associated with Americans.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kuypers |first=Janet |title=The Entropy Project |publisher=Scars Publications |year=2002 |isbn=1891470531 |page=46}}</ref> The destructive rampage of the turkeys provides a commentary on [[genetic engineering]]. Scott Calef, a philosophy professor who studies pop culture, said the destruction sown by the turkeys, despite the best of intentions by Dr. Mephisto, are indicative of the unpredictable nature and ethical ambiguity of the use of genetic engineering for the betterment of humankind.<ref>{{cite book |last=Calef |first=Scott |editor1-first=Arp |editor2-last=Robert |title=South Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something Today |publisher=[[Blackwell Publishing]] |year=2007 |isbn=1891470531 |page=173—174 |chapter=Four-Assed Monkeys: Genetics and Gen-ethics in Small-Town Colorado}}</ref>

==Cultural impact and references==
[[File:South park braveheart.jpg|left|300px|thumb|alt=Two images standing side-by-side. In the first image, a screaming man wears battle armor and blue and white war paint on his face. In the second image, a crudely animated man wears a chef's hat and a similar combination of blue and white battle paint.|[[Chef (South Park)|Chef]] resembles [[Mel Gibson]]'s [[William Wallace]] character from ''[[Braveheart]]'' during the turkey battle near the end of "Starvin' Marvin".]]
This episode introduced the character Starvin' Marvin, who proved to be a popular minor character, even though he would only appear in one more episode, the [[South_Park_(season_3)#Season_3:_1999.E2.80.932000|third season]] episode "[[Starvin' Marvin in Space]]".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oliver |first=Robin |title=Thumbs up |date=1999-12-13 |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |location=[[Sydney]] |date=1999-12-13 |page=11}}</ref><ref name="PRN0328">{{Cite news |title=Comedy Central(R) Mobile To Launch 'South Park 10: The Game' Cross Carriers and Internationally on Wednesday, March 28; 40-Level Action/Adventure Mobile Game Based on The First 10 Seasons of The Emmy and Peabody Award-Winning Series |date=2007-03-28 |work=[[PR Newswire]] |location=[[Orlando, Florida]]}}</ref> The character was later featured in ''[[South Park Rally]]'', a 2000 racing video game from developer [[Acclaim Entertainment|Acclaim]], in which Marvin races the other characters in a motorized wheat sack.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Get Drivin' With Your Bad Self With Acclaim's "South Park Rally" Racing Game; Comedy Central's Top-Rated Series "South Park" Ships To Stores |work=[[Business Wire]] |date=2000-01-05 |location=[[Glen Cove, New York]]}}</ref> Marvin is also featured in ''[[South Park 10: The Game]]'', a [[platform game|platform]] [[mobile game]] featuring a number of ''South Park'' characters.<ref name="PRN0328" /> Eric Cartman's line, "That's a bad Starvin' Marvin!", became one of the most popular lines from the first season of the show.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Giffels |first=David |title=New fine-tooned hit wacky, funny "South Park" on Comedy Channel latest animated phenomenon |date=1998-01-22 |work=[[Akron Beacon Journal]] |location=[[Akron, Ohio]] |page=E1}}</ref> In addition to Starvin' Marvin, the episode included the first appearances of several regular characters: Kyle's father [[Gerald Broflovski]], as well as [[Stuart and Carol McCormick|Stuart, Carol]] and [[List_of_South_Park_families#Kevin_McCormick|Kevin McCormick]], mother, father and brother (respectively) of Kenny, who were portrayed as incredibly poor and unhygienic.<ref name="Commentary" />

The title character, Starvin' Marvin, is from the African nation Ethiopia, which is famous for its [[1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia|two famines from the mid-1980s]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vognar |first=Chris |title=Brats entertainment; South Park' creators potty hardy on Comedy Central show |date=1998-02-01 |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |location=[[Pasadena, California]] |page=1C}}</ref> The scenes in which Chef, and later the lead turkey, don blue and white war paint and speak inspirational words to their armies are a parody of ''Braveheart'', the 1995 [[Mel Gibson]]-directed film about Scottish historical hero [[William Wallace]].<ref name="Commentary" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=William H. |title= Film: an introduction |edition=3 |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]] |year=2004 |isbn= 0312412673}}</ref> Parker said it was the first of many times a film was spoofed in a ''South Park'' episode, even though both said they enjoyed ''Braveheart''.<ref name="Commentary" />

