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Recap / South Park S 1 E 5 An Elephant Makes Love To A Pig

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Original air date: 9/10/1997

Stan contends with his violent, older sister, Shelley, while Kyle sets out to crossbreed an elephant with a pig.


"An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig" contains examples of:

  • Abusive Parents:
    • There's hints of Ms. Cartman being one involving Cartman when it comes to her promiscuity (at least, that was the intention when the episode first aired; later in the first season it was retconned to establish that Cartman didn't know who his dad was, and that he was just ranting nonsensically here).
      Cartman: Hey, why don't you stop dressin' me up like a mailman, annnd making me dance for you while you go and smoke crack in your bedroom and have sex with some guy I don't even know, on my dad's bed!
    • If one considers Dr. Mephesto to be Clone Stan's father (after all he seems to view his fellow creation Kevin as his adopted son), he's not a very attentive father. He gives up on him as soon as he creates him for just having one ass, calls him a beast and a disgrace, and later shoots him in the head with no fanfare.
  • Academic Alpha Bitch: Kyle and Terrance Mephesto are both A+ students who have a massive competitive streak.
    Terrance: I bet I can genetically clone a whole human being before you crossbreed and elephant and a pig.
    Kyle: I'll bet you can't.
    Terrance: Watch me plebeian.
    Mr. Garrison: Well, spank my ass and call me Charlie. Isn't this exciting, two A+ students in a cloning war.
  • Apathetic Teacher: Mr. Garrison stops caring about Stan's black eye when it's revealed it was his sister who caused it, and encourages the cloning war between Kyle and Terrance instead of putting a stop to it before it escalates.
    Mr. Garrison: Okay Kyle, we're ready to see your science project.
    Kyle: Well, our pig hasn't given birth yet, but she should anytime now.
    Mr. Garrison: Oh, well then I guess you get an 'F'.
  • Affably Evil: Dr. Mephesto is not above stealing other people's blood for some underhanded experiments, but he's always unfailingly polite to everyone he meets, and atones for the ruckus his clone made by killing him and taking full responsibility for it, even when it went against his son's wishes.
  • Alas, Poor Villain: The Evil Stan Clone might have been unstable and chaotic, and he wrecked havoc across the town; but getting unceremoniously shot in the head by her creator for seeing him as a freak of humanity was uncalled for, especially after he had shown to have memories of his other self's life and was initially willing to calm down and join the boys. Dr. Mephesto doesn't get any pleasure from putting him down and Terrance shouts a Big "NO!" when he dies (if only because now he doesn't have a clone for the science project).
  • Anti-Hero: Despite being a vicious and relentless bully, Shelley puts an end to the unstable clone's rampage by knocking him out, and later sticks up for Stan when his parents accuse him of being the perpetrator of the rampage.
  • Awesome, but Impractical: Managing to add asses to animals is quite a feat, but good luck finding an use for it.
    Mephesto: It's thanks to the wonders of genetic engineering that soon there will be an end to hunger, disease, pollution, even war. I have created things that will change the world for the better. For instance, here is a monkey with four asses.
    Kyle: [to Stan] How does that make the world better?
  • Bad Liar: All things considered, Stan isn't very good at playing the innocent card.
    Shelley: Are you staring at my neck-brace?
    Stan: No, I mean, yes, I mean, what neck-brace?
  • Behind the Black: The reveal that Kyle has an elephant is done like this. Before, there's only the slight evidence of Kyle holding a leash, but then Stan draws attention to it and the camera pans to reveal the elephant standing beside them.
  • Benevolent Boss: Terrance Mephesto might be a piece of work, but he credits Bill and Fosse before him in his project of the five-assed-monkey, and is never shown scolding them for their stupidity.
  • The Berserker: Stan's clone is an almost mindless brute with one arm capable of toppling cars and flinging people around like rats.
  • Bestiality Is Depraved: When Fluffy gives birth at the end of the episode, the piglet resembles Mr. Garrison more than it does an elephant. Mr. Garrison immediately awards the boys first prize in an attempt to divert attention away from himself.
  • Big Bad: Stan's clone when he breaks free and starts rampaging through the town.
  • Big "NO!": Terrance when Dr. Mephesto deems his clone too unstable to live and kills him, leaving him without a project for the science fair.
  • Big Sister Bully: Shelley to Stan, though her abuse is so over the top that it comes across as Comedic Sociopathy.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Shelley is this in front of her parents according to Stan.
