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Gnomes (South Park episode)
Encyclopedia
"Gnomes" is the seventeenth episode of the second season
of the animated television series South Park
, and the 30th episode of the series overall. "Gnomes" originally aired in the United States
on December 16, 1998 on Comedy Central
. This episode marks the first appearance of Tweek and his parents.
, Kyle
, Cartman
and Kenny
are grouped together with Tweek, a jittery child, who suggests that the presentation should be on the "Underpants Gnomes" who are tiny gnomes that sneak into his house and steal his underpants. The boys agree to stay at Tweek's house to work on Mr. Garrison's homework assignment and to see if Underpants Gnomes exist.
Tweek's parents, who own a coffee shop, give the boys coffee to help them stay up. The boys drink too much coffee, and end up wired, bouncing off the walls of Tweek's bedroom rather than writing their report. As 3.30am, the time Tweek said the gnomes come, approaches, the boys realise they have nothing to present. Tweek's father then enters the room, offering the boys a propagandist speech against "Harbucks", a national chain of coffee houses threatening his business. As he does this, Tweek's Gnomes steal his underpants, but only Tweek sees them.
The boys' presentation is a hit, much to Mr Garrison's surprise. The town committee is so impressed that they lobby Mayor McDaniels to pass a law against Harbucks. The mayor agrees to a so-called "prop 10", allowing the townspeople to vote on Harbucks' existence. Mr. Tweek's plan worked, but Mrs. Tweek is unhappy, claiming that the boys are being exploited.
The mayor tells the boys to do another presentation just before the vote. Mr. Garrison, knowing that the boys didn't write the first presentation, piles the pressure on, telling them that it must be good. The boys, however, know nothing on the subject. As they are at their wits' end, they finally see Tweek's Gnomes and ply them for information. The Gnomes, claiming to be business experts, explain their business plan
:
Kenny is squished by a falling trolley cart used by the Gnomes during the visit; the Gnomes are aghast at the accident, but the boys are too fixated on their business research to express their customary outrage at Kenny's latest death.
When the boys come up to give their presentation for the vote, they do a report that is completely different from their previous piece. They now say, having spoken to the Gnomes, that corporations are good, and are only big because of their great contributions to the world, such as Harbucks with their great coffee. While speaking, they admit that they didn't write the previous paper, which causes Mr. Garrison to be carried away as he lashes out at the boys. Mrs. Tweek applauds their honesty and admits to the same facts herself. Then she convinces the whole town to try Harbucks Coffee, which is famous because it tastes so good. When everybody does try it, they all agree (especially because the Tweek brand is awful), including Mr. Tweek, who accepts an offer to run the Harbucks shop.
, a literary critic and economic theorist, who has taught college courses revolving around the "Gnomes" episode, has described it as "the most fully developed defense of capitalism" ever produced by the show. Cantor said the episode challenges the stereotype that small businesses are public servants who truly care about their customers by portraying local business owner Mr. Tweek as greedier and having fewer scruples than that of the corporation he is challenging; Tweek knowingly takes advantage of American distrust for big businesses and nostalgia for simpler times in his fight to maintain his bottom line. At the end of the episode, Kyle and Stan conclude big corporations are good due to the services they provide people, and uphold the notion that the businesses providing the best product deserve to succeed in the marketplace and grow to become larger. However, in portraying the Harbucks business plan as seducing the youth of the town with high-caffeine and high-sugar "kid-dycinno" drinks, Harbucks is also portrayed as lacking scruples in its corporate expansionist agenda.
The gnome characters and their underpants collection represent the ordinary business activity of capitalism that takes place on a regular basis in front of everyone, but is seldom noticed by society. Cantor has said the fact that the gnomes themselves do not understand their own business plan or why they steal the underwear could represent the idea that businessmen themselves often lack the economic knowledge needed to explain their activity and profits to the public. Pop culture scholars Carl Rhodes and Robert Westwood said the gnomes, by forgoing Mr. Tweek's notions of high-mindedness and openly acknowledging their quest of profits, engage in a "pure, 'libertarian' capitalism - one in which profit is the only animus and in which if that is the end, any means are justified."
South Park (season 2)
Season two of South Park, an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, began airing on April 1, 1998. The second season concluded after 18 episodes on January 20, 1999...
of the animated television series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, and the 30th episode of the series overall. "Gnomes" originally aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on December 16, 1998 on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
. This episode marks the first appearance of Tweek and his parents.
Plot
Mr. Garrison's job is on the line because he does not teach anything relevant, so in an effort to save his job he makes the class do oral presentations on a current event for the town committee. StanStan Marsh
Stanley Randall "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
, Kyle
Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
, Cartman
Eric Cartman
Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
and Kenny
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
are grouped together with Tweek, a jittery child, who suggests that the presentation should be on the "Underpants Gnomes" who are tiny gnomes that sneak into his house and steal his underpants. The boys agree to stay at Tweek's house to work on Mr. Garrison's homework assignment and to see if Underpants Gnomes exist.
