Death (South Park) - Cultural References and Impact

Cultural References and Impact

"Death" introduced several characters who would maintain important recurring roles throughout the rest of the series. Among them were Sheila Broflovski (then known as Carol) and Grandpa Marvin Marsh. Sheila and Gerald Broflovski, Kyle's parents, were named after Stone's parents, although he insists the characters are nothing like his real parents. Marvin Marsh was not based on any real-life person, but Parker and Stone wanted to create a rude and unlikeable grandfather character because they felt most elderly people were portrayed as sweet and lovable on television. Originally, they wanted Marvin Marsh to be known as the "molesting grandpa" who kept making sexual comments to Stan and attempting to play inappropriate games with him, but Comedy Central refused to allow it, which Parker said was "probably the right call". Terrance and Philip are loosely based on Parker and Stone themselves, and were also inspired by the Itchy & Scratchy characters from The Simpsons, as well as the protagonists from the MTV cartoon Beavis and Butt-head. Although "Death" marked the first appearance of Terrance and Philip, Parker said the duo "took on a life of their own". They made frequent appearances throughout the rest of the series, and played a major role in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.

The episode refers to Jack Kevorkian, the right-to-die activist best known for his advocacy of Physician-assisted suicide, although Kyle mistakenly refers to him as "Jack Leborkian". When Terrance and Philip is canceled in "Death", it is replaced by She's the Sheriff, a sitcom starring actress Suzanne Somers. The Cartoon Central network in "Death" is based on Comedy Central, the real-life television network that broadcasts South Park. John Warsog, the man who runs Cartoon Central in "Death", is based on Doug Herzog, the Comedy Central executive who was responsible for bringing South Park to the network. Herzog was excited to be featured in the episode and enjoyed the portrayal. During one scene, Stan's grandfather locks him in a room and plays music by the Irish vocalist Enya as a form of torture to show Stan what it's like to be his age, and convince Stan to kill him. The Enya-style song in "Death" is sung by Toddy Walters, who played protagonist Polly Pry in Trey Parker's 1996 film, Cannibal! The Musical. "Death" marked the first appearance of Snacky Cakes, one of Cartman's favorite snack foods.