South Park “Scapes” A CRITIQUE OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY AS PORTRAYED IN THE POPULIST MEDIASCAPE By Divia Padayachee

SOUTH PARK, OFTEN DISMISSED AS awareness of the negative implications TRIVIAL ADULT ANIMATION, IS IN of said themes in the social and public FACT A SPACE FOR DEBATE AND realm.The first episode, “Something ENLIGHTENMENT. As a show that has Wall-Mart This Way Comes,” focuses on a significant association with current the theme of consumption in relation to events, political and cultural issues as well large corporations causing the closure of as economic and environmental issues, small and medium enterprises (SME). As South Park, created by Trey Parker and the act of consumption increases so does Matt Stone, has captured the attention of the demand for goods which in return scholars and viewers alike, both positively generates competition between brands, and negatively, as a result of its satirical, products and corporations. The rivalry populist and humorous nature. triggers manufacturing of new products to entice consumers but for new products to As frivolous as it may seem, the succeed old products need to be sacrificed underpinnings of the constructs within and so the market is faced with the culture the series has the potential to tap into the of obsolescence. Obsolescence is the academic sphere as it highlights a societal dominant theme in the second episode perception of the nature of design and under review, “A Nightmare on Face technology within an active domain. Time.” It is particularly themed around the obsolescence of DVDs due to downloading This paper seeks to discuss the formal and streaming practices. critique of design and technology within the American animated series focusing Streaming, the delivery of video and media on four episodes that highlight dominant in general, became prominent in the themes within the fields and to create late 1990s and early 2000s with further

PLOT(S)22 development of technology and the internet. the error in his ways but fail to succeed. The internet introduced additional resources Kenny, whose tightened hood muffles his through its development such as a space voice, comes from a poor background and for research, advertising, shopping and is mocked as such by Cartman. Despite communication via email among other their unconventional friendship, the four forms. However, as beneficial as it is, the boys are quick to uncover the social impact internet also poses negative consequences. of the events that take place within their Dependence on the system is one such community; especially when it involves their consequence and is emphasized in the third parents who, in the following episodes under episode under review, “Over Logging,” review, are often unaware of the error in which also deals with the activities instilled their ways. and the ritualistic role it plays in the everyday. The early period of the millennium Inspired by the Walt Disney film Something welcomed the onset of social networking Wicked This Way Comes, the episode sites, one of which was Facebook, a leading entitled “Something Wall-Mart This Way competitor in the profile driven arena. The Comes” tells the story of the introduction final episode under review, “You Have Zero of Wal-Mart in South Park which caused Friends,” illustrates the construction of the dramatic change in the town’s economic, digital identity in social media, focusing social and cultural sphere. Low prices specifically on Facebook. and bulk buying increased the shoppers’ desire to buy products that were not always The result of this critique aims to inform a necessity. The ability to consume more practitioners and academics, within design and pay less led to an increased desire to and technology, of the implications of accumulate and in this regard Wal-Mart current threads in the aforementioned fields was depicted as a business which used this and the impact they have on the everyday trickery to advance its status by being able within the social and public realm. to provide a constant supply of goods to the consumer. This notion was conveyed in the The fictional town of South Park, in Rocky story when Kyle and Stan approached Wal- Mountains, Colorado, is home to four fourth Mart, depicted in human form. graders, Eric Cartman, Kyle Broflovski, Stan Marsh, and Kenny McCormick. These Wal-Mart: “The heart [of Wal-Mart] is you foul-mouthed boys are the main characters the consumer. I take many forms: Wal-Mart, of the satirical and politically charged Kmart, Target but I am one single entity, series.1 Their individual personalities play desire.” a significant role in the development and unfolding of each storyline. Cartman is What we can take from this is that we antagonistic and anti-Semitic, sparking as a society do not realize that we are rivalry between him and Kyle, the only Jew being challenged by the way in which we in the group. Best friends, Kyle and Stan, construct our world, our everyday. It is the are continuously trying to show Cartman consumer who gives power to mega stores

