Writer:	Trey Parker
Director:	Trey Parker
Star:	Trey Parker (Voice of Stan Marsh; Eric Theodore Cartman; Herbert Garrison; Officer Barbrady; Terrance; Timmy; Ned Gerblanski; Satan; Randy Ma),  Gracie Lazar (Voice of Liane Cartman; Wendy Testaburger; Shelly Marsh; Sharon Marsh; Various Others [ season 8+ ]),  Matt Stone (Voice of Kyle Broflovski; Kenny McKormick; Gerald Broflovski; Pip Pirrup; Jesus; Jimbo Kearn; Phillip; Saddam; Various Others),  Isaac Hayes (Voice of Jerome "Chef" McElroy),  Mona Marshall (Voice of Sheila Broflovski; Linda Stotch; Various Others [ episode 50+ ])

On December 23 2005, about a year and a half after this episode first aired, the movie "The Ringer" was released. The comedy features a man who has a similar plan as Cartman to act disabled in order to rig the Special Olympics. (edit) The scene where Jimmy talks about steroids and the camera shows baseball players who took steroids is similar to the scene where Mr. Scotch is talking about confessing to murder and the camera shows murderers who haven't confessed in Season 5's "Butters' Very Own Episode". (edit) Perhaps because the kids have learned their lesson from playing with ninja weapons in the last episode, the boys appear here twice playing with ordinary kids' toys. First a board game, then trucks. (edit) Apparently Jimmy is the only one who can understand what Timmy says... much like only the characters in South Park can understand Kenny. (edit) Comedy Central accidentally played a voice over promo for Chappelle's Show meant to be used in the end credits in its premiere airing. (edit)

Cartman:(typing) How I Will Spend my One Thousand Dollars by Eric Cartman. (edit) Cartman:(acting mental,slurring his words) DER! I want to be special olympics! (edit) Cartman: You guys, I can't believe they exploit handicapped people like this. I mean, making them compete against each other just for our amusement. (edit) (With Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, and Barry Bonds looking on)
Jimmy: I know now, that even if you do win on steroids, you're really not winners. You're just a p-pussy; you're just a big fat p-p-pussy. And if you take steroids, the only decent thing to do is come forward and say, ‘Remove me from the record books, because I am a big, stinky p-pussy, steroid taking jackass. (edit) Cartman: If you had seen The Passion you would know that hell is reserved for the Jews and all those who don't accept Christ. That being the case, it is actually me who is worried about your soul.
Kyle: I came here to talk about you.
Cartman: Yes, and instead you had a breakthrough yourself. This is really the beginning of a whole new chapter of your life, Kyle. Good luck. (edit)

During the montage where Cartman is preparing for the Special Olympics he reaches to his left for coffee, and as he does you can see his hand come into frame on his right! (edit) When Cartman's mom tells the registration girl that her son is "retarded," the registration girl asks her for his specific disability. However, Mental Retardation is a specific condition. Maybe the registration girl was wanting to know the severity of his mental retardation (Mild, Moderate, severe, ...). (edit) First of all, i'm not sure its EVER been said what Timmy and Jimmy's conditions are. Second, i don't believe the writers were thinking about their conditions, they wanted a generic disabled character, BUT if you're gonna make a generic disabled character, its a good idea to give them Cerebral Palsy because its one of the most common conditions in kids and one they've most likely seen. SO , my point is, if you want to label them, its worth guessing they both have varying degrees of CP, and if you wanna get really technical, you can see it in timmy's arm movements and jimmy's legs. and by the way, you can stand on 'disabled legs' depending on severity, just not for very long...See? * falls over * (edit) Jimmy's last name was Vulmer rather than Swanson. (edit) In this episode, Cartman's Mel Gibson poster says "Mel Gibson is (as?) Braveheart". In the next episode ("Passion of the Jew"), the caption is gone. (edit)

Current Event/Steroid Scandal:

Jimmy: ...you're just a big fat pussy, and if you take steroids...

As Jimmy saying this and more the camera pans across Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and Jason Giambi who have all broken records and have now been charged with the use of steroids in Major League Baseball (edit) Lorenzo's Oil:

When Jimmy beats up his mom and girlfriend, it plays "Adagio for Strings" then goes to a shot where he punches his wall, falls on the ground, and the camera zooms away in a spiral shot.

This is a reference to a part in the 1992 film Lorenzo's Oil, where Francesco hits his mom, Susan Surandon, after taking steroids for a rare neurological disease. (edit) Ben Affleck:

This episode is based on an HBO Lifestories: Families In Crisis episode entitled A Body To Die For: The Aaron Henry Story starring none other than Ben Affleck as a steroid-abusing high school athlete who ends up beating up his girlfriend. (edit) Scarface:

The montage is a reference to the 1983 film Scarface. Scarface also has a montage with the same song "Push it to the Limit" playing.

"Push It to the Limit" was also a song used in the videogame 'Grand Theft Auto III,' which used 5 songs off of the "Scarface" soundtrack on it's 'Flashback FM' radio station. (edit) Up The Down Staircase:

The episode title refers to the 1964 young adult novel "Up the Down Staircase," by Bel Kaufman, which was made into a 1967 film starring Sandy Dennis. (edit)