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"Awesom-O"
South Park episode
Episode no.Season 8
Episode 5
Directed byTrey Parker
Written byTrey Parker
Featured music"If You Leave Me Now" by Chicago
Production code802
Original air dateApril 14, 2004 (2004-04-14)
Episode chronology
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"The Jeffersons"
South Park season 8
List of episodes

"Awesom-O" is the fifth episode in the eighth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 116th episode overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 14, 2004. It is second in the production order of season eight. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker.

In the episode, Cartman masquerades as a robot, named AWESOM-O, in an attempt to gain Butters' trust, hoping he can convince Butters to tell him secrets he can use to embarrass Butters. While Butters is thrilled to have found a new best friend, Hollywood is after the phony robot to develop their next big blockbuster and the U.S. Army believes AWESOM-O is a new secret weapon.

Plot

[edit]

Cartman plays a prank on Butters by disguising himself in a crude cardboard suit as a robot named "A.W.E.S.O.M.-O 4000" and by putting himself in a crate "from Japan" on Butters's doorstep. Cartman "befriends" Butters while in the robot suit just to discover Butters' most embarrassing secrets, which will allow Cartman to blackmail him and/or embarrass him in school. Butters falls for the trick and reveals highly embarrassing personal secrets. However, just as Cartman is about to reveal his identity, Butters mentions that he himself knows one of Cartman's secrets: Butters has a videotape of Cartman doing a Britney Spears dance routine to a life-sized cutout of Justin Timberlake while dressed as her and making out with the cutout, which Butters plans to show everyone the next time Cartman plays a prank on him.

Cartman, terrified of Butters' revenge plan, searches desperately for the tape (while still in disguise), but to no avail. Eventually, Cartman begins starving because Butters believes that Cartman does not need to eat since he is a robot. Butters also forces the robot to do all his chores for him, including some of the more unpleasant tasks. With the agreement of Ms. Cartman, who is willing to temporarily let her son off punishment for trying to exterminate the Jews two weeks prior, Butters' parents (knowing who AWESOM-O really is, but thinking it is an elaborate game that Butters is participating in) decide to let Cartman come along with Butters on a trip to Los Angeles to see his aunt. Cartman realizes that he will have to accompany Butters on the journey in order to keep up his disguise. Upon arriving, he is so hungry and worn out after wearing the suit for a whole airplane ride, so he makes up an excuse to use the bathroom and proceeds to eat toothpaste.

During their visit to Catamount Pictures, two movie producers find out about the "robot" and decide to hire him to create movie ideas. Cartman, as the robot, comes up with over two thousand terrible, nonsensical film concepts (800 of which would star Adam Sandler), which the movie producers all find brilliant. To make matters worse for Cartman, the fortune he makes from the movie ideas is donated to charity by Butters, who believes that AWESOM-O does not need the money. Meanwhile, the U.S. military hears about AWESOM-O and decides to capture it and make it into a weapon. Cartman flees the movie studio in panic after a film producer tries to engage in sexual activity with him, thinking that he may also be a "pleasure model". The military captures Cartman by shocking him and conveying him to a secret base.

Cartman tries to explain that he is really just a kid. However, the military still believes that Cartman is a robot with artificial intelligence enabling him to think like a human, going so far as to possess the memories of a nonexistent eight-year-old child. A scientist, moved by this, attempts to save Cartman, who is about to reveal that he is a human when Butters shows up to rescue Cartman. He must maintain his disguise, allowing the military to kill the rebellious scientist. Butters pleads with the military to spare AWESOM-O, and the general is touched. Just as it appears he will get off undetected, Cartman accidentally farts, and his attempts to cover it up cause everyone, including Butters, to suspect and finally discover Cartman's true identity.

Butters carries out his promise and shows the video to the whole town, the movie producers, and the military at a special screening. The whole audience laughs, except for Cartman, who is humiliated.