    Stan: My parents don't even believe that she beats me up. They think she's all innocent and sweet, but I know that she's an evil bitch!
  • Black Is Bigger in Bed: Implied with Chef when the titular event occurs.
    Chef: Now I know how all those white women felt.
  • Book Dumb: Cartman was already this before, but here it's revealed that he never got higher than a D.
  • Book Smart: Both Kyle and Terrance are revealed to be A+ students according to Garrison.
  • Boom, Headshot!: Granted, most of Stan's clone is a head, but this is how Mephesto kills him after vowing not to play with nature anymore.
  • Bowdlerization:
    • Along with the change in title (see below in Censored Title), a scene was cut that involved Shelley lighting Stan on fire and soaking him with a bucket of water (only to repeat the actions twice more). It was removed so late in production that a puddle still inexplicably appears underneath Stan after she's thrown him. Comedy Central censors had ordered the scene cut out of fear of a repeat of the Beavis And Butthead-"little kid plays with fire and his parents blame the show for it" controversy. The missing scene has been shown on some overseas cuts of the show and has cropped up once or twice on YouTube, but it's currently missing. The HD remaster (which is the version shown on HBO Max) doesn't reinstate the scene and instead removes the inexplicable puddle.
    • In Canada, when this episode aired on the Global Television Network (which was the first Canadian network to air the show), Mr. Garrison negatively mentioning German people was cut out. In Much airings in the early 2020s, the words "retarded" and "retard" were bleeped out.
  • Braces of Orthodontic Overkill: Shelley got headgear at the dentist before the events of the episode. It's apparently the reason why she's so irritated all the time.
  • Break the Cutie: After all he goes through, Stan is finally driven to tears when he's blamed for the rampage his clone caused, with his friends ditching him and the entire town searching for him.
    Stan: It isn't fair! Everybody hates me! The whole town wants me killed! Mom and dad are gonna send me away! I don't want to be sent away! I want to stay here! (Starts sobbing)
  • The Bully:
    • Shelley cements herself as the biggest one in the series by dropping a TV on Stan for staring at her headgear.
    • Also Terrance Mephesto, Bill and Fosse for the boys.
  • Butt-Monkey:
    • Stan is punched in the face, thrown down a flight of stairs, flung around like a ragdoll, dropped a TV on his head, thrown out a window, set on fire and doused repeatedly (though that was deleted the puddle of water remained), and ran over with a lawnmower by his sister. He's also nearly framed for the rampage his clone caused.
    • Pip gets made fun of by the boys at the cafeteria for his accent, and later has the contents of his lunch sprayed all over him by Terrance Mephesto's severed cloned foot.
  • But Liquor Is Quicker: Subverted. The boys initially try to get the elephant and pig to mate by just getting them drunk. While the animals do end up getting pretty drunk, nothing seems to be happening. Chef explains to them that it isn't enough, and proceeds to sing, along with Elton John, to get them in the mood.
  • Call-Back: Once again, Kyle leaves a family member (his pet elephant this time) at the bus stop when they can't make it into the bus.
  • Censored Title: The original production title was "An Elephant Fucks a Pig," but Comedy Central ordered it to be toned down. Trey Parker and Matt Stone expressed annoyance with the change in the early introduction for the episode (seen on both the 1998 VHS and the 2002 Season 1 DVD).
  • Cloud Cuckoolander: Dr. Mephesto is a more polite and refined example than most, but still applies.
    Chef: Hey, you're that crazy cracker from up on the hill.
    Mephesto: Sir, if making mutant animals spliced with humans is crazy... then... uhhhhh... hmmm... oh, nevermind.
  • Competition Freak: Kyle and Terrance both turn their science fair project into a full-blown cloning war. Terrance especially since he prioritizes his clone over the safety of South Park. Kyle doesn't fair any better, using Cartman's pig to fuck his elephant and create a pot-bellied elephant, prioritizing it over Stan getting framed for the ruckus his clone caused. Notably, the first thing Kyle does when Cartman tells him about his pig is to try and compare the advantages of his elephant over Cartman's pig.
  • Cooked to Death: Kenny is flung into Stan's microwave by Stan's clone and is cooked up. By the time they're done with the clone business, Kenny is burnt to a crisp.
  • Co-Dragons: Bill and Fosse are revealed to be this for Terrance Mephesto.