Tom Vogt, who served as the editor of ''South Park'' for several years, was inspired to join the show after watching a bootleg copy of "Starvin' Marvin". He had never seen the show before, but was so impressed by the episode he decided to drive to Colorado and seek a job with them. He was hired as the show's editor after contacting one of the ''South Park'' animators who used to work for the same company as him.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Interviews: Tom Vogt: Editor |work=[[South Park|South Park Studios (official site)]] |accessdate=2009-04-12 |url=http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/behind/interviews.php?interview=29}}</ref>

==Release and reception==
"Starvin' Marvin" first aired in the United States on Comedy Central on November 19, 1997. The episode was rated [[Television content rating systems#United States|TV-MA]] in the US and a [[British Board of Film Classification|PG]] in the United Kingdom.<ref name="Commentary" /> In its original American broadcast, "Starvin' Marvin" received a [[Nielsen Rating]] of 4.8, meaning the episode was seen by about 2.2 million households in the US. Television journalists described the rating as "astonishing" by Comedy Central standards; at the time, the network averaged a 0.6 rating (276,000 households) during prime time, and prior to ''South Park'', the channel's highest rating was a 2.7 (1.24 million households) for the second season premiere of ''[[Absolutely Fabulous]]''.<ref name="DFP1216" /> Several reviewers have described "Starvin' Marvin" as one of ''South Park'''s "classic episodes".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Allan |title=Simply good; A father who abandoned his family returns years later, disrupting the harmony in "Winter's End" |date=1999-11-21 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] | page=C3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Oliver |first=Robin |title=Thumbs up |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |location=[[Sydney]] |date=1999-11-15 |page=11}}</ref> Parker said the emotional moment when Starvin' Marvin returned home with all the turkeys made his mother cry, marking the first time he and Stone heard of an emotional reaction to their show.<ref name="Commentary" />

[[File:Sally Struthers.jpg|right|thumb|alt=alt=A standing woman with blond hair wearing a black dress looking directly at the camera and smiling.|[[Sally Struthers]], actress and activist with the [[Christian Children's Fund]], was reportedly offended and saddened by her portrayal in "Starvin' Marvin".]]

After the episode aired, Parker and Stone received feedback that audiences felt "Starvin' Marvin" was especially unkind to Struthers. Although they did not speak to her themselves, the duo received word that Struthers was a fan of the show until "Starvin' Marvin" aired, after which she was very upset and reportedly reacted emotionally over her portrayal. Struthers was particularly upset with the fact that her character steals food from the same starving children she had been working to help. Parker and Stone were slightly remorseful when they learned of her reaction and have said they did not have anything against Struthers personally, although they have not apologized; in fact, Struthers was portrayed in an even less flattering way in the [[South Park (season 3)|third season]] episode "[[Starvin' Marvin in Space]]" as a [[Jabba the Hutt]]-like creature. In a DVD commentary track, Parker said of Struthers, "Dude, you're really setting yourself up if you're going to be that fat and go on the air talking about (starving children). ... We don't think she's a bad person, she's probably nice to try to do this, but cut down on the [[Twinkie]]s a little bit before going on the air."<ref name="Commentary" />

Tom Carson, television critic for ''[[The Village Voice]]'', praised the episode, which he said "featured some amazing sick jokes about American affluence and obliviousness".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carson |first=Tom |title=South Park - Gross anatomy of American childhood |work=[[Newsday]] |date=1998-03-15 |location=[[New York]] |page=B06}}</ref> Dianne Williamson of the ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]'' praised "Starvin' Marvin" for taking a chance with the source material, and said, "Often I'm in awe at the courage of these (''South Park'') creators."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williamson |first=Diane |work=[[Telegram & Gazette]] |title= Sensibility has gone way south; Big media again caves to avoid making waves |date=2006-03-21 |location=[[Worcester, Massachusetts]] |page=B1}}</ref> ''The Advertiser'' of [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]], [[Louisiana]], called the episode "hysterical" and particularly praised its satire of American consumerism.<ref name="Advertiser" /> The ''[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]]'' described the episode as "hilarious" and said, "We know we shouldn't laugh, but we can't help it."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Turkey and TV |work=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]] |location=[[Saint Paul, Minnesota]] |date=2004-11-25 |page=A15}}</ref>

