South Park: Politics is Performance

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Does South Park hate neoliberalism?
South Park has never been shy about criticizing every aspect of contemporary culture. But in the most recent season, it seems like the show might be unintentionally showing us how neoliberalism ruins everything. Let’s explore in this episode of A Philosopher Reacts to South Park Season 25.
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=== Watch More Episodes! ===
The Future Certainly Sucks ► wscrk.com/3egUPZf
South Park: Less NFTs, More Tegridy ► wscrk.com/3KDWKoU
Does Cartman Believe Anything? ► wscrk.com/3DfEXAj
00:00 - Intro
03:11 - Cryptocurrency and Faith
06:40 - Neoliberalism, Activism, Consumerism
16:18 - Let's Talk About Real Estate
19:52 - Conclusion
Analyzed and Hosted by Michael Burns
Directed by Michael Luxemburg
Editing and Motion Graphics by Jackson Maher
Produced by Olivia Redden
Additional production assistance by Griffin Davis and Matias Rubio
Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound
MICHAEL'S READING LIST:
Søren Kierkegaard - The Present Age: On the Death of Rebellion
Karl Marx - the introduction to A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right
Mark Fisher - Capitalist Realism
Adam Kostko - Neoliberalism’s Demons: On the Political Theology of Late Capital
David Harvey - A Brief History of Neoliberalism
Friedrich Nietzsche - Untimely Meditations
Philip Goodchild - Capitalism and Religion: The Price of Piety
#SouthPark #Neoliberalism #Wisecrack
© 2022 Wisecrack / Omnia Media, Inc. / Enthusiast Gaming

[@lordscribe9765]

The tolkien name joke took 25 years to build

[@turkicnomad5632]

And it hit me like a ton of bricks

[@arcturionblade1077]

The gaslighting that Matt and Trey piled on top of it was great too.

[@Dong_Harvey]

Yeah, was really confused as a young lad about what they may have been mispronouncing

[@sorryimsosad]

I watched an episode recently where Tolkien and Kyle made a video and it said “Token Black Productions” oof

[@rkalla]

Payoff was so worth it!

[@XxXBalderXxX]

My wife is a real estate agent and we loved that episode. She's worked with so many agents that fit the bill perfectly.

[@XxXBalderXxX]

@@dg8846 ?

[@Dong_Harvey]

@@XxXBalderXxX Force, use the Force Slavoz!

[@Antasma1]

Does she bend her back for photos?

[@carte0000blanche]

Not her though right? she's one of the good ones

[@XxXBalderXxX]

@@carte0000blanche I like to think she is. She says working for some of these agents has thought her how NOT to do business.

[@benwasserman8223]

Being obliviously performative in the name of self-interest has been Randy’s M.O. for a long time. How else has he failed to realize his entire family HATES Randy’s weed business.

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

Lol.

[@benjaminlonidier9009]

Never forget Randy always did what was best for his family though. He didn't WANT to fight Batdad, he HAD TOO. "I thought this was 'merica oh IM SORRY"

[@secularmonk5176]

So, you think you can review the pajama episode without acknowledging the obvious criticism of performative mask wearing (sanitation theater)? You really are some unapologetic Marxists, aren't you?

[@secularmonk5176]

8:11 Nice strawman ... "limited state control, an UNRESTRAINED market, and strong individual rights" How 'bout the first and the third, WITH strong progressive taxes to allow capitalism without wealth accumulation for accumulation's sake? I advocate for social democracy ... which is far closer to a "free market" than it is centralized Marxist oversight ... which seems to be more Wisecrack's comfort zone these days. Is this why Jared left?

[@secularmonk5176]

16:07 Hmm. Seems like you're saying that as long as a white person trying to grow is still more stable than the average Black person, the white person hasn't sacrificed enough (equity ... racial Marxism)

[@FA-iq7yy]

As a black person whose watched South Park my whole life I've never laughed harder at South Park calling me racist for "thinking" Tolkien's name is token. It's the beauty of South Park, most comedians, and when certain progressive movements irk get off of your high horse take a step back and look at what is being done and changed. None of us are perfect but we can try to meet somewhere in the middle and laugh at ourselves a bit.

