The recession came to South Park this week. The show’s metaphor for our real-world mortgage crisis was a “Margaritaville” machine, an over-priced, pointless gadget that makes the green-colored alcoholic beverages. Stan’s dad Randy owned one, Stan tried to sell it so the newly-poor family would have more to eat than “sliced hot dogs and tomato slices,” but no store or bank would take the gizmo in exchange for actual money. “Defaulting on your Margaritaville,” was one weasel-businessman’s phrase. (Warning: naughty language in clip below.)
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| Sliced Hot Dogs and Tomato Slices? | ||||
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Panic set in, with some citizens blaming the banks, some blaming “materialistic hedonists,” and some — well, the always reliably-appalling Cartman cranked up his anti-Semitism and started blaming Jewish people for hiding all our money in a “secret Jew cave.” (Among its many achievements, South Park has exposed anti-Semitism to such relentless ridicule over the years, it deserves some sort of humanitarian award.)
Pretty soon, South Park residents turned, inevitably, to religion to help them understand — or in South Park terms, further confuse — matters. Kyle becomes a savior-like figure who tells people they should spend more, and in a tableau designed to resemble “The Last Supper,” Cartman was positioned as Judas, ready to betray and kill his friend. In the end, it was Kyle’s use of an AmEx card with no spending limit (“Faith is what makes an economy exist”) to forgive everyone’s debt that saved the day.
The episode was the most back-handed endorsement imaginable of President Obama’s economic bailout plan. Or the most withering dismantling of it. As usual, South Park had it both ways. As Randy said to the assembled multitudes (i.e., us): “Instead of paying for cable, let us watch clouds!”
Did you watch? What was your interpretation of South Park‘s view of the economy? Did it make more or less sense than anything you’ve seen on any of the network or cable news shows?
I enjoyed the episode. I thought it was pretty funny. I think that it was good satire on Obama’s bailout plan and the people suffering the costs of the recession. Good use with the Margaritaville mixer. And yes I loved the “Secret Jew Cave”. Pretty awesome.
I’ve pretty much given up on the news. South Park and The Daily Show seem to have more wisdom on the economic crisis than they do
politics aside-this was one of the best episodes of south park in ages. it shows what south park does best: satire everyone and not really take sides while just being so freakin funny
Cartman claims Kyle keeps his ‘jew gold’ in a bag around his neck as well…god, I love Cartman and his stupid ideas…
Sheer brilliance made all the more significant for the unfortunate lack of it today
Another brilliant episode from the twisted minds of Matt and Trey.
Cus you know that Cartman is a Republican…I mean his catch phrase is “screw you guys, I’m going home”–isnt that their current economic strategy?
I say we all go out and buy Margaritaville machines and Obama plates. Let’s rev up this sucker and spend like a drunken Frenchman!
I loved it. I also liked last weeks The Coon
I think that makes my Top 5 South Parks. I think the only side it was taking is to dismiss anyone and any movement that treats the economy as a giant force independent from ourselves and individual participation. Like Kyle said, “the economy is us.” And you gotta love the whole headless chicken gag.
When these guys get it right, they hit it out of the ballpark – and this was a grand slam! Loved when Stan’s $100 was “poof – and now it’s gone”!
I thought the best satirical part was where Stan observed some financial gurus cutting off the heads of chickens to see where they would wind up on a game board. The game board then provided instructions as to what plan the gurus should implement. Who’s to say that method wouldn’t be just as effective as what we’ve seen out of Washington so far.
It seems to me that the message was that government isn’t the solution. Had government thrown billions of the taxpayers’ money back to the taxpayers the economy would be fine. Kyle did the smart thing, pay off consumer debt so consumers can consume again. These Libertarians are on to something …
That had to have been the funniest episode in a long time. South Park can be hit or miss in the last few years and this one hit the ball out of the park. The entire comparison of “The Economy” to god and Kyle to Jesus was absolutely priceless. “Yea!” I’m sure this will pi$$ some Christians off, but, you know what? I really don’t care. People should lighten up. Keep up the good work Matt and Trey.
Hmmm.
@ mr slave
“Cus you know that Cartman is a Republican…I mean his catch phrase is “screw you guys, I’m going home”–isnt that their current economic strategy?”
Ummm. Actually Cartman is a liberal-progressive.
like no one saw the fact Cartman was potrayed as Judas.
come on.
This was definitely a dismantling of the lies we’re seeing from capitol hill. This was Matt & Treys advice on the economy. period. Put the money back in the hands of the people if you REALLY care about anything other than the resulting, new govt and the power-grab. This recession was orchestrated, and you need look no further than the fake-bail-out to see that. Give each American an extra $25,000, and see where that gets us. But hey, they’re going to create a world-wide currency at the G20 meeting, so thats good right?