Production

[edit]

"Awesom-O" has one of the shortest production cycles in South Park's history, being produced in just three days while series co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone attended a wedding in Hawaii.[1] In the days leading up to the initial airing, commercials that ran on Comedy Central teased a plot that would see a return of Lemmiwinks from Season 6's The Death Camp of Tolerance in the upcoming episode. However, as the air date neared, this promo was changed to reflect the plot of "Awesom-O" instead. The episode starts with a cold open stating that the return of Lemmiwinks will "not be seen tonight" because of "tragic events in Hawaii". Lemmiwinks would later make a return in the Season 15 episode Bass to Mouth instead.

The name of Cartman's robotic alter ego is derived from Honda's ASIMO humanoid robot.[2]

The song "Let Me Tell You About My Robot Friend" sung by Butters in the episode is a parody rendering of "Girlfriend" by Harry Nilsson.

Parker and Stone have since spoken positively of the episode, selecting it as one of their 15 favorites in the show's run. Parker reflected, "We were trying to think of a situation to put a kid in that felt really original. So Cartman is trying to f--- Butters and he gets stuck in this robot costume. There are so many great Cartman/Butters episodes. That's definitely one of them." Stone highlighted the scene where "Cartman is starving and he eats toothpaste" as one of the best in the show's run.[3]

Home media

[edit]

"Awesom-O", along with the thirteen other episodes from South Park's eighth season, was released on a three-disc DVD set in the United States on August 29, 2006. The set includes brief audio commentaries by Parker and Stone for each episode.[4] The episode was also released on the 2-disc DVD collection A Little Box of Butters.[5]

References

[edit]
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Awesom-O

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"Awesom-O" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series South Park, which originally aired on April 14, 2004. In the episode, Eric Cartman disguises himself as the advanced robot A.W.E.S.O.M.-O 4000 to befriend and manipulate Butters Stotch into revealing his most embarrassing secrets, intending to use them for blackmail. However, the scheme backfires when Butters discloses knowledge of one of Cartman's own vulnerabilities—a homemade video of Cartman dancing in a Britney Spears costume—prompting Cartman to pursue Butters to Los Angeles to prevent its sale to Hollywood executives. Along the way, the episode satirizes celebrity culture, government intervention in technology, and the entertainment industry, with A.W.E.S.O.M.-O being repurposed by the U.S. military into a weaponized device. The episode, written and directed by series co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, runs for approximately 22 minutes and has received critical acclaim for its humor, reportedly completed in just three days. "Awesom-O" has since become a fan-favorite element of South Park lore, inspiring merchandise such as designer toy figures by Kidrobot and Mezco depicting the robot disguise.

Production

Development

The episode "Awesom-O" originated during a pre-season writer's retreat for the eighth season, where the central concept of Cartman disguising himself as a to exploit Butters and uncover his secrets for was pitched and enthusiastically received when voiced in a robotic monotone, with Cartman declaring the idea "lame." This scheme formed the episode's foundation, drawing partial inspiration from Honda's for the titular character's name and design. Written and directed exclusively by , without co-writing credit to , the script emphasized the dynamic between Cartman and Butters, allowing for straightforward character-driven humor that Parker found particularly easy to develop. This streamlined approach marked an early instance of focusing solely on a single A-story without subplots, streamlining the episode's innovative structure.

Production process

The production of the "Awesom-O" episode marked the shortest timeline in history, completed from script to final cut in just three days as a replacement for a previously planned but unaired installment, specifically the Easter special "The Return of Lemmiwinks." This accelerated schedule was necessitated by the need to fill an air slot, with co-creator handling the writing and directing solo to expedite the process. The followed South Park's established computer-assisted cut-out style, where characters are constructed from layered digital images manipulated frame by frame, but the process was streamlined to fit the tight deadline. The simple costume for Cartman—essentially a cardboard box with basic appendages—minimized design revisions and allowed for quick assembly and , enabling the team to focus on essential movements without complex . Voice recording was condensed into a single session, with performing all major roles, including Cartman (as Awesom-O), Butters, and various celebrity parodies. This one-man approach to voicing, a hallmark of Parker's efficiency in productions, ensured rapid turnaround while maintaining the show's distinctive vocal characterizations. In , basic elements such as robot beeps and mechanical noises were added hastily using standard library effects, with no new original music composed beyond the series' recurring cues and the in-house written and recorded variations of "My Robot Friend." The tight schedule meant forgoing the usual iterative polish on edits and effects, yet Parker's hands-on oversight preserved the episode's comedic timing and visual coherence.