  • Death of a Child: Kenny is burnt to a crisp in Stan's microwave, and Stan's clone is shot through the head by Mephesto. Neither are seemingly noticed by Stan's parents, despite both occurring in Stan's house.
  • Dirty Coward: Cartman talks up a big game about beating up Shelley, only to pin his insult on Kenny when she reveals she heard him boast.
  • Disproportionate Retribution: All Stan needs to do to trigger Shelley's violent side is stare at her headgear and neck-brace respectively. Sometimes he doesn't even need to do that.
  • Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: Zig-Zagged. The kids at school feel bad for Stan's abuse...until they find out his sister beat him up and either make fun of him, don't believe him, or, in the case of Mr. Garrison, tell him to stop being a wuss — never mind that Shelley is a violent psychopath. However, Garrison was willing to show worry at the probability that it may have been Stan's mother who beat him, so the ridicule is less about the abuser being a woman and more about her being a twelve-year-old girl.
  • The Dreaded:
    • Shelley. Stan is too scared to return home because of her, and his friends are also scared shitless of her, with Cartman's boastful attitude crumbling when she's within earshot, and Kenny shuddering when she appears.
    • Also Ms. Crabtree as well, one of the few women whom Cartman obeys unconditionally out of fear.
    Cartman: If a woman ever gave me crap, I'd say, "Hey, you go do my laundry and-"
    Ms. Crabtree: SIT DOWN KID!!!
    Cartman: Yes ma'am.
  • Early-Installment Weirdness:
    • In this and a few other episodes, Kyle is the one to recite both catchphrases after Kenny's death. Although, Stan was a little busy at the time.
    • Randy and Sharon taking Shelley at her word while believing Stan to be the troublemaker. Future seasons will imply that Stan is the favorite and that Shelley is lashing out for Randy and Sharon's lack of attention. However, Stan also became a lot more mature as the seasons went on, while Shelley became more of a Bratty Teenage Daughter, implying that this change was gradual.
    • The mentally handicapped kids are different than the ones shown in Crippled Summer and onwards, and DogPoo and a kid resembling Kenny's brother Kevin can also be seen on the special ed bus, when later episodes would not have any signs of the two of them being mentally impaired outside of some alcoholism problems with the latter.
    • Kyle having a pet elephant. He does make recurring cameos as a framed photograph in his room in future episodes, but he's never seen again after his debut here, unlike Cartman's pig who makes it all the way to season 4 before vanishing as well.
    • Kevin Stoley is referred to by the name "Casey," while the storyboards for season 1 had identified him as "Sky."
    • During one of his rants, Cartman mentions his mom "having sex with some guy I don't even know, on my dad's bed," indicating that at this stage the creators still envisioned Cartman having a father, as he did in the unaired pilot. This was later changed in the season finale to Cartman not knowing who his dad is, and the creators indicating in one of the official website's Q&A articles that in this episode Cartman was just ranting aimlessly, without any real clue what he was talking about — which, fortunately, he actually did in enough other Season 1 episodes (most notably his rant about rainbows biting the inside of his ass in "Weight Gain 4000") that it can be written off as just some early quirk of Cartman's rather than an actual Continuity Snarl.
    • Mr. Garrison hated Germans rather than Mexicans or Canadians. Not that hating Germans would be out-of-character for Garrison in later seasons, but they're not the main target of his bigotry. At the same time, it's Mr. Hat who says it, which considering how much the two argue, might not be indicative of Garrison's personality.
    • Unlike the later seasons, the kids don't take off their gloves when inside buildings.
  • Establishing Character Moment:
    • The first thing we see Shelley do is confront Stan, accusing him of staring at her headgear, and beating the tar out of him when he fumbles over his answer, showing how her insecurities manifest in lashing out at his younger brother.
    • Even though she doesn't physically appear, this is where the first hints of Ms. Cartman's promiscuity are established.
    • Sharon's reaction to Stan supposedly destroying the town also foreshadows her role in The Movie and several episodes.
      Sharon: Are you on drugs?
  • Even Evil Has Standards:
    • Shelley might be a violent psychopath, but she shows genuine hesitation when Stan tells her that he loves her in an attempt to stop her from caving his face in. It doesn't work, and a deleted scene shows that she overcompensated for this moment of weakness, but still counts. It comes up again when she sees him cry over the fear of being sent away by his parents for the destruction caused by his clone, and sticks up for him by saying that he was with her the whole time, saving him from being punished (even if she later administers him a punishment of her own).
