An advertisement for the bodybuilding supplement "Weight Gain 4000", which serves as a commentary on American consumerism.
Episode no.
Season 1 Episode 3
Directed by
Trey Parker Matt Stone
Written by
Trey Parker Matt Stone
Production code
102[1]
Original air date
August 27, 1997 (1997-08-27)[1]
Episode chronology
← Previous "Volcano"
Next → "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride"
South Park season 1
List of episodes
"Weight Gain 4000" is the third episode of the first season of the American animated television series South Park. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on August 27, 1997. In the episode, the residents of South Park excitedly prepare for a visit by celebrity Kathie Lee Gifford, whom the boys' third-grade teacher Mr. Garrison plans to assassinate because of a childhood grudge. In the meantime, Cartman becomes extremely obese after constantly eating a bodybuilding supplement called Weight Gain 4000.
The episode was written and directed by series co-founders Trey Parker and Matt Stone. After the South Park pilot episode, "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe", drew poor test audience results, Comedy Central requested a script for one more new episode before deciding whether or not to commit to a full series. The resulting script for "Weight Gain 4000" helped the network decide to pick up the show. It was the first South Park episode created completely using computers instead of construction paper.
Although some reviewers criticized the episode for its profanity and other material deemed offensive at the time of its original broadcast, several others felt "Weight Gain 4000" was a significant improvement over the pilot, particularly for its satirical element regarding American consumerism. The episode introduced such recurring characters as Mayor McDaniels, Bebe Stevens and Clyde Donovan. The show's portrayal of Kathie Lee Gifford was the first time a celebrity was spoofed in South Park.
^ ab"South Park: no. 102, Weight Gain 4000". United States Copyright Office. August 29, 1997. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
"WeightGain4000" is the third episode of the first season of the American animated television series South Park. It first aired on Comedy Central in...
and Stone wrote the script for what would later become the episode "WeightGain4000". The duo sought to give Comedy Central executives an idea of how the...
fictionalized version of Kathie Lee Gifford appears in the South Park episode "WeightGain4000", voiced by Karri Turner. Gifford later re-appears in the episodes...
paper and animated through the use of stop motion. Starting with "WeightGain4000" onwards, she is animated via computer software, though her appearance...
construction paper through stop motion, after the series third episode, "WeightGain4000", she is animated with a computer and rendered to mimic that style...
The Dassault Mirage 4000 (sometimes called the Super Mirage 4000) is a French prototype twinjet fighter aircraft developed by Dassault-Breguet from their...
composed with construction paper and animated through stop motion. From "WeightGain4000" onward he is animated digitally, though in a way which mimics the...
intentionally jerky fashion. Ever since the show's second episode, "WeightGain4000", all the characters on the show have been animated with computer software...
Trey Parker & Matt Stone August 20, 1997 (1997-08-20) 103 1.11 3 3 "WeightGain4000" Trey Parker & Matt Stone Trey Parker & Matt Stone August 27, 1997 (1997-08-27)...
where they discuss the book and its influence. In the 1997 episode "WeightGain4000" of South Park, Eric Cartman "writes" a prize-winning essay copied...
South Park Wendy Testaburger / Liane Cartman / Veronica Crabtree Episode: "Unaired Pilot" 1997 South Park Kathie Lee Gifford Episode: "WeightGain4000"...
Comedy Central Cutout animation ("Cartman Gets an Anal Probe"), CGI ("WeightGain4000" onwards) Space Goofs 2 52 France 1997–1998, 2005–2006 France 3 Traditional...
intentionally jerky fashion. Ever since the show's second episode, "WeightGain4000" (season one, 1997), Kenny, like all other characters on the show,...
movements intentionally jerky. Ever since the show's second episode, "WeightGain4000" (season one, 1997), Cartman, like all other characters on the show...
in South Park, e.g. the flag with the text "Welcome Kathie Lee" in "WeightGain4000", the Terrance and Phillip Show logo", etc. Lithos is used in the Banjo-Kazooie...
intentionally jerky fashion. Ever since the show's third episode, "WeightGain4000" (season one, 1997), Stan, like all other characters on the show, has...
episode "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe". From the show's second episode, "WeightGain4000" (season one, 1997), Kyle, like all other characters on the show, has...
Kathie Lee Gifford. South Park spoofed the commercials in the episode WeightGain4000 with a grade school-aged Kathie Lee singing the same song in a talent...
network paid Parker and Stone to write one more episode. In writing "WeightGain4000", the duo sought to give the network an idea of how each episode could...
featured episodes included "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe", "Volcano", "WeightGain4000" and "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride". The episode was re-released...
RATING:15/15/M/M "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" Original air date: August 13, 1997 "WeightGain4000" Original air date: August 20, 1997 "Volcano" Original air date: August...
The Laser 4000 (now "4000") is a racing dinghy designed by Phil Morrison crewed by two persons. Its one-design weight-equalised system enables physically...
rise as birth weight increases beyond normal birth weight range. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy gestational weightgain throughout pregnancy...
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