PLOT(S)23 by constantly supporting their methods to lure consumers. Scale also entices. Technological advancements augment The bigger the store, the more products obsolescence even further by adding available to the consumer and the wider artifacts which are still operational to this the variety of goods.2 The variety provided category. The episode entitled “A Nightmare by mega store gives the illusion of the lack on Face Time” addresses the obsolescence of alternatives in smaller stores which of entertainment products such as DVDs results in the lack of support of privately in the face of technological advancements owned stores. The phenomenon of the that allow individuals to watch movies and mega store has also tapped into the social broadcast shows wherever they please. identity of communities. When the South Individuals are not restricted to watching Park community became aware of the new their favorite films or television shows at addition to their town they felt a sense of home anymore. The everyday has adapted to accomplishment.Mr. Garrison: It’s like we’re the multifunctional nature of smartphones, a real town now! tablets and laptops in that these technological artifacts afford individuals The establishment was associated with the opportunity to take their entertainment the building blocks of a town, something with them. Devices that restrict adaption that was imperative in making South and movement have fallen away from the Park a town like any other. This implies consumer market as a result of this. that Wal-Mart and other stores like it is crucial in the functioning of society. Social Exponential advancement in technology may interactions between community members be inevitable but adapting to new products took place more frequently within the store is not as simple nor is it always positive. and the shopping culture became a way Randy Marsh, a member of the South Park of entertainment, impacting on routine of community, exemplifies individuals who the everyday, to shop at any time of the are not ready to give up systems that still day or night without explanation as to why perform by buying a Blockbuster store shoppers insisted on going back.3 which he believes has great potential. However, his son Stan exemplifies The continuous consumption of products, individuals who do not question the need for elucidated above, feeds into the cycle of new modes of entertainment and attempts to invention and production to the extent that enlighten his father about the inevitability of products made prior become antiquated. technological innovation. In order to maintain consumption at an optimum level new products need to be Stan: It’s awesome [the Blockbuster store]; developed to entice consumers. However, you should try to get it on that ancient for manufacturing to keep up with the civilization show so that people can see how demand older products ultimately reach a cultures used to live. state of obsolescence, surrendering to the Randy: Oh hahaha [sarcastic tone] I get trend that is innovation. it. Blockbuster’s so out of date it’s ancient,

PLOT(S)24 hahaha [sarcastic tone]. But you’re wrong. the South Park episode “Over Logging”. The average person still wants to rent In this episode the internet in Colorado has movies they can hold in their hands. “dried up” causing mass panic and, in the case of the Marsh family, relocation to the This quote illustrates the nostalgic reference West coast. to the relationship between user and object. The citizens of South Park are at their Technology has removed the tangible and wits end because without the internet replaced it with weightless existence by they are left with nothing, no means of introducing systems that store and deliver communication, no news source and a our media with the touch of a button. Users general inability to surf the net for their are deprived of the opportunity to physically amusement. The frantic behavior resembles experience the products they own and form the reaction a community would have in relationships with those products. Though the face of a natural disaster and the way DVDs are not obsolete, as suggested on in which they discuss the lack of internet South Park, they are heading towards access is as if they are in the middle of obsolescence due to streaming practices a drought and their water supply has which are associated with convenience. completely run out. The comparison of the internet to a natural resource is further Companies such as Netflix and Hulu, which illustrated by Randy’s plea to are both mentioned in the episode, are the community. among the most popular video streaming sites. Whilst Netflix still offers video rental, Randy: And so what have we learned Hulu offers on-demand streaming of TV from this ordeal? The internet went away shows and films which are ad-supported. and came back. But for how long we do Throughout the episode Randy tries to not know. We cannot take the internet for encourage passersby to rent DVDs from his granted any longer. We as a community store to no avail and at the end he succumbs must stop over logging on. We must use to the technology of the day by watching the internet only when we need it. It’s easy a film on his son’s iPad; the image of an for us to think we can just use up all the individual who has no option but to embrace internet whenever we want. But if we don’t a new product and the development of the treat the internet with the respect that it internet. deserves it can one day be gone forever. So let us learn to live with the internet, not for With the advancement of technological it. No more browsing for no apparent reason artifacts permeating the everyday an and no more mindlessly surfing on our unfortunate consequence presents itself, laptops while watching television! that of dependence on the part of the user. The internet may have afforded users with Society has become so engrossed in and quick accessibility to entertainment and dependant on the availability of the internet communication but it has also caused a shift that the very notion of its demise causes a in priority of the everyday as illustrated in sudden rush of despair. It has shifted from