    • Terrance Mephesto might not have any sympathy for South Park, but he's the only one who is outright angry when Stan's clone is unceremoniously killed by his father.
  • Everyone Has Standards: Kyle's competitive streak makes him act very selfishly, but he's not as bad as Terrance.
    • Though he's not above using her as a guinea pig, Kyle assures Cartman that Fluffy won't be hurt during the research, as he thought back then that all he needed was a blood sample.
    • Happy as he was to get Fluffy and his elephant to make love, he's not happy to see the end result.
    • He's also somewhat shocked when Stan's clone is shot and killed, despite it essentially ensuring his victory since it was Terrance's project.
  • Evil Counterpart: Shelley is this for Kyle as well: Both are Big Sibling Bullies to another character who kick their younger and weaker siblings around, occasionally breaking furniture along the way, but who always stick by them when they're in big trouble. However, Kyle is a Troll who likes to play "kick the baby" with his baby brother, while Shelley is a Sadist who despises her brother and takes all her anger out on him. At the same time, Ike is Made of Iron who always avoids getting hurt by Kyle and seems to have his fun with being kicked around, and who idolizes him in spite of it all; while Stan's beatings always leave him with lasting injuries that carry on to the next school-day, and he's borderline terrified of his sister.
  • Foil:
    • Terrance is this for Kyle: Both are competitive, academic kids who are Wise Beyond Their Years and who pick on the kids they consider to be dumber than them (Cartman for Kyle; Kyle himself for Terrance), but Kyle is still openly childish and has no problem joining his friends in their more immature activities, only showcasing his intellect when the situation calls for it, while Terrance is boastful and seems to take great pride in his intellect, only showing his real immaturity when he doesn't get his way. Furthermore, Kyle is Vitriolic Best Buds with his friends, while Terrance is the undisputed leader of his gang, and seems to be respectful of them to boot. Finally, Terrance has No Sympathy for the town of South Park, while Kyle still (somewhat) loves his home despite being disillusioned with its townsfolk.
    • Though both are abused genetic copies of the same person, Stan's clone is this for Stan himself, being a mindless brute who takes every drawback extremely seriously and deals with his troubles by lashing out at others, while Stan is a (comparatively) more mature yet inoffensive kid who often endures his plights and bounces back easily, and who tries to learn from his experiences. Furthermore, Stan is an Animal Lover, while the first thing the clone does is kill a four-assed frog.
    • Dr. Mephesto is one to Big Gay Al, as they're both affable but loony individuals who work closely with animals and dote on them, but while Big Gay Al is the head of a gay animal sanctuary, Mephesto is a genetic engineer who splices animals together to make other "better" ones. Furthermore, Big Gay Al is a flamboyant Nice Guy, while Mephesto is a reserved no-nonsense Affably Evil scientist. Finally, Stan looks up to Big Gay Al, but thinks Mephesto is crazy.
  • Freudian Excuse:
    • This episode goes a long way in explaining some of Stan's Troubling Unchildlike Behavior. As if the whole ordeal with his uncle wasn't enough, here it's revealed that he's scared to be home because he's routinely beaten up and tortured by his older sister, who also has Parental Favoritism on her side.
    • Cartman's Stay in the Kitchen remarks likely stem from his mother or Mr. Garrison's influence, likely the former considering how his last one almost comes across as blatant projection.
    • While it doesn't justify her behavior here, it's all but stated that Shelley suffers from a poor self-image, which is only accentuated by her unappealing headgear and neckbrace. The fact that Stan has shown himself in previous episodes to be very insensitive and unempathetic towards others also adds more credence to her disdain of him.
    • Stan's clone is born with his creator disowning him for having only one ass, and trying to have him destroyed. His rampages all stem from Poor Communication Kills since he doesn't have any experience in the outside world.
      Clone Stan: Me bad?
  • Good Parents: Sketchy as he can be, Dr. Mephesto is a very attentive parent to Terrance, and creates his clone only so that he can win his science fair contest. He also lent him his four-assed monkey (with an extra ass to boot) when he was forced to kill the clone because it was too unstable.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper:
    • It takes very little to tick Shelley off. Staring at her headgear or neckbrace and acting sappy around her is the best way to earn yourself a beating.