Plot and themes

Synopsis

In the episode, disguises himself as a Japanese named the A.W.E.S.O.M.-O 4000, complete with a suit and blinking lights, and has himself delivered to Butters Stotch's home in a crate to gain his trust and extract embarrassing secrets for potential . Butters, excited by his new "best friend," bonds with the robot by sharing personal fantasies and vulnerabilities during montages of activities like playing video games and discussing dreams, while Cartman secretly rummages through Butters' room for incriminating material. However, Butters reveals to AWESOM-O that he possesses a of Cartman dressed as and kissing a cutout of , vowing to expose it to the town if Cartman pranks him again. Desperate to retrieve the tape without , Cartman endures hunger—since Butters believes robots do not eat—and pleads with his friends Kyle, Stan, and to maintain the ruse. Butters' parents, mistaking the setup for a game, invite AWESOM-O on a family trip to to visit relatives, forcing Cartman to continue the disguise during the uncomfortable journey, where he secretly consumes toothpaste to stave off . In Hollywood, word of the advanced robot spreads, and movie studio executives hire AWESOM-O from Butters to generate film ideas, leading Cartman to pitch over 1,000 absurd concepts—800 of which feature Adam Sandler as the star—resulting in a lucrative deal. The U.S. military soon intervenes, capturing AWESOM-O after a producer mistakes him for a "pleasure model" and attempts to assault him, believing the robot to be a potential weapon that must be reprogrammed. Butters arrives to rescue his friend, but Cartman's involuntary fart exposes his human identity to the soldiers and Butters, who then fulfills his threat by screening the Britney Spears video for the entire town, the studio executives, and the military personnel. The episode concludes with Cartman publicly humiliated and mocked by everyone, including the military general who calls him a "little f*****."

Satirical elements

The episode "Awesom-O" satirizes the exploitation of through Cartman's elaborate , where he disguises himself as a to extract embarrassing secrets from the innocent Butters, underscoring the contrast between Cartman's manipulative cynicism and Butters' naive trust. This dynamic highlights themes of and the fragility of relationships built on lies, as Cartman's scheme backfires when Butters uncovers his own leverage, forcing prolonged pretense. A significant portion of the satire targets Hollywood's greed and formulaic creativity, depicted through the rapid generation of over 1,000 movie pitches—many absurdly centered on —after the duo arrives in , parodying the industry's rush to capitalize on trends and endorsements without regard for originality. The mocks entitlement by showing executives demanding inclusions like forced cameos and exploitative plots, reflecting real-world critiques of how studios prioritize profit over substance. This escalation critiques the entertainment machine's dehumanizing tendencies, as Cartman is "kidnapped" by producers eager to weaponize the supposed AI for commercial gain. Furthermore, the episode subverts common AI and tropes by portraying Awesom-O not as a benevolent technological companion but as a facade that exposes human flaws, drawing on philosophical debates like the to question whether machines can truly replicate or enhance relationships—or merely amplify deceit. Specific gags, such as Butters' innocent farm video and Cartman's costume secret, reinforce Butters' wholesome quirks against Cartman's vulnerability, emphasizing technology's potential to disrupt rather than perfect social bonds.

Release

Broadcast history

"Awesom-O" originally aired on in the United States on April 14, 2004, as the fifth episode of the eighth season and the 116th episode overall. The episode was produced quickly, taking only three days to complete, which enabled its prompt broadcast. Following its U.S. premiere, the episode was broadcast internationally beginning in 2005, including in the on Paramount Comedy 1. No major controversies or issues were associated with the initial airings, though standard edits were applied for some international markets. The has since been regularly on as part of marathons and syndication blocks.