PLOT(S)25 “VIRTUAL SOCIAL SPACES PROMOTE GLOBAL COMMUNICATION.... HOWEVER, WHEN THEY ARE USED TO REPLACE REALITY THEY BECOME A HINDRANCE TO THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL FLOW OF SOCIETY.”

an alternate source of information to a basic In this episode Stan’s friends have forced human need in parts of the world where the him to join Facebook by creating a profile internet is easily accessible. By comparing on his behalf. Stan tries to avoid all the internet to water the show implies Facebook activity but he is soon locked-in that society in general believes it to be as when his family and friends question him important to our survival. Dependency has about the legitimacy of their friendship circumscribed the everyday as a result of on Facebook. Throughout the episode convenience that has in turn made the act of Facebook is perceived as reality. For surfing the net habit forming. example, the number of friends one has on Facebook determines the number of friends The community of South Park had in real life. Kyle’s experience with the become locked-in to the array of spaces site exemplifies this when he loses all his to explore on the internet and could, and friends on his profile due to befriending an did, occupy themselves at all times of the unpopular student in his class. day even whilst doing another activity.4 The internet has made numerous daily He reacts as if the loss of friends has activities effortless so much so that it is occurred in reality and is desperate to restore as if people are incapable of doing these his friendships online. Therefore, whatever activities without the use of their gadgets. information members decide to make visible Communication between individuals via on their profile must be true and excluded the internet and social networking has information requires investigation. This also caused a shift in how individuals form “rule” has serious implications in the social and maintain relationships. Facebook, a realm as misconstrued information can cause leading competitor in social networking the demise of relationships. sites is Facebook which allows its members to conduct multiple activities with their The power that this site seems to have on friends as well as providing a platform for one’s reality is telling of the control that people across continents to stay in touch. exists over members of the site. Face to face However, as the final episode “You Have interaction becomes less important and valid Zero Friends” will demonstrate, the site can than that on screen which in turn affects have serious implications on the identity of the evolution of the profile. The profile is its users. supposed to serve as a description of the person and an explanation of their interests.

PLOT(S)26 Rather it is taken as an opportunity to create at times, reflected in the images that filter an individual who one wishes to be, an through different media.6 In the case of South elaborate form of the self. A result of this Park it is quite evident that the thoughts manipulation is the authority that the virtual and ideologies of the average consumer and profile demands of the individual. of those who have relationships with the technological innovations mentioned above South Park does well to explain this are strongly depicted in a satirical format. phenomenon by putting Stan in a position The tone of the message has the ability to where he has to enter the virtual world and come across as mocking and demeaning but defeat his now powerful profile in order to the reality of the message is often on par. survive and consequently deactivate his Facebook account. He describes this process It is through these messages and storylines, as being “sucked in.” This demonstrates whether informed by a cut-out society or a that the destruction of the virtual identity vulgar little boy, that design and technology is is possible, though challenging, and to critiqued and their purpose and influence on be able to take back control one needs to its users are questioned. The most important realize that the stronger identity is the one and intriguing aspect of this critique is its present in reality. Innovation has led us “real-time” factor, as a society to improvement and success the way it is positioned in the everyday, in the advancements we have made in the not only as an aspect of time but as a technological age but this has been achieved ritualistic form.7 Design and technology have through the sacrifice of social standing. become so intertwined in ritualistic daily Virtual social spaces promote global activities that their influences are communication through the above-mentioned often made unaware.8 technoscapes. However, when they are used to replace reality they become a hindrance As seen by the abovementioned examples, to the physical and social flow of society. the themes consumption, obsolescence, Technological innovation may be inevitable dependence and the digital identity have but the detriment of relationships within social and public implications within communities cannot mimic this the everyday in communities. This is an exponential growth. interesting look at how a populist cartoon uses satire to demonstrate such effects within South Park exemplifies a medium that is reality and to illustrate the manner in which simplistic in its form yet complex in its individuals react to these themes in design function. These self-reflexive messages and technology. What one can take away are transmitted, not only throughout the from this is the current implications of such United States, but on a global scale through practices and look at it as a way to challenge mediascapes that transcend beyond its the current models of evolution inherent in entertainment threshold and into the the development of design and technology. ideologies of its viewers.5 Ideologies of the individual and whole societies are also, References can be found on page 73

PLOT(S)27