    • Clone Stan makes a brutal rampage after someone calls him "bad". Sometimes he only has to think you called him bad to lose his mind.
  • Hate Sink:
    • Shelley is a violent Big Sister Bully who makes Stan terrified of being at home alone, rightfully so. She's so cruel to him that one of her scenes had to be cut because it was too violent. Her only Pet the Dog moment (sticking up for him in front of his parents when they blame him for the mayhem his clone caused) is done to ensure that he keeps on being hers to torment. Though she has some comical moments (due to how over-the-top her torturing of Stan is), she's one of the most detestable characters in the entire first season.
    • Terrance Mephesto is the insufferable son of Dr. Mephesto, who forces his father to create him a human clone just to upstage Kyle's "pot-bellied elephant" idea, taking every opportunity he has to rub his progress on Kyle's face. When his father deems the clone too unstable to use, Terrance throws a fit and releases it, causing it to wreck havoc on the town. When confronted by his father, Terrance says that "they're all stupid anyway" and goes off to try and take back his clone.
  • Heel Realization: Dr. Mephesto has one upon seeing first-hand the destruction his latest creation caused.
    Terrance: Hey, they've got our clone. He belongs to us.
    Mephesto: No son, this beast is a disgrace to genetic engineers everywhere. Boys, I'm sorry I've caused you such - inconvenience. I tried to play God, and I failed. [shoots Clone Stan through the head].
    Terrance: Daddy! Nooooo!
    Mephesto: All I ever wanted was to genetically engineer something useful, but I failed. Perhaps we shouldn't be toying with God's creations. Perhaps we should just leave nature alone, to its simple one assed schematics.
  • Hidden Depths: Despite seemingly coming across as a mindless brute, Clone Stan recognizes his genetic template, implying he shares some memories with him, and was eager to meet his sister. He also shows some remorse for his rampages when Stan calms him down.
  • Hot Skitty-on-Wailord Action: The crux of the boys' story is that they want to breed an elephant with a potbellied pig in order to make a pig-sized elephant that you can more easily keep as a pet. After a bit of difficulty, they are able to get the two animals to mate and the pig does indeed bear offspring...but it ends up looking more like Mr. Garrison for some reason.
  • Housepet Pig: Fluffy is one for Cartman, as her poop was small and easier to clean than Kyle's elephant's.
  • Hybridization Plot: Kyle gets the idea to crossbreed his newly-acquired Elephant's DNA with Cartman's pot-bellied pig, Fluffy's DNA. The apparent aim is to create a species of tiny elephant called a pot-bellied elephant that's much smaller than Kyle's own. It even becomes his project for their genetic engineering science class. At the end of the episode though, Fluffy the pig gives birth, but the piglet looks more like Mr. Garrison than it does an elephant.
  • Hypocritical Humor: Cartman makes fun of Stan for getting beaten up by a girl throughout the episode, and goes on numerous diatribes about what he'd do if a girl ever tried to pick a fight with him. But when Shelley hears one of his rants and furiously demands to know who said it, rather than boldly confront her as he claims he would, Cartman instead fearfully points at Kenny.
  • Ignored Aesop: Shelley did not buy into the "family aesop".
    Stan: Shelly, you, you saved my life. And yet, you've done so much more than that. Today you've taught me the meaning of family. Sure, families don't always get along, but when the forces of evil descend upon us, we conquer them, by sticking together [Shelly begins beating the crap out of Stan].
  • Intercourse with You: As usual, Chef's song "Love Gravy" is about this. This time it's more appropriate than the others, since he's trying to get Fluffy and Kyle's elephant in the mood.
  • Interspecies Romance: The boys want to create an elephant/pig hybrid. Eventually they get a Mr. Garrison/pig hybrid.
  • It's All About Me: Both Competition Freaks once the cloning war starts.
    • When informed of the instability of the clone, Terrance Mephesto just complains that he needs it for the science fair the next day and releases it, causing it to wreck havoc on the town. When confronted by his father, Terrance dismisses the event and runs off to find the clone.
    • Kyle callously uses Cartman's pig for his project against Cartman's will, drags everyone to Dr. Mephesto's lab for research (which gets Stan cloned), and ditches Stan to check on Fluffy when the entire town was blaming him for the destruction the clone caused.
  • I Am Very British: Pip, though Cartman mistakes him for French.
    Pip: 'Ello gentlemen, any of you blokes know what's for lunch today? Lunchy munchies, hmmm?
