Gnomes (South Park)

"Gnomes" satirizes the common complaint that large corporations lack consciences and drive seemingly wholesome smaller independent companies out of business.

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 father enters the room, offering the boys a propagandist speech against Harbucks, a national chain of coffee houses that is threatening his business.

The boys' presentation is a hit, much to Mr. Garrison's surprise; the town committee is so moved that they lobby Mayor McDaniels to pass a law against Harbucks.

While speaking, they admit that they did not write the previous paper, which causes Mr. Garrison to be carried away as he lashes out at the boys, telling them they have ruined his life for the last time.

[3] Contrary to the anti-corporate propaganda normally coming out of Hollywood, South Park argues that, in the absence of government intervention, corporations get where they are by serving the public, not by exploiting it.

The episode satirizes the common complaint that large corporations lack scruples and drive seemingly wholesome smaller independent companies out of business.

Paul Cantor, a literary critic and economic theorist who taught college courses revolving around the "Gnomes" episode, described it as "the most fully developed defense of capitalism" ever produced by the show.

[19] Mark Painter compared the "plan lacking a second stage" of socialism between "capitalism creates alienated labor and pauperism" and "socialist revolution leading to world communist utopia" to the underpants gnomes in his History of The Twentieth Century podcast episode 271 "The Roots of Fascism" in which he compares and contrasts socialism, liberalism, conservatism and fascism.