Home media and streaming

"Awesom-O" was first made available on home media as part of South Park: The Complete Eighth Season DVD set, released by on August 29, . The three-disc collection includes all 14 episodes from the season, along with tracks featuring co-creator discussing the 's rushed production amid a particularly demanding year for the series. This timely DVD inclusion was facilitated by the show's rapid six-day production cycle, allowing for swift post-broadcast releases. The episode later appeared on Blu-ray in South Park: The Complete Eighth Season digipak edition, released by on December 19, 2017, marking the first high-definition physical release for season 8 outside of larger complete series compilations that began in 2017. These Blu-ray sets feature remastered video and audio, including , but no standalone season 8 Blu-ray was issued until this 2017 collection, with subsequent complete series volumes incorporating it from 2019 onward. No 4K UHD release for the episode or season has been announced as of 2025. Digital distribution of "Awesom-O" began with its availability for purchase and download on in 2006, following Apple's expansion of hit TV programming to the platform, including full seasons of . The episode remains accessible via digital retailers like Apple TV, often bundled in season or complete series packages. Streaming options for "Awesom-O" have evolved over time, initially available through the Comedy Central app and under exclusive licensing deals starting in the late 2000s. Since the launch of Paramount+ in March 2021, the episode has been part of the platform's library, with all seasons streaming exclusively there following a 2021 multi-year agreement between creators and and ViacomCBS (now ). Intermittent free streaming of select episodes, including "Awesom-O," has occurred on the official South Park Studios website. As of 2025, under a renewed five-year deal announced in July, the entire series—including a full HD remaster of earlier seasons like season 8—streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States, with episodes airing first on before becoming available on the service the following day. Merchandise tie-ins for "Awesom-O" included limited-edition action figures produced by Mezco Toyz in 2006 as part of their series 4 line, featuring a detailed A.W.E.S.O.M.-O figure with accessories like a removable and shopping bags. These toys, released two years after the episode's April 2004 broadcast, capitalized on the character's popularity and were distributed through comic shops and online retailers.

Reception and legacy

Critical reception

"Awesom-O" received widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences, often highlighted for its sharp humor and escalating comedic scenarios. On , the episode holds a strong user rating of 9.2 out of 10, based on over 6,000 votes, with reviewers frequently praising the episode's inventive humor, particularly the absurdity of Cartman's robot disguise and the plot's rapid escalation involving celebrity cameos. This high rating positions it among the top-rated episodes in South Park's extensive catalog, reflecting its enduring appeal for the way it builds tension through Cartman's scheming against Butters. Professional critics have similarly lauded the episode in retrospective rankings. In a 2022 list of the 25 best episodes by , "Awesom-O" ranked at number 16, described as a "classic of escalating stakes" where Cartman's leads to increasingly ridiculous consequences, including his own . IGN's 2016 ranking of top episodes also commended it as one of the standout Cartman-Butters pairings, noting the disguise as a peak example of Cartman's manipulative antics, though it fell just outside the top 10. These reviews emphasize the episode's satirical edge on Hollywood and personal secrets, contributing to season 8's overall positive reception, even without specific Emmy nominations for the installment itself. Fan discussions and podcast analyses further underscore its popularity, often focusing on the memorable cameo and the 's twist ending with the closet gag. The 2025 podcast "Goin' Down to " appreciated how the short production time—completed in just three days—did not compromise its relevance, particularly with the rise of AI in Hollywood. While some observers have noted that certain references feel dated in retrospect, the consensus remains overwhelmingly positive, with the frequently appearing in fan-voted top 20 lists for its blend of and .