  • Jerkass:
    • Shelley torments Stan for the flimsiest of reasons, and taunts him about his perpetual status as the runt of the litter.
      Shelley: You'll never be bigger than me, Stan. NEVER!
    • Cartman makes fun of Stan for being beaten by his sister and throws out tirade after tirade of sexist statements whenever he can, only to fold like a paper towel and pin it all on Kenny when a girl stronger than him overhears him. He also bullies Pip at the cafeteria for his accent and tells him that nobody likes him.
    • Terrance Mephesto is a Spoiled Brat who takes all the time he can to rub his newly created clone on the boys' face, and later shrugs off the potential destruction of South Park when he accidentally unleashes his clone on the town.
    • Mr. Garrison shrugs off Stan's abuse problems, encourages Kyle and Terrance to escalate their cloning war, and it's later revealed that he had sex with Cartman's pig.
  • Jerkass Has a Point:
    • Cartman is quite abrasive about it, but he's correct that Kyle (and to a lesser extent Stan and Kenny) have no right using his pig for their experiment.
    • After accidentally unleashing Stan's clone unto South Park, Terrance Mephesto simply dismisses everyone in town as stupid and shows no remorse for the havoc it causes. Irresponsible as this is, this is the same town that prioritized being on TV over an attempted assassination and a volcano threat, so his disdain for them isn't unwarranted. Future seasons will prove him even more right in hindsight. He also ends up being correct in that he would manage to clone a human being before Kyle would ever crossbreed an elephant and a pig. The only reason why he doesn't manage to present it is because his father shot the clone before the science fair project could take place.
  • Hidden Depths: Shelley seems to be an avid watcher of Jesus and Pals.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Jerk:
    • Shelley steps in to defend Stan when his parents think he caused the rampage, only to proceed to beat him up again moments later.
    • Despite initially showing concern over Stan's injury, Mr. Garrison quickly loses all sympathy for him when he takes away his cocoa and tells him to stop wasting his time upon learning that it's his sister who beats him.
  • Karma Houdini:
    • Shelley never gets caught or punished for beating up and torturing Stan, nor does she see the error of her ways. The episode ends with her still continuing to bully him with no signs of that stopping anytime soon.
    • Though he loses his human clone and loses the science fair against Kyle, Terrance doesn't face any onscreen punishment for releasing the unstable Stan clone, causing it to spread mayhem on South Park and almost getting Stan arrested for it. He even gets a five-assed monkey for the contest (which loses).
    • Garrison is never caught for having sex with Cartman's pig and getting her pregnant, saving face by immediately electing the offspring as the winner of the science fair in exchange for the boys not asking any questions.
  • Karma Houdini Warranty: Stan's clone's rampage isn't all unwarranted.
  • Kids Are Cruel:
    • 12-year-old Shelley beats up Stan, throws him down a flight of stairs, smashes a TV on his face, runs him over with a lawnmower, and in a deleted scene, sets him on fire and douses him.
    • The boys kicking Pip out their queue at the cafeteria, mocking Cartman's love for his pig, and then ditching Stan to face the consequences of his town-destroying clone. Cartman takes it a step further by making fun of Stan for being beaten by his sister.
    • Terrance Mephesto, Bill, and Fosse constantly rubbing his progress of the former's human clone in their faces, and later releasing the clone into the town after Dr. Mephesto tells him they can't keep it.
  • Misplaced Retribution: According to Stan, the reason Shelley is so harsh with him this episode is because she's upset that she got headgear at the dentist.
  • Morality Pet: Fluffy for Cartman. Compared to how he treats Mr. Kitty and most people, his pig is the only being whom he treats with consistent and undevoted kindness throughout the entire first season. He also gets a lot more aggressive than usual when someone insults her.
    Cartman: It's okay Fluffy, I won't let them hurt you.
  • Motor Mouth: One of the reasons the boys don't like Pip.
    Pip: Well, my father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name being Phillip, my infant tongue...
    Cartman: God Damnit, would you shut the hell up?! Nobody gives a rat's ass.'
  • Nice Guy: Clyde is the only kid to clap at every science project.
  • Noodle Incident: When did Mr. Garrison have sex with Cartman's pet pig? Why did he do it? And how was he able to do so without Cartman ever finding out?