[@ludlowaloysius]

“As a black person” why u sound like a pick me girl?

[@FA-iq7yy]

@@ludlowaloysius wasn't asking your permission to say im black ya goof. Lol calm down

[@acutelilmint8035]

what’s funny is that it was always token LOL.. but with the culture of woke, it changed LOl. and the whole episode saying it’s not token and the dad ending up saying token lol, and what’s funnier is this was blakc history month lool 😂 .. and they changed their ig photo to token LOL. and you think this will be a 3 parter, but the next episode has nothing to do with the blacks LOL- aka… the token obligatory blm/black post for companies lool 😂 .

[@brainfat1]

I took it less as them calling us racists and more making fun of themselves. We know they only changed it as a joke, they know they only did it as a joke but they are going act performatively as if we were making a racist joke and deflect away from their own mostly harmless racist joke that we have laughed at for twenty years. Many companies and public figures do the same when they have some mess they need to clean up they get outraged about race or something else politically correct and get people distracted from the original issue.

[@FA-iq7yy]

@Fishing and Freedom Fiend or did they? Technically they are saying we never called him Token you all did. We always called him Tolkien. Anyone who assumed we named a black character Token isn't woke and insensitive. That's whats so funny.

[@Tryingtogetradical]

The last episode reminds me of a recent situation in San Francisco where they built tiny homes for homeless people priced at $15k, which is a huge markdown from the normal price of a home in San Francisco but also how tf is a homeless person meant to find $15k to pay for a shed???

[@bassplayer2011ify]

Just government once again providing the "solution" to a problem they created.

[@Parietal-Polymath]

The solution is government jobs.

[@larrote6467]

​@@bassplayer2011ifyyou don't even know what the scheme used was and you already know who the culprit is... in other words you're just as naïve and ideological driven as those you hate. PS: that scheme was half public-private partnership and half private business, so 25% the government and 75% private businesses. and the creation of the problem came primarily from land speculation (private businesses) and getting rid of several programs (private businesses lobbying), besides the implementation of chicago school northamerican economic integration (private businesses), which caused chaos in mexico, canada and usa, with a complete redistribution of jobs, demographics and finances. So long story short, for this PARTICULAR case: about 10% the government's fault, and 90% private businesses. We can find a case in which it is 90% the government's fault, of course I have plenty of examples, but you don't care about facts do ya? you only care about your ideology

[@corpo9310]

@@bassplayer2011ify Sure, if government is American for capitalism

[@robertcunningham1695]

@@corpo9310 It is, the U.S. is run by corporate oligarchy, the politicians are just the middlemen that enact the corporations whims and take the heat from the people for fat stacks of cash.

[@larrote6467]

"excess ain't rebellion, you're drinking what they're selling" boycotting is the strongest tool we have, and too few people are actually willing to do it.

[@FalconPaladin]

Stuff is Great.

[@angiebear8727]

Used to love that song. Timeless quote there

[@turkicnomad5632]

Honestly boycotting is usually pretty easy all in all. Most of the time there is someone who can ethically replace your preferred good or service. It just takes the work.

[@-alyissa-3632]

When you have companies like Coca-Cola and Nestlé who have so many products that most people don't know all of them, it's kinda hard to do a proper boycott.

[@elisjahtwardzik5081]

This needs millions of likes, forget thousands

[@orbital_ex]

I love your little commentary after the south park clips lmao "wow, dad got woke" "wow the cure for racism is reading". The sarcasm is just flawless.

[@braverwinter0679]

Hmmmm

[@zacharymoss2994]

16:08 I don't blame Stan, he's just a unfortunate victim, its his doctor and his dad who caused the madness he's going through

[@bioticjedi3864]

Ok the "Token is Tolkien" bit made me laugh extra hard because no joke, I didn't get the "Token Black" joke for like ten years and I legit thought his name was actually "Tolkien" until someone pointed it out to me when I spelled it that way in a comment thread on Reddit 🤣🤣

[@AspLode]

What a fucking mindbend of an episode, especially for someone who isn't already familiar with any of these concepts.

[@zen_tewmbs]

If you want to learn more on the subject, I can direct you to some good KZbin channels and videos that explore similar concepts.

[@RealPaPanda]

@@zen_tewmbs I'd actually be interested in said channels.

