Original air date: 4/26/2006
Al Gore takes the boys to Cave of the Winds and traps them inside while on the hunt for ManBearPig. Cartman discovers what he thinks is treasure which he tries to hide from the others.
Tropes present
- Attention Whore: Al Gore is this when he made up ManBearPig in order to attract attention by the people. This causes The Boys to put their lives in danger when he brought them to the Cave of the Winds.
- Death by Materialism: Invoked. As soon as Cartman found the (fake) treasure, all thought of getting out of the cave left his mind. He tries to sneak out with as MUCH treasure as he can until his whole body is swollen up. He then has the boys help him move when things gets worse in the cave... mostly because any movement (like a fart) would make him lose some treasure. And when it's him and Kyle about to drown due to the flood in the cave, he refuses to even kick his legs to save his own his own life! While the 2 of them did went under the water, they somehow survived after that.
- Dramatic Irony: The audience learns early on that the treasure Cartman finds is just a prop for a photo opportunity. Cartman doesn't find this out until the end of the episode.
- Due to the Dead: A memorial service is held for the boys which Gore uses as an opportunity to claim victory over ManBearPig. This is interrupted when the boys are discovered to have survived the cave-in.
- Freud Was Right: Invoked by a tour guide who points out many phallic-shaped stalagmites in the cave.
- Hard Truth Aesop: While you should try and be friends with someone who is lonely, if they use your friendship to behave recklessly, you have every right to avoid them.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Cartman's plan to eat the fake treasure he found in the cave literally backfires on him after the boys are saved when he ends up crapping it out, clearly writhing in pain all the while. To add insult to injury, a tour guide states that the treasure is actually a prop for children to take photos with, and that the treasure is only worth about $14.
- Karma Houdini: For some reason, the boys don't tell anyone that Gore caused the cave-in, so he gets away scot-free.
- Laser-Guided Karma: As stated by Hoist by His Own Petard above, Cartman's plan to claim the fake treasure for himself by eating it and having the boys carry him to safety literally backfires on him after the boys are saved when he ends up crapping it out and finds out that the treasure is actually a prop for children to take photos with, the total price only being about $14. Cartman is clearly writhing in pain all the while, and he's well aware of it, knowing that he's hurting enough for all the bullshit he pulled in his latest plan.Kyle: You made us pull you to safety because you ate treasure?! You son of a bitch!
Cartman: Don't you think I'm hurting enough, Kyle?! Ow, ow!! (Keeps crapping out the fake treasure) Owwww!!! - Opinion Flip Flop: The boys are hesitant to help Al Gore until he says he can get them excused from school.
- Public Domain Soundtrack: During Gore's assembly, the first movement of Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony plays.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Stan gives a brutal one to Al Gore after he tries taking credit for saving the boys from the cave:Stan: Just stay away from us, asshole! I was nice to you because I felt sorry for you, because you don't have any friends! But now I see why you don't have any friends! You just use ManBearPig as a way to get attention for yourself BECAUSE YOU'RE A LOSER!Al Gore: (sarcastically) ...Yeah, right. The man who single-handedly stopped ManBearPig is a loser.
- Reckless Gun Usage: Gore shoots the cave walls, trapping the boys.
- Take That!: Towards Gore's obsession with fighting global warming, though it's clearly directed more at Al Gore himself than at the issue he was super cereal about (later episodes, while still making fun of him as a person, acknowledge that he was still right to take it so cereal).note
- Temporary Bulk Change: Cartman from eating the fake treasure in the cave before crapping it out.
- Too Many Halves: According to Gore, ManBearPig is half man, half bear and half pig.
- Verbal Tic: Gore says "cereal" instead of "serious". This is a joke at Al Gore who, when once asked what his favorite cereal was, said Oprah, thinking he was being asked what his favorite serial (IE television show) was.
- Would Hurt a Child: Gore doesn't care if the boys die if it means stopping ManBearPig.