  • No Sympathy: Dr. Mephesto doesn't see his creations as human, so he doesn't blink when shooting his latest one in the head in front of the children.
  • Oh, Crap!: Both Fluffy and Kyle's elephant when they realize that they've had sex.
  • Paper Tiger: Cartman talks big game about kicking Shelley, Kyle, and women, but every time the situation calls for it, he either folds, bails, or frames Kenny. He also repeatedly states that he won't let the boys use his pig to splice with Kyle's elephant, only to let them do exactly that.
  • Pet the Dog:
    • Cartman is very concerned about Fluffy's well-being throughout the episode, and he's not okay with the boys' attempt to get her to mate with an elephant. He also pets her often, never scolds her onscreen like he does Mr. Kitty, and congratulates her on her piglet, even though it wasn't what he was expecting it to be.
    • It's subtle, but the boys notice and question Stan's black eye before Kyle's elephant.
    • Despite her apparent hatred for kids, Ms. Crabtree is surprisingly nice to Kyle's elephant when she mistakes him for "the new retarded kid", politely telling "her" to take the special ed bus.
    • Though it's quickly overshadowed by what comes later, Mr. Garrison was initially concerned about Stan coming to school with a black eye when he thought he was being abused by either of his parents.
    • Shelly sticking up for Stan when his parents were blaming him for the destruction caused by his clone. It's mitigated later when it's revealed that she only did so to keep him as her personal punching bag.
  • Police Are Useless: From his post, Barbrady doesn't seem to have noticed the rampage started by Stan's clone, nor does he do anything after being flung into a pond by the creature.
  • Politically Incorrect Hero:
    • Mr. Garrison (or at least Mr. Hat) apparently views German people as some of God's mistakes.
    • Also Kyle and Cartman for different reasons.
    Cartman: Hey! Why don't you go back to San Francisco with the rest of the Jews?!
    Kyle: There's no Jews in San Francisco, you retard!
  • Recycled Animation: Footage from Cartman Gets an Anal Probe is reused when the boys are talking to Pip at the cafeteria. To be fair, this is a scene that was not used in the version of "Cartman Gets An Anal Probe" that aired on television. However, given that CGAAP is (to this day) the only episode of South Park to actually be made with construction paper, the difference in animation between this scene and the remainder of this episode is pretty jarring. The HD remaster of the episode features a digitally-remade version of the scene. However, since the characters are traced from the pilot footage, the scene still stands out from the rest of the episode.
  • Right for the Wrong Reasons: Before Terrance released the clone, Dr. Mephesto advised him that it would be unstable, but he believed the reason was that it only had one ass.
  • The Scapegoat: Stan is blamed for the destruction his clone caused, (even though he's significantly larger than him) with Jimbo, and Garrison both telling Stan's parents that it was him.
  • Shipper with an Agenda: The boys, with Chef's help, try to set up Cartman's pig with Kyle's elephant, in the hopes that they make a pot-bellied elephant offspring that they can use for their science project and to get rich.
  • Shout-Out: The final line, "That'll do, pig" is from the classic Babe, a favorite of Parker and Stone.
  • Straw Misogynist: In response to Stan getting beat by a girl, Cartman always responds with sexist statements, though he never acts on his claims.
    Cartman: I would never let a woman kick my ass. If she tried anything, I'd be like, "hey, you get your bitch ass back in the kitchen, and make me some pie!"

    Cartman: Be a man Stan. Just say, "Hey woman, ye-you shut your mouth and make babies."

    Cartman: If a woman ever gave me crap, I'd say, "Hey, you go do my laundry and-"

    Cartman: Yeah, if some sissy chick tried to kick my ass, I'd be all like, "Hey, listen, missy, eh, yewhy don't you go knit me sweater before I slap you in the face!"

    Cartman: Yeah, if some girl tried to kick my ass, I'd be like, "hey, why don't you stop dressin' me up like a mailman, annnd making me dance for you while you go and smoke crack in your bedroom and have sex with some guy I don't even know, on my dad's bed!"

  • Strange Minds Think Alike: Mephesto and Chef think of the same Loverboy song that apparently goes "Pig and Elephant DNA just won't splice."
  • Tempting Fate: After receiving his daily beating, Stan tells Shelley that one day he will be bigger than her and make her pay, and she taunts him that this will never be the case. As this is happening, Stan's clone (who doubles her in side) escapes his compound and is used by Stan to beat her up. It's eventually Subverted as she effortlessly subdues the clone anyway, much to Stan's chagrin.