[@zen_tewmbs]

@@RealPaPanda f***, I don’t even know what happened here. Give me a minute to review the video to know what I was talking about.

[@zen_tewmbs]

@@RealPaPanda so there’s several different subjects discussed here - Marxist Theory of Alienation, consumerism, neoliberalism, the “poison you and sell you the antidote”, and others. Which specifically interested you? And while I await your answer, here’s some videos and channels to point you that explore similar concepts: Second Thought - especially his video “Why you’re not ‘middle class’” Unlearning Economics - video essays on debunking economic myths in a digestible way Adam Something- video essays from a European perspective, moderate focus on transportation consumerism and folks like Elon Musk Vaush - if you want something different from video essays, a live-streamer who discusses similar topics and also holds debates on these topics More and more specific recommendations available with more information about what you’re looking for.

[@joenathan8059]

I realized the same thing when I bought a communist flag on Amazon. Took a deep look at myself and said I'm a fucking idiot

[@joenathan8059]

@@jxgreen1985 L+Ratio

[@lokp7]

part of your learning process, no need to feel ashamed

[@joenathan8059]

@@lokp7 thx

[@Jimmykarnage]

Communism sells 🤑

[@joenathan8059]

@@Jimmykarnage its messed up cause you don't even think about. I'm pretty sure there was a scene in the show Mr.Robot about marketing a revolution and how it goes against the message your trying to send

[@mathieuleader8601]

I love that Cartman's new house was foreshadowed in the pilot's intro

[@FupaDoncic]

Screw neoliberalism! Hey when’s the wisecrack merch dropping. I want to wear a cap and shirt to show my support.

[@christhurman2350]

Is this a joke ?? Lol. The only thing here is capitalism using libel mindfulness as means to maximize profit. It’s not actual liberalism, it’s just capitalism in a climate where libel ideas have some influence on consumer habits on a very superficial level lol. This whole video is a joke

[@alenasenie6928]

The thing about being against neoliberalism, you can still get those things with different systems, the thing is that other systems don't also profit from basic needs, think mainly education and health, and they don't discard people after they are no longer productive, think pensions, everything else can be driven to some extend by a capitalist view, as long as main basic needs for quality of life are meet. (they are too many to put in the comment, so i only wrote the main ones)

[@KingUnKaged]

It's hard not to play the game when it determines whether or not you eat. Seeing people on LinkedIn whipsawe from one "X is the single most important issue in the world and I am dedicating my career to addressing it" to another multiple times per month is bizarre, but I don't hold it against them. We've all got bills to pay.

[@jorgeeduardodussanvillanue46]

The struggle is real. Especially in this job market. The thing is, you can't let these causes define your identity. If you do it to survive I can understand you. But if you do it to get ahead and there's no real conviction behind anything, I'm sorry but you've lost. The thing is, there's always the age old question. How much is actually done to survive and how much is done to "look good"? The line is super blurry. Is looking good part of survival? A complex issue for sure, but constant self-reflection and considerations of boycotting or drawing limits for ourselves go a long way, in my opinion.

[@acevaver5425]

A slave freed from slavery will not ask his master why he was enslaved, rather on how he can take advantage of other slaves so he does not starve. Who said you had to pay to be alive? If water became privatized and you were given dividends to purchase it, would you to ask why water is being privatized or would you gloat over the fact that you're able to buy water?

[@Dong_Harvey]

@@acevaver5425 I'm gonna gave to call you on that very contrived concept, yeah a lot of 'survivors' engage in some pretty 'biased' behaviors, but Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass were slaves once as well. If anything, neoliberal, and by this measure 'classical liberal' cultures are very heavily engineered towards enforcing the mainline that causes people to 'betray' themselves simply due to the ease of their freedoms, but at the same time, there's plenty more people who would easily run them over to make a difference in the world, no matter the rationale

[@dearestcomrade8638]

Gotta say, this was one of my favorite Wisecrack videos! I was honestly having a tough time interpreting this latest season of South Park because I was watching it through the lens of their libertarianism. Being given this anti-neoliberalism perspective was absolutely illuminating! incredible work!

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

Lol.

[@Andy-km1xp]

@@ptolemeeselenion1542 lol what, fat boy?