Vicki Englund of ''[[The Courier-Mail]]'' complimented the "really bizarre storyline" and the moral of the episode, and especially praised the jokes about Struthers: "It might be a good idea not to eat during the hilarious second episode. Enough said."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Englund |first=Vicki |work=[[The Courier-Mail]] |date=1998-08-17 |title=TV Reviews |location=[[Queensland]] |page=24}}</ref> Vern Perry, a reviewer with ''[[The Orange County Register]]'', called "Starvin' Marvin" his favorite ''South Park'' episode.<ref name="OCR1113">{{Cite news |last=Perry |first=Vern |title=Not just another pretty face |work=[[The Orange County Register]] |date=1998-11-13 |page=F33}}</ref> The "Starvin' Marvin" episode was featured in a 1998 ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' list of the top ten reasons for the popularity of ''South Park''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Allan |title=Guilty pleasures: 10 reasons to watch the unlikely, and unseemly, hit "South Park" |date=1998-02-08 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |location=[[Chicago]] |page=C17}}</ref> The ''Chicago Tribune'' also included "Starvin' Marvin" in a 2003 list of the top ten funniest episodes.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Allan |title=Whoever thought this show would last 100 episodes? |date=2003-04-09 |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |location=[[Chicago]] |page=C1}}</ref> Bill Ward, of the ''[[Star Tribune]]'', described "Starvin Marvin" as Cartman's "finest half-hour".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ward |first=Bill |title=Critic's choice |work=[[Star Tribune]] |date=1999-03-10 |location=[[Minneapolis]] |page=12E}}</ref>

Not all reviews were positive; ''[[The Boston Globe|Boston Globe]]'' writer Matthew Gilbert, who described ''South Park'' as immature and low-brow, called "Starvin' Marvin" a particularly "uncuddly episode".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gilbert |first=Matthew |title=Cute but crude, sly kids can kick "Butt-head" |date-1998-01-28 |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |location=[[Boston]] |page=D1}}</ref> Brian Boyd of ''[[The Irish Times]]'' criticized the episode for making jokes at the expense of starving African children.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Boyd |first=Brian |title=Comedy from the edge: Bart's a brat, and Beavis and Butthead are puerile slime, but the eight-year-old anti-heroes of the latest animation series from the US are really offensive |date=1998-03-28 |work=[[The Irish Times]] |page=64}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}


==External links==
==External links==
[http://www.indiaheritage.com/perform/music/h-v-dr.htm India Heritage.com]
*[http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/109/ "Starvin' Marvin"] at Southparkstudios.com
*{{imdb episode|0705964|Starvin' Marvin}}
* [http://www.tv.com/south-park/starvin-marvin/episode/2424/summary.html "Starvin' Marvin"] at [[TV.com]]

[[Category:South Park episodes: Season 1]]
[[Category:1997 television episodes]]

[[es:Paco el Flaco]]
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[[hu:Kákabélű (South Park-epizód)]]
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[[ja:大食いカートマンと腹ぺこマーヴィン]]
[[ru:Кошмарный Марвин]]

Revision as of 02:54, 1 September 2009

"Starvin' Marvin"

"Starvin' Marvin" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American animated television series South Park. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 19, 1997. In the episode, Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and Stan send money to an African charity hoping to get a sports watch, but are instead sent an Ethiopian child whom they dub Starvin' Marvin. Cartman is accidentally sent to Ethiopia, where he learns activist Sally Struthers is hoarding the charity's food for herself. In an accompanying subplot, after genetically engineered turkeys attack South Park residents, Chef rallies the residents to fight back, in a parody of the film Braveheart.

The episode was written by series co-founders Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Pam Brady. It was directed by Parker, and was rated TV-MA in the US. "Starvin' Marvin" was the first South Park Thanksgiving special. The episode simultaneously served as a satire on American indifference toward the Third World and the humanitarianism industry.

The episode received generally positive reviews and is considered a classic South Park episode. According to Nielsen Ratings, it was viewed by about 2.2 million households during its original broadcast, which at the time was about eight times Comedy Central's average viewership. Parker and Stone said they were unhappy with the turkey subplot, which they included only because they felt obligated to include a B story. The episode reportedly deeply offended Sally Struthers. In addition to Starvin' Marvin, who became a popular minor character, the episode introduced regular characters Gerald Broflovski (Kyle's father) and Kenny's family members Stuart, Carol and Kevin McCormick.