Tweek's parents, who own a coffee shop, give the boys coffee to help them stay up. The boys drink too much coffee, and end up wired, bouncing off the walls of Tweek's bedroom rather than writing their report. As 3.30am, the time Tweek said the gnomes come, approaches, the boys realise they have nothing to present. Tweek's father then enters the room, offering the boys a propagandist speech against "Harbucks", a national chain of coffee houses threatening his business. As he does this, Tweek's Gnomes steal his underpants, but only Tweek sees them.
The boys' presentation is a hit, much to Mr Garrison's surprise. The town committee is so impressed that they lobby Mayor McDaniels to pass a law against Harbucks. The mayor agrees to a so-called "prop 10", allowing the townspeople to vote on Harbucks' existence. Mr. Tweek's plan worked, but Mrs. Tweek is unhappy, claiming that the boys are being exploited.
The mayor tells the boys to do another presentation just before the vote. Mr. Garrison, knowing that the boys didn't write the first presentation, piles the pressure on, telling them that it must be good. The boys, however, know nothing on the subject. As they are at their wits' end, they finally see Tweek's Gnomes and ply them for information. The Gnomes, claiming to be business experts, explain their business plan
Business plan
A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals....
:
- Collect Underpants
- ?
- Profit
Kenny is squished by a falling trolley cart used by the Gnomes during the visit; the Gnomes are aghast at the accident, but the boys are too fixated on their business research to express their customary outrage at Kenny's latest death.
When the boys come up to give their presentation for the vote, they do a report that is completely different from their previous piece. They now say, having spoken to the Gnomes, that corporations are good, and are only big because of their great contributions to the world, such as Harbucks with their great coffee. While speaking, they admit that they didn't write the previous paper, which causes Mr. Garrison to be carried away as he lashes out at the boys. Mrs. Tweek applauds their honesty and admits to the same facts herself. Then she convinces the whole town to try Harbucks Coffee, which is famous because it tastes so good. When everybody does try it, they all agree (especially because the Tweek brand is awful), including Mr. Tweek, who accepts an offer to run the Harbucks shop.
Theme
The episode satirizes the common complaint against large corporations lacking scruples and driving seemingly wholesome smaller independent companies out of business. Paul CantorPaul Cantor
Paul A. Cantor is a wide-ranging American literary critic inspired by the Austrian School of economic thought.As a young man Cantor attended Ludwig von Mises' seminars. He went on to study English literature at Harvard...
, a literary critic and economic theorist, who has taught college courses revolving around the "Gnomes" episode, has described it as "the most fully developed defense of capitalism" ever produced by the show. Cantor said the episode challenges the stereotype that small businesses are public servants who truly care about their customers by portraying local business owner Mr. Tweek as greedier and having fewer scruples than that of the corporation he is challenging; Tweek knowingly takes advantage of American distrust for big businesses and nostalgia for simpler times in his fight to maintain his bottom line. At the end of the episode, Kyle and Stan conclude big corporations are good due to the services they provide people, and uphold the notion that the businesses providing the best product deserve to succeed in the marketplace and grow to become larger. However, in portraying the Harbucks business plan as seducing the youth of the town with high-caffeine and high-sugar "kid-dycinno" drinks, Harbucks is also portrayed as lacking scruples in its corporate expansionist agenda.
The gnome characters and their underpants collection represent the ordinary business activity of capitalism that takes place on a regular basis in front of everyone, but is seldom noticed by society. Cantor has said the fact that the gnomes themselves do not understand their own business plan or why they steal the underwear could represent the idea that businessmen themselves often lack the economic knowledge needed to explain their activity and profits to the public. Pop culture scholars Carl Rhodes and Robert Westwood said the gnomes, by forgoing Mr. Tweek's notions of high-mindedness and openly acknowledging their quest of profits, engage in a "pure, 'libertarian' capitalism - one in which profit is the only animus and in which if that is the end, any means are justified."
Cultural impact
Following the episode's release, the underpants gnomes and particularly the business plan lacking a second stage between "Collect underpants" and "Profit", became widely used by many journalists and business critics as a metaphor for failed, internet bubble-era business plans and ill-planned political goals. Cantor said "no episode of South Park I have taught has raised as much raw passion, indignation, and hostility among students as 'Gnomes' has. I’m not sure why, but I think it has something to do with the defensiveness of elitists confronted with their own elitism."Cultural references
- The Harbucks company is a reference to StarbucksStarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, one of the largest coffee house chain companies in the world. - Gnomes are often associated with the world of finance. Several commentators suggested the gnomes in South Park could be a reference to the phrase Gnomes of ZürichGnomes of ZürichGnomes of Zürich is a disparaging term for Swiss bankers.Swiss bankers are popularly associated with extremely secretive policies, while gnomes in fairy tales live underground, in secret, counting their riches...
, a disparaging term for Swiss bankersBanking in SwitzerlandAll banks in Switzerland are regulated by Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority , which derives its authority from a series of federal statutes...
.