South Park - Episode 0311 - Original Air Date: 17th November 1999.
This South Park episode was write by Trey Parker & Pam Brady and whe originally broadcast, this episode was dedicated: "In Memory, Mary Kay Bergman"
This episode begins with an alien from the planet Marklar that lands in Ethiopia, but is eaten by lions when he tries to communicate with them. Starvin' Marvin finds the abandoned ship, and goes flying into space, and back down to South Park to visit his foster parents: Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny. He takes them on a trip to the planet Marklar, and they find that the planet would be an ideal environment for Marvin's family and neighbors.
The Marklar species is a parody the Kanamits from the "Twilight Zone" episode "To Serve Man."
The 600 club is a parody of the 700 club on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
The word "marklar" sounds suspiciously similar to the Greek word "malaka", which can be heard repeatedly during most conversations of contemporary Greeks. The word's meaning varies heavily with context, expressing friendship, surprise, appreciation, anger, etc.
South Park Spoiler Alert!
(The complete plot for this South Park Episode)
This South Park episode begins with an alien landing on Earth to make first contact in the African desert. Not realizing it is facing lions, it is killed and devoured. Its ship is discovered by the people from Starvin' Marvin's village. The village is occupied by Christian missionaries led by Sister Hollis (played by Michael Ann Young), who attempt to convert the community by assuring them that their faith in Christianity will get them food, prompting Marvin to board the ship in search of a place free of missionaries to relocate his people. Meanwhile, the American government, having found out about this spaceship and wanting it for themselves, track down the boys and torture them by making scraping noises on a balloon until Cartman suddenly cannot take it anymore and tells them where Starvin' Marvin might have taken it. The government then recruits Sally Struthers, whose character is depicted as looking similar to Jabba the Hutt. She is the leader of an Ethiopian food drive that is nothing more than a front for her to get all the food she wants. They offer her Chocolate Yum Yum bars in exchange.Marvin and the boys team up, and by accidentally pressing a button, they fly to the home planet of the ship's former owner, the planet Marklar, whose inhabitants speak a language that is identical to English except for the fact that every noun is replaced with the word "Marklar". The benevolent Marklar agree to allow the Ethiopians to live on their planet. Back on Earth, the boys try to round up the Ethiopians, but the government agents seize the spaceship. The boys are able to take back the spaceship, letting Marvin load his people on while the boys distract the government agents, pretending to be Tom Brokaw. The agents are easily able to see through the disguise. Despite this, they are distracted long enough to load the ship, but Kenny is lost and seized by the government agents when the boys try to make a break for it.
The boys try to make it to Marklar, but they are confronted by the missionaries, who have built their own ship and are trying to force Christianity to Marklar. During this time, Pat Robertson is shown attempting to raise funds for various absurd weapons and upgrades to aid the missionaries while in space. A space battle ensues, before the boys have to face the government agents. The agents have had Kenny frozen in carbonite and given to Sally Struthers so she can support them. Cartman convinces Sally that she has influenced the boys that they need to help people more. This touches Sally, so she lets the boys go and captures the missionary ship instead. Then, the wormhole is opened again, and all the ships are taken to Marklar.
When they arrive on Marklar, the aliens are very confused by the humans' trying to explain their motives. Kyle explains the situation in the aliens' own language, and the Marklar are touched. They banish the missionaries and let the Ethiopians stay. The boys promise to visit again (with Cartman sarcastically adding "Yeah, and maybe Jesse Jackson will be president"). Sally Struthers then takes the boys back to Earth.