Plot

After seeing a commercial about starving children in Africa, Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and Stan send money to Sally Struthers' charity organization, the Christian Children's Fund. They do not particularly care about the cause, but want the free sports watch that comes with the sponsorship. However, due to a miscommunication, an Ethiopian boy is delivered to the boys instead of the watch. Although initially shocked, the four boys befriend him, and Cartman names the boy Starvin' Marvin. Meanwhile, mobs of wild turkeys begin attacking and killing South Park residents. Mad scientist Dr. Mephisto tries to warn Mayor McDaniels that genetically engineers turkeys he had been breeding to feed to the poor have gone crazy and are now attacking humans. Mephisto is ignored and ridiculed by McDaniels.

The boys take Marvin to an all-you-can-eat buffet, where he is shocked by how much food the townsfolk consume compared to his home country, and by how wasteful Cartman is with his food. Back at school, Mr. Garrison announces the food drive is a failure because students have brought in only a few cans of creamed corn. The boys present Marvin to the class during show and tell, after which Mr. Garrison and Principal Victoria tell the boys they will have to call Red Cross and send Marvin home. Meanwhile, Dr. Mephisto shows Chef that the turkey DNA is growing so rapidly that the turkeys might take over the world if they are not stopped.

The FBI arrives to take Marvin back to Ethiopia, but Marvin tricks them into taking Cartman instead. Cartman, who had previously cared little for the impoverished in Africa, is unable to bear the lack of food and poor living conditions there. During a prayer to God, Cartman says he is sorry he made fun of poor people. He eventually finds a Red Cross shack, where Sally Struthers is hoarding all the food meant for charity. After a brief fight, the Ethiopians take control of the food supply.

Back in South Park, Chef dons war paint like William Wallace in the film Braveheart and rallies the townspeople to fight the turkeys. A massive battle ensues in which Kenny is killed, but eventually the South Park residents kill all the turkeys and claim victory. The FBI returns Cartman to South Park and takes Marvin home, but not before he brings the bodies of the dead turkeys back to Ethiopia for everyone to eat.

Production

Two seated men. One holds a microphone in one hand and gestures with the other.
South Park co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone wrote "Starvin' Marvin" along with writer Pam Brady.

"Starvin' Marvin" was written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Pam Brady, and directed by Parker. It is the first official South Park Thanksgiving episode. Parker and Stone said "Starvin' Marvin", like other holiday episodes, proved difficult to make because they felt a responsibility to constantly top other previous holiday shows. Stone provided the voice of Marvin.[1] Parker and Stone said the character is not named after the Starvin' Marvin's brand of American gas stations, and that the similarity between the two names is just a coincidence.[2] The agent of Jerry Seinfeld, comedian and star of the popular sitcom Seinfeld, contacted Parker and Stone and asked whether Seinfeld, a fan of the show, could record a guest voice performance. After Parker and Stone offered Seinfeld the throwaway background part of one of the turkeys, the agent was "a bit put off", according to them, and did not accept.[3]

The episode was partially inspired by the commercials for the Christian Children's Fund, in which Sally Struthers encourages viewers to donate money to provide food for starving children in Africa. Parker said he did not really believe Struthers was hoarding food from the charity, but he came up with the concept because he found it funny that such an obese woman would make a public plea for food for others. Parker said he had always wondered how a starving African child would react if they were taken to a large buffet dinner at an American restaurant, with "people leaving tons of food on their plates", which served as further inspiration for the episode. Parker and Stone originally planned for Struthers to die at the end of the episode and have the African children eat her and live off her fat; Comedy Central executives told the duo they could not kill Struthers, although celebrities would be killed off in future episodes without any problem.[1]