  • They Killed Kenny Again: Kenny dies when he's thrown into the microwave by Stan's mutant clone and is burnt to a crisp.
  • Troubling Unchildlike Behavior:
    • Terrance Mephesto not only shouldn't be toying with genetically engineered creatures, but him releasing one of said creatures into the town and dismissing it because "they're all stupid anyway" should raise a few eyebrows to his father. Unfortunately, this is Dr. Mephesto we're talking about.
    • The boys getting an elephant and a pig drunk so that they can have sex and make a pot-bellied elephant offspring.
    • Casey (later renamed Kevin Stoley) bringing weed to the class doesn't even raise an eyebrow from Mr. Garrison.
  • Uncatty Resemblance: A minor example: Kyle, the smartest, most stubborn of the group, has a pet elephant; while Cartman, the bratty, dirty, gluttonous, fat kid has a pet pig.
  • Unusually Uninteresting Sight:
    • The boys start talking about Stan's eye before anyone draws attention to the fact that Kyle has a pet elephant beside him.
      Stan: Hey, Kyle. What's that elephant doing?
      Kyle: You mean this one?
      Stan: Yeah.
    • When Stan is thrown out the window and falls near Kyle and the others, Kyle's reaction is "ready to go, Stan?" and the group continues their quest like normal.
    • Pretty much everything seems to be this for Mephesto.
      Mephesto: Oh thank Buddha I found you boys. You must tell me, have you seen anything odd lately?
      Stan: Uh, we saw an elephant have sex with a pig.
      Mephesto: No, no, I said odd.
  • Unusual Pets for Unusual People:
    • Granted, as far as the town goes he's pretty normal, but Child Prodigy Kyle Broflovski owns a pet elephant.
    • Dr. Mephesto has at least a four-assed monkey, a four-assed ostrich, a four-assed mongoose, a four-assed frog, and several rat-ducks, gorilla-mosquitoes, and bunnyfish.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Mephesto creating the unstable Clone Stan, which his son promptly releases into the town.
  • Villain Killer: Dr. Mephesto shoots Clone Stan in the head.
  • With Friends Like These...:
    • After Stan's clone destroys the town, Kyle and Cartman leave Stan to be blamed for the destruction, showing no concern for his situation.
      Stan: Mom and dad are home. My house is a disaster, you guy- you guys have got to help me.
      Cartman: I ain't helpin' crap! I want to eat some paeh.
      Stan: You can't just leave me here alone.
      Cartman: Oh yeah, watch me. [Zips away.]
      Kyle: Yeah Stan, we have to go find out if Cartman's pig is pregnant or not. See ya. [Leaves.]
      Stan: [sarcastically] Thanks a lot!
    • Cartman framing Kenny for the sexist tirade he threw earlier, leaving him to be possibly beaten up by Shelley.
    • Kyle and Stan using Fluffy as a guinea pig for the former's experiment against Cartman's protests, and rubbing his love for the pig on his face.
      Cartman: It's okay Fluffy, I won't let them hurt you.
      Kyle: It's just a stupid pig.
      Stan: Yeah, quit being such a baby.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: It's unclear what happened to Terrance's sentient cloned foot before he upgraded to a full human clone, though it's possible it ran off or was destroyed by Dr. Mephesto.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Dr. Mephesto genuinely wants to make the world a better place with his creations, but he's not above "toying with God's creations" in order to do so.
  • Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds:
    • Seems to be the case with Stan's clone, having similar memories as his genetic template. It's probably not a coincidence that his main targets are Mr. Garrison, Jimbo's store, and Shelley. Despite this, he isn't very good at communicating this.
      Newscaster Tom: It appears that the horrible, destructive creature is actually eight-year old Stan Marsh of South Park. When asked why he was wreaking so much havoc on his home town, the little boy replies simply, "Me Stan, ba-chomp, ba-chewy-chomp, ba-chewy-chomp". Back to you in the studio.
    • Also Stan himself to a lesser extent, being willing to use the clone to beat up Shelley as revenge for all the years of humiliation.
  • Would Hurt a Child:
    • Mephesto pricks Stan with a syringe to get a blood sample for his clone, and later shoots said clone through the head.
    • After the destruction his clone caused, The South Park police apparently requested to kill 8-year old Stan Marsh and burn his body.

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