[@Datharass]

Yeah, it's funny because... everyone not benefiting from neoliberalism should automatically be against it. Except Americas current answer is to run that alongside outright or quasi-fascism. Which suggests they know we are (mostly) aware of it, but they bought out the structure and made it legal to do so. (see citizens united) So the whole thing is still in favor of the wealthy capitalist. This makes it very uncomfortable living in this country and not being a wealthy capitalist. Knowing that no one who should be looking out for the whole of us are doing that and are completely working to benefit a very tiny percentage of people. You might say it's completely killed democracy. You might say it's enslaved the lot of us. Edit: Mr. Wisecrack I'm pretty sure they don't comment on a better path or give an alternative due to being anti-authoritarian. If you dig there far enough you might begin to question what say a person should have over others, morality aside... well in a perfect world anyhow. Meaning that morals would have to match more or less from one to another and they certainly don't seem to.

[@Nostripe361]

Honestly that is the most annoying about modern neoliberalism for me. The idea that social change should be done by the markets rather then say any civil rights legislation or actually fixing broken systems like our justice system. Or the idea that boycotting establishments just cause of something minor about its owner or workers and not cause of some overt wrong they did will somehow fix the issue and not just make people who are a part of that business feel angry and lose any support for your actual plight. I mean boycotts are more complicated than that.

[@hallopino]

I feel the example in the video is really missing a step. It's not that people think that the dollar is the only way to enact social change. But since politians are not exonerating appropiate people, or pushing through civil rights legislations, that capitalism is the lever that common people have access to. I also don't feel like it is the only lever people are using, they are likely still trying to put pressure on the political system and push for civil rights. But also using capitialism to prove they are serious.

[@zilesis1]

@@hallopino yes and no. the fact of the matter is that many people, probably most people, are lazy. the people that are genuinely passionate about a cause will use multiple tools to acomplish said cause, yes. but many people don't really care that much and only enact changes that are convenient for them. hypothetical example: say a big coffee chain comes under criticism for being racist in some way. the people who are seriously passionate about equal rights, might boycot it permanently and seek out independent shops that donate their proceets to anti-racism charities. people who are kinda passionate will probably just go to a different big coffee chain beacause it's much more convenient than looking for an independent shop. people who kinda barely care about the cause will probably just fire off some tweets shaming the coffee chain and change their facebook background for a week, but still shop at the chain because it's the most convenient option for them. sadly, the majority of consumers fall into the latter two categories. people are inherently lazy and the only real way to get them to do the right thing is to make that right thing the most convenient option. which the government has no monetary incentive to do since those people are still willing to spend their money at convenient places no matter what the reputation of those places

[@technicolorbarf6734]

Yeah...

[@alenasenie6928]

@@zilesis1 Remember that some changes are about making it easy and convenient for people, for example, in the videogame industry, piracy was a huge problem in the past, until around 2005, Steam made it a problem of the past, with convenience, in my country piracy was still big until around the time when you were able to buy games directly, because in the past we needed to either have an international credit card or buy a prepaid one, it was way easier to just pirate the game, now it is so convenient to buy it that most people don't pirate games anymore, the main way to achieve long term change is to make it convenient, exactly because, as you said, 2 and 3 are the most common kind of person, they will do something, the most convenient thing.

[@capone2826]

The government doing social change lol

[@somethingisverywrong]

I think Randy can be compared effectively to PC Principal, who, while taking things WAY over the top, is (rarely for South Park) kind of a true believer, who's genuine in his ideology.

[@aw2740]

Notice 12:40 the doctor literally washing his hands in innocence :')

[@zotharr]

My interpretation was, he is washing his hands, because he feels dirty just listening to Stan. Even he talks about it, so the action matches the words :)

[@jorgeeduardodussanvillanue46]

One of the best videos you've done in a while. Super engaging and thought-provoking. South Park does it yet again.

[@paulweyer4339]

This season has felt weirdly wholesome in a way south park hasn't felt in a while. The kids finally feel like kids again. When everything else feels life or death, it's refreshing. The airsoft episode especially was just some good honest ribbing where the kids goal is just to enjoy themselves and the conflict is harmlessly silly.