Parker and Stone were unhappy with the turkey attack subplot, which they felt "never really went anywhere" and ended abruptly without any satisfying conclusion. They nevertheless included it because they felt obligated to include a B story, since every episode in the season so far had included one. Later in the series, they said they realized this was not necessary and made many episodes without a B story. Although the duo liked the "payoff" of the Starvin' Marvin main plot, they did not know how to end the turkey subplot, so they simply had the characters kill all the turkeys and claim that there were none left; they decided this sudden ending was the funniest possible option. Stone said of the subplot, "The turkeys were just an excuse to have the Braveheart sequence." The animators enjoyed creating the turkey battle scene, which was designed to be shown in widescreen aspect ratio while the rest of the episode was animated normally. However, the animation proved to be very difficult and took a long time to do because it involved a larger number of characters and animals in one scene than had ever been featured previously in the show before. Some of the characters in the far background were animated as gray and shadowy, which Parker said was not so much a visual effect as it was a "lighting effect meaning we didn't want to draw all these people".[1]

"Starvin' Marvin" was released, along with eleven other episodes, in a three-DVD set in November 1998. It was included in the third volume, which also included the episodes "Mecha-Streisand", "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" and "Tom's Rhinoplasty".[4] "Starvin' Marvin" was also one of six episodes included on a 1998 VHS called "South Park Festival Special", which included "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo", "Merry Christmas, Charlie Manson!", "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics", "Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery" and "Pinkeye".[5] The episode, along with the other twelve from the first season, was also included in the DVD release "South Park: The Complete First Season", which was released on November 12, 2002.[6] Parker and Stone recorded commentary tracks for each episode, but they were not included with the DVDs due to "standards" issues with some of the statements; Parker and Stone refused to allow the tracks to be edited and censored, so they were released in a CD completely separately from the DVDs.[7][8]

Themes

Psychologists Gilbert Reyes and Gerard Jacobs have cited "Starvin' Marvin" as one example of popular culture voicing criticisms of humanitarianism "as an overblown industry leeching off others' suffering and harming its purported beneficiaries".[9] The episode also highlights America's consumerist society and American indifference toward the Third World.[10] The moral of the episode, explained by Stan in the final scene, encourages viewers to see suffering citizens of third world countries as real people, rather than images on television screens, which tend to make the viewers feel detached and alienated from them.[11] The episode also explored and satirized gluttony in the US, particular through its unflattering portrayal of Sally Struthers, who gorges on donated food meant for starving children.[12] The greed and wastefulness shown at the buffet scene, as well as Cartman's overall greediness and lack of understanding regarding the plight of starving African children, has been said to demonstrate an over-abundance and decadence typically associated with Americans.[13] The destructive rampage of the turkeys provides a commentary on genetic engineering. Scott Calef, a philosophy professor who studies pop culture, said the destruction sown by the turkeys, despite the best of intentions by Dr. Mephisto, are indicative of the unpredictable nature and ethical ambiguity of the use of genetic engineering for the betterment of humankind.[14]

Cultural impact and references

Two images standing side-by-side. In the first image, a screaming man wears battle armor and blue and white war paint on his face. In the second image, a crudely animated man wears a chef's hat and a similar combination of blue and white battle paint.
Chef resembles Mel Gibson's William Wallace character from Braveheart during the turkey battle near the end of "Starvin' Marvin".

This episode introduced the character Starvin' Marvin, who proved to be a popular minor character, even though he would only appear in one more episode, the third season episode "Starvin' Marvin in Space".[15][16] The character was later featured in South Park Rally, a 2000 racing video game from developer Acclaim, in which Marvin races the other characters in a motorized wheat sack.[17] Marvin is also featured in South Park 10: The Game, a platform mobile game featuring a number of South Park characters.[16] Eric Cartman's line, "That's a bad Starvin' Marvin!", became one of the most popular lines from the first season of the show.[18] In addition to Starvin' Marvin, the episode included the first appearances of several regular characters: Kyle's father Gerald Broflovski, as well as Stuart, Carol and Kevin McCormick, mother, father and brother (respectively) of Kenny, who were portrayed as incredibly poor and unhygienic.[1]

The title character, Starvin' Marvin, is from the African nation Ethiopia, which is famous for its two famines from the mid-1980s.[19] The scenes in which Chef, and later the lead turkey, don blue and white war paint and speak inspirational words to their armies are a parody of Braveheart, the 1995 Mel Gibson-directed film about Scottish historical hero William Wallace.[1][20] Parker said it was the first of many times a film was spoofed in a South Park episode, even though both said they enjoyed Braveheart.[1]

Tom Vogt, who served as the editor of South Park for several years, was inspired to join the show after watching a bootleg copy of "Starvin' Marvin". He had never seen the show before, but was so impressed by the episode he decided to drive to Colorado and seek a job with them. He was hired as the show's editor after contacting one of the South Park animators who used to work for the same company as him.[21]

Release and reception

"Starvin' Marvin" first aired in the United States on Comedy Central on November 19, 1997. The episode was rated TV-MA in the US and a PG in the United Kingdom.[1] In its original American broadcast, "Starvin' Marvin" received a Nielsen Rating of 4.8, meaning the episode was seen by about 2.2 million households in the US. Television journalists described the rating as "astonishing" by Comedy Central standards; at the time, the network averaged a 0.6 rating (276,000 households) during prime time, and prior to South Park, the channel's highest rating was a 2.7 (1.24 million households) for the second season premiere of Absolutely Fabulous.[12] Several reviewers have described "Starvin' Marvin" as one of South Park's "classic episodes".[22][23] Parker said the emotional moment when Starvin' Marvin returned home with all the turkeys made his mother cry, marking the first time he and Stone heard of an emotional reaction to their show.[1]

alt=A standing woman with blond hair wearing a black dress looking directly at the camera and smiling.
Sally Struthers, actress and activist with the Christian Children's Fund, was reportedly offended and saddened by her portrayal in "Starvin' Marvin".

After the episode aired, Parker and Stone received feedback that audiences felt "Starvin' Marvin" was especially unkind to Struthers. Although they did not speak to her themselves, the duo received word that Struthers was a fan of the show until "Starvin' Marvin" aired, after which she was very upset and reportedly reacted emotionally over her portrayal. Struthers was particularly upset with the fact that her character steals food from the same starving children she had been working to help. Parker and Stone were slightly remorseful when they learned of her reaction and have said they did not have anything against Struthers personally, although they have not apologized; in fact, Struthers was portrayed in an even less flattering way in the third season episode "Starvin' Marvin in Space" as a Jabba the Hutt-like creature. In a DVD commentary track, Parker said of Struthers, "Dude, you're really setting yourself up if you're going to be that fat and go on the air talking about (starving children). ... We don't think she's a bad person, she's probably nice to try to do this, but cut down on the Twinkies a little bit before going on the air."[1]

Tom Carson, television critic for The Village Voice, praised the episode, which he said "featured some amazing sick jokes about American affluence and obliviousness".[24] Dianne Williamson of the Telegram & Gazette praised "Starvin' Marvin" for taking a chance with the source material, and said, "Often I'm in awe at the courage of these (South Park) creators."[25] The Advertiser of Lafayette, Louisiana, called the episode "hysterical" and particularly praised its satire of American consumerism.[10] The St. Paul Pioneer Press described the episode as "hilarious" and said, "We know we shouldn't laugh, but we can't help it."[26]

Vicki Englund of The Courier-Mail complimented the "really bizarre storyline" and the moral of the episode, and especially praised the jokes about Struthers: "It might be a good idea not to eat during the hilarious second episode. Enough said."[27] Vern Perry, a reviewer with The Orange County Register, called "Starvin' Marvin" his favorite South Park episode.[4] The "Starvin' Marvin" episode was featured in a 1998 Chicago Tribune list of the top ten reasons for the popularity of South Park.[28] The Chicago Tribune also included "Starvin' Marvin" in a 2003 list of the top ten funniest episodes.[29] Bill Ward, of the Star Tribune, described "Starvin Marvin" as Cartman's "finest half-hour".[30]