Cultural impact

The entrapment gag in "Awesom-O," where Cartman is trapped in his robot disguise by the U.S. military while Butters withholds a damaging secret video, has contributed to themes of revelation of hidden truths and has been thematically referenced in subsequent South Park episodes, most notably "Trapped in the Closet" from season 9, which uses a literal closet motif to parody Tom Cruise's association with Scientology and escalate the show's commentary on celebrity secrecy. The episode's satire of Hollywood, depicting producers exploiting the robot for contrived movie ideas like films about "gay cowboys eating pudding," has been highlighted in analyses of South Park's broader critique of celebrity culture and industry excesses, underscoring the show's influence on perceptions of forced inclusivity and creative desperation in entertainment. The Awesom-O character has inspired official merchandise, including t-shirts, hoodies, posters, and blankets sold through the Shop, reflecting sustained fan engagement, while the robot-friend trope has echoed in discussions of AI companionship in , with the episode cited in 2023 analyses for foreshadowing technology's role in personal relationships. "Awesom-O" has contributed to South Park's reputation for rapid, topical blending absurdity and , earning placements in top-episode rankings by outlets like Variety, , and as a standout for its escalating humor and character-driven chaos. In 2025, amid rapid AI advancements, the episode's themes of robotic invention and Hollywood's tech reliance have seen revival in podcasts and social media discussions, positioning it as prescient commentary on generative AI's integration into content creation, further echoed in season 28's episodes satirizing AI deepfakes.

References

  1. https://southpark.cc.com/episodes/ktqvb2/south-park-awesom-o-season-8-ep-5
  2. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0763044/
  3. https://southpark.fandom.com/wiki/AWESOM-O/Trivia
  4. https://www.entertainmentearth.com/product/south-park-cartman-awesomo-vinyl-figure/krtdlcg302
  5. https://southpark.cc.com/w/index.php/AWESOM-O
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUwiuSeMMzY
  7. https://collider.com/south-park-episodes-to-rewatch-series-celebrates-25-years/
  8. https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/best-south-park-episodes-all-time/
  9. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/south-park-20-years-history-trey-parker-matt-stone-928212/
  10. https://southpark.cc.com/news/un2onf/behind-the-scenes-of-awesom-o
  11. https://imsdb.com/transcripts/South-Park-AWESOM-O.html
  12. https://sp.freehat.cc/upload/South_park_philosophy.pdf
  13. https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-complete-guide-to-south-park-movie-parodies-and-references/
  14. https://nickstoryuk.fandom.com/wiki/South_Park
  15. https://southpark.fandom.com/wiki/International_Versions_of_South_Park
  16. https://ccarchive.fandom.com/wiki/South_Park
  17. https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/South-Park-The-Complete-Eighth-Season-DVD/260094/
  18. https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/08/29/south-park-the-complete-eighth-season
  19. https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/South-Park-The-Complete-Eighth-Season-Blu-ray/190792/
  20. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2006/01/26MTV-Networks-Hit-Programming-from-MTV-COMEDY-CENTRAL-Nickelodeon-Now-Available-on-the-iTunes-Music-Store/
  21. https://puck.news/how-south-park-became-the-envy-of-streaming/
  22. https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/south-park/
  23. https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/south-park-renewed-paramount-plus-trey-parker-matt-stone-1236468038/
  24. https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/ndAVyOvcnrNwHvaJGcVfsFP6_JQEOvyV/
  25. https://www.ebay.com/b/Mezco-South-Park-Action-Figures/261068/bn_224147
  26. https://southpark.wiki.gg/wiki/Mezco_Toyz
  27. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/aug/13/25-years-of-south-park-from-mr-hankey-to-chef-return
  28. https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/09/12/the-top-10-south-park-episodes
  29. https://www.fourfingerdiscount.com.au/episodes/awesom-o-south-park-podcast-review
  30. https://noiselesschatter.com/2012/03/18/noiseless-chatter-spotlight-awesom-o-south-park-season-8-episode-5-2004/
  31. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/south-park-celebrity-spoofs-moments/
  32. https://www.southparkshop.com/products/south-park-awesom-o-adult-short-sleeve-t-shirt-sdcc-exclusive-colorsc2-516
  33. https://xinespack.com/2023/06/28/south-parks-crystal-ball-a-look-at-klara-and-the-suns-speculative-ai-future/
  34. https://variety.com/lists/south-park-best-episodes/
  35. https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/south-park-best-episodes/
  36. https://www.slashfilm.com/2025937/south-park-season-28-ai-deepfakes-war/
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