[@fly88l]

I love you guys so much! I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the hard work you guys do into making these episodes. They are the best thing I watch on KZbin!

[@Madafaca6969]

Honestly, loved the video, but I keep thinking how this channel (everyone else too) basically performs, achieving no fundamental change to the system (as it is mentioned in the video) again, we all do this crap, but wouldn't it be cool a meta video about wisecrack's performance

[@deep_fried_analysis]

I'm very sure that many here think of this as well.

[@TheKillingJoke123]

Bro why the parenthesis in your sentences like that tho?????

[@myhearthasahalo]

Sometimes their commentary helps me think through my consumption of media. I’m not sure if a KZbin channel is responsible for doing anything for the solution. However, it would be cool to have a meta episode. Thanks for your comment.

[@dinglesworld]

Probably because providing a solution comes with some hefty consideration of what it will cause to everyone involved. Think of it as giving advice...when no one asked for it. It's good to give it, but it may hold you liable. I think this video is at least serving one good purpose: introducing viewers to new questions and encouraging them to think further. That, I think, is one of the better things they can do.

[@love_and_regicide]

Actually quite liked this episode and the condensed amount of concepts that were touched on. Gives you a lot to chew on!

[@Arkhs]

I've watched a lot of videos about dating apps being a rigged game and still I've kept them. But I think that this video framing it as saying a fuck you to neoliberalism has finally convinced me to do it.

[@alenasenie6928]

dating apps are rigged in one way, they work for one simple reason, the people in there are interested on a relationship, there will be those who are there and not interested in dating, but if you are looking then you have better chances to find someone who is looking in one of those apps than a shoot in the dark in a bar, street, etc, just because of the premise that they are there to date, unlike in any other situation.

[@ZatoichiBattousai]

Eric Adam's of New York wants to mandate that excons convicted of weed possession will get first dibs on starting weed businesses. Bit strange but makes sense.

[@JK-gu3tl]

Cynthia Nixon proposed this and was villified.

[@JimmyDThing]

It is hilarious to me that you refer to the character as Tolkein. He is still Token. That's part of the joke.

[@brainfat1]

He is Tolkien now, but he was Token before this and I feel like he will be again by the end of the season and they won't even act like it was different at any point.

[@JimmyDThing]

@@brainfat1 the joke will continue from now on yes. But a huge part of the joke is that he obviously never was Tolkein before and they're gaslighting you about it.

[@alenasenie6928]

@@JimmyDThing What gaslight?, is obviously JRR Token the one that wrote the lord of the rings. I was not going to, but this is the internet, obligatory /s because there are people that can't take a joke

[@dannyfromthea223]

Universal healthcare on three 1,2,3!

[@DracoMagnius]

As a person incapable of buying a house or renting an apartment forced to live with my parents or be homeless as I search for anywhere I could afford. I really wish the real estate's house of cards would topple already.

[@kylemiller00able]

This has to be one of my favorites in awhile, great job 🙏

[@The7thSid]

Slavoj Zizec as Luke Skywalker works way too well when you look at TLJ Luke. Great video!

[@naltschul]

“Hey, Stan! We don’t really hang out either!” “Shut up, Butters”

[@markfreiler4937]

Literally in the middle of him going over how Neo-liberalism creates a world where system injustices of marginalized groups is fixed not by systemic changes but by buying from certain stores and not from others, I get an add for google maps feature that showcases stores that identify as “women-owned” or “latino-owned”

[@talus9663]

God damn this was such a good episode. Even as someone who considers themselves a socialist, I can get lost in the sauce of believing the company I work at ( in the carbon sequestration market) can play a role in solving climate change rather than revolutionary social and political action. Neoliberalism melts your brain.

[@alenasenie6928]

when you see what is driving climate change, the only way is to reduce the sources, and that is not going to happen unless we, worldwide, make changes about consumption, forcing the big companies to change their productions to real ecological solutions, not smoke and mirrors (think real repair instead of the BS apple and other do, apple is an easy target for examples on what not to do), we are driven to buy the greatest and latest, when most people don't need it, why having a pc with a 3090 for games? honestly, i play a lot, but there is no excuse to waste that much energy to game if it is not VR, and even then i am not so sure what is the