Not all reviews were positive; Boston Globe writer Matthew Gilbert, who described South Park as immature and low-brow, called "Starvin' Marvin" a particularly "uncuddly episode".[31] Brian Boyd of The Irish Times criticized the episode for making jokes at the expense of starving African children.[32]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trey Parker, Matt Stone (2003). South Park: The Complete First Season: "Starvin' Marvin" (CD). Comedy Central. {{cite AV media}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  2. ^ "FAQ - South Parks". South Park Studios (official site). 2002-11-05. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  3. ^ "FAQ - South Parks". South Park Studios (official site). 2003-12-27. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  4. ^ a b Perry, Vern (1998-11-13). "Not just another pretty face". The Orange County Register. p. F33.
  5. ^ "Our competition could cause anarchy". Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 2000-12-19. p. 12.
  6. ^ Lawson, Terry (2002-11-12). "4-disc "Rings" could take up a whole weekend". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan.
  7. ^ Owen, Rob (2002-11-22). ""South Park" warped and worthy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 39.
  8. ^ Pratt, Doug (2005). Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!. UNET 2 Corporation. p. 1123. ISBN 1932916016.
  9. ^ Reyes, Gilbert; Jacobs, Gerard (2006). Handbook of International Disaster Psychology (Praeger Perspectives) (Hardcover ed.). Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0275983161. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  10. ^ a b "Earl hunts fine homes". The Advertiser. Lafayette, Louisiana. 1998-08-12.
  11. ^ Owen, Rob (1998-01-31). ""South Park" surge Heigh-di-ho! The hippest show on TV has become a cult phenomenon". Times Union. Albany, New York. p. D1.
  12. ^ a b Duffy, Mike (1997-12-16). "Rudeness rules! Comedy Central hit "South Park" is smarter than it looks". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D.
  13. ^ Kuypers, Janet (2002). The Entropy Project. Scars Publications. p. 46. ISBN 1891470531.
  14. ^ Calef, Scott (2007). "Four-Assed Monkeys: Genetics and Gen-ethics in Small-Town Colorado". In Robert (ed.). South Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something Today. Blackwell Publishing. p. 173—174. ISBN 1891470531. {{cite book}}: |editor1-first= missing |editor1-last= (help)
  15. ^ Oliver, Robin (1999-12-13). "Thumbs up". Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney. p. 11.
  16. ^ a b "Comedy Central(R) Mobile To Launch 'South Park 10: The Game' Cross Carriers and Internationally on Wednesday, March 28; 40-Level Action/Adventure Mobile Game Based on The First 10 Seasons of The Emmy and Peabody Award-Winning Series". PR Newswire. Orlando, Florida. 2007-03-28.
  17. ^ "Get Drivin' With Your Bad Self With Acclaim's "South Park Rally" Racing Game; Comedy Central's Top-Rated Series "South Park" Ships To Stores". Business Wire. Glen Cove, New York. 2000-01-05.
  18. ^ Giffels, David (1998-01-22). "New fine-tooned hit wacky, funny "South Park" on Comedy Channel latest animated phenomenon". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. p. E1.
  19. ^ Vognar, Chris (1998-02-01). "Brats entertainment; South Park' creators potty hardy on Comedy Central show". The Dallas Morning News. Pasadena, California. p. 1C.
  20. ^ Phillips, William H. (2004). Film: an introduction (3 ed.). Macmillan. ISBN 0312412673.
  21. ^ "Interviews: Tom Vogt: Editor". South Park Studios (official site). Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  22. ^ Johnson, Allan (1999-11-21). "Simply good; A father who abandoned his family returns years later, disrupting the harmony in "Winter's End"". Chicago Tribune. p. C3.
  23. ^ Oliver, Robin (1999-11-15). "Thumbs up". Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney. p. 11.
  24. ^ Carson, Tom (1998-03-15). "South Park - Gross anatomy of American childhood". Newsday. New York. p. B06.
  25. ^ Williamson, Diane (2006-03-21). "Sensibility has gone way south; Big media again caves to avoid making waves". Telegram & Gazette. Worcester, Massachusetts. p. B1.
  26. ^ "Turkey and TV". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Saint Paul, Minnesota. 2004-11-25. p. A15.
  27. ^ Englund, Vicki (1998-08-17). "TV Reviews". The Courier-Mail. Queensland. p. 24.
  28. ^ Johnson, Allan (1998-02-08). "Guilty pleasures: 10 reasons to watch the unlikely, and unseemly, hit "South Park"". Chicago Tribune. Chicago. p. C17.
  29. ^ Johnson, Allan (2003-04-09). "Whoever thought this show would last 100 episodes?". Chicago Tribune. Chicago. p. C1.
  30. ^ Ward, Bill (1999-03-10). "Critic's choice". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. p. 12E.
  31. ^ Gilbert, Matthew. "Cute but crude, sly kids can kick "Butt-head"". The Boston Globe. Boston. p. D1. {{cite news}}: Text "date-1998-01-28" ignored (help)
  32. ^ Boyd, Brian (1998-03-28). "Comedy from the edge: Bart's a brat, and Beavis and Butthead are puerile slime, but the eight-year-old anti-heroes of the latest animation series from the US are really offensive". The Irish Times. p. 64.
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