South Park - Episode 0310 - Original Air Date: 03rd November 1999.
This South Park episode was write by Trey Parker.
This South Park episode was Emmy-nominated.
When the children of South Park become obsessed with the latest Japanese toy phenomenon Chinpokomon, the adult citizens of South Park start to question the motivation behind it. But the marketing blitz is too great, causing the gang to run out and buy the figurines and the video game, culminating in a Chinpoko Mon camp with brainwashing effects. The town decides that the only way to stop what appears to be a Japanese take-over of the U.S.A. is to turn the kids on to the next big thing.
When Kyle's mom, Sharon says: "We know how to take 'em out Mr. Garrison, spread the word. Get on the wire to every parent around the country and tell them how to bring those sons of bitches down!" This line is a spoof on the 1994 film “Independence Day,” starring Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum.
Kyle dies by getting a seizure from the Chinpokomon video game and spends most of the episode catatonic; explodes at the end.
South Park Spoiler Alert!
(The complete plot for this South Park Episode)
The children of South Park become obsessed with an animated Japanese cartoon, Chinpokomon. The cartoon features overt embedded marketing to encourage consumption of Chinpokomon related merchandise. Unbeknownst to the parents, Chinpokomon products all contain anti-American sentiments and converting south park kids to Japanese kids soldiers.Kyle is originally oblivious to the fad, and as its popularity increases he reluctantly attempts to keep up-to-date to avoid ridicule from his friends. Unfortunately, the merchandise lineup is so extensive that he is always one step behind. Meanwhile, the boys make plans to attend the official Chinpokomon camp, which is actually a front for a recruit training boot camp designed by the Japanese government to train and brainwash the kids into becoming soldiers for an upcoming attack on Pearl Harbor. As the adults start to become aware of the scheme, the Japanese distract them by telling them that Americans have "huge p**ises" (the chinpo in Chinpokomon) compared to the Japanese, a tactic that works surprisingly well against the male characters.
The parents start to suspect the nonsensical cartoon is dangerous, as "stupidity can be worse than vulgarity and violence" and compare it to Battle of the Network Stars. Sheila Broflofski suggests it is just another harmless fad. This is juxtaposed with the truth of the fad's influence, which has turned the children into brainwashed soldiers and left Kenny in trance-like state after an epileptic seizure caused from playing the Chinpokomon video game.
Becoming increasingly concerned, the parents attempt to defuse the fad's popularity by trying to manufacture new fads: The "Wild Wacky Action Bike", a plastic glow-in-the-dark bike that cannot be steered, and "Alabama Man", an abusive, alcoholic, redneck action figure that comes with a bowling alley play-set and a redneck wife to use as a punching bag.
As the boys march through the town with Emperor Hirohito, even President Bill Clinton will not act against the invasion as he too has fallen for the "incredibly large p**is" trick. Finally, the parents hit upon the idea of using reverse psychology, pretending to be Chinpokomon fans themselves — figuring that whatever they like their children will immediately dislike. The trick works, and all the children except Kyle instantly lose all interest. Kyle claims that if he stops liking Chinpokomon now, he will be following the crowd, so he prepares to leave in a fighter jet to bomb Pearl Harbor. A heart-felt and contradictory speech by Stan confuses him into reluctantly getting off the plane.
The group decide to avoid fads for a while, and Kenny is discovered to have been dead for some time, as evidenced when his body explodes, unleashing a large number of rats.