# South Park, 12/17/03--THAT was fast! (Spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801 "2003-12-18T17:57:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/1 "2003-12-18T17:57:54Z")
Wow! After a funny if not totally dazzling episode, I was flat-out astonished to see Prisoner Saddam as the PM of Canada! I guess this was planned a month or so in advance and Paul Martin becoming PM was no secret although they didn’t mention his name. But wow! I know they can edit right til the last minute but mad props to Trey and Matt, and it fits in perfectly well with the whole theme of the show, Saddam being a major character of theirs and all (although I wonder what he’s doing back on Earth). I guess Terrance and Phillip were off doing Shakespeare at Lincoln Center or something, because we didn’t see them. What was the joke with Scott? Was it a takeoff on Scott Thompson? But he’s not that grumpy. I get the feeling he was supposed to be the new PM until Chance dropped a golden oppurtunity into their laps. And the boys HAVE been to Canada once before, to the Shakespeare Festival at Stratford, where we heard the whole last scene of Hamlet in Canadian accents. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/2 "2003-12-18T18:11:30Z")
I found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable episode. But yeah, they have a quick turnaround. A few years back they had an episode with the kindergarten class deciding on a class president and a girl named Flora couldn’t make up her mind that aired a few days after the election debacle. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/3 "2003-12-18T18:21:43Z")
They also had a really quick parody of the Elian Gonzalez story just a few days after he was rescued from the house. They move pretty fast. I wonder who was originally behind the curtain before they changed it to Saddam. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/4 "2003-12-18T18:38:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*They also had a really quick parody of the Elian Gonzalez story just a few days after he was rescued from the house. They move pretty fast. > > I wonder who was originally behind the curtain before they changed it to Saddam. \*\* Actually, the Elian Gonzalez/quintuplets episode aired the same day as the famous florida raid. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/5 "2003-12-18T20:36:38Z")
I read somewhere that it takes about 4 days to make an episode. It certainly doesn’t have the long animation turn around time of, say, the Simpsons or Futurama. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/6 "2003-12-18T21:05:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HPL \* > \*\*Actually, the Elian Gonzalez/quintuplets episode aired the same day as the famous florida raid. \*\* No, it didn’t. The raid was Easter Sunday, and the South Park episode aired that Wednesday–still pretty darn fast. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/7 "2003-12-18T21:48:33Z")
I suspect they had the episode ready a while ago with a different ending, and simply “repurposed” it with new Saddam footage. Hey, the original might even have had Saddam as the new PM and all they had to do was C&P the beard photos. Still a work of comic genius. What, no offended Canadians on this thread yet? Where you at, hosers, eh? Lost on your one road? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/8 "2003-12-18T22:35:14Z")
Follow the ONLY road! LOL! That was a great episode :). ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/9 "2003-12-18T22:48:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElvisL1ves \* > **all they had to do was C&P the beard photos** Plus they had the whole big musical number and parade at the end where they talked about “the Americans catching Saddam” or something. So it wasn’t just sticking in a photo. Even if they reworked only the last three minutes, that’s _still_ a hell of a quick turnaround. And I thought it was a moderately weak episode, redeemed only by the killer ending. The square wheels on the cars cracked me up, though. And Cartman crying at the end was _priceless._ ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/10 "2003-12-18T22:49:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Silentgoldfish \* > \*\*I read somewhere that it takes about 4 days to make an episode. > > It certainly doesn’t have the long animation turn around time of, say, the Simpsons or Futurama. \*\* Does that include the ADR? If so, wow. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/11 "2003-12-18T23:05:36Z")
> [@](#): > > And Cartman crying at the end was priceless. Oh, that was f’ing HILARIOUS!! ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/12 "2003-12-19T02:13:36Z")
I didn’t like Cartman crying at the end. Okay, it was funny, but I just don’t like to see Cartman lose. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/13 "2003-12-19T03:38:59Z")
Did you notice that behind the curtain it was his little ‘spider hole’ complete with fan & air pipe! Very seldom am I totally surprised by comedy, but that was un-f\*\*\*ing-believable! To see the barely 3 day old bearded Saddam turn to the camera and say, “Uh-oh!” I think the character of Scott was from the 2nd season ep which everyone forgets about (and refuses to like), “Not without my Anus”. Everyone hated it because they were supposed to show the “Who is Cartman’s dad” episode and as a joke they showed this one instead. Everyone got all pissed off (I thought it was a hilarious thing to do!) Anyway, I think Scott was Terrence & Philip’s arch enemy who hated them because, “Farts are not funny!” And because he’s just a dick. This was also the episode where Saddam first appears and he takes over Canada. They kill him at the end with poison gas, i.e. by farting! ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/14 "2003-12-19T04:30:23Z")
Scott was supposed to be Canada’s version of the Wicked Witch of the West. (Duh.) For me, Cartman’s wailing in wuss pain at the end seemed out-of-place for ol’ Jew-hatin’ grand-schemin’ Eric C… They showed his mouth open wider, and in a weirder (and may I say Batman-logo-like) shape, than I’ve ever seen before, which was eerie. I’d expect that of Mirror Universe Cartman-with-a-goatee, but not of the real mccoy. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/15 "2003-12-19T04:38:37Z")
But that’s what made it funny. Cartman likes to talk tough and can come up with evil schemes aplenty, but get a little Jew to slap him in the face and he cries for mommy. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/16 "2003-12-19T05:20:01Z")
Kyle better be careful, or else Cartman will make him eat his parents. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/17 "2003-12-19T05:34:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mehitabel \* > **What was the joke with Scott? Was it a takeoff on Scott Thompson? But he’s not that grumpy. I get the feeling he was supposed to be the new PM until Chance dropped a golden oppurtunity into their laps.** Scott was a character from the April Fool’s Day “Not Without My Anus” episode. He’s a dick. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/18 "2003-12-19T06:26:37Z")
> [@](#): > > But that’s what made it funny. Cartman likes to talk tough and can come up with evil schemes aplenty, but get a little Jew to slap him in the face and he cries for mommy. Damn straight :D. He’s the regular talk-tough, can’t-take-a-fight bully. Best part of the episode. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/19 "2003-12-19T06:44:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*No, it didn’t. The raid was Easter Sunday, and the South Park episode aired that Wednesday–still pretty darn fast. \*\* You’re right. I thought it was the same night. I guess I remembered wrong. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801/20 "2003-12-19T09:14:47Z")
There is no traditional animation in SP; they use CGI, and an entire episode takes 4-5 days from start to finish. A bunch of their episodes are topical to the week they air. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-12-17-03-that-was-fast-spoilers/219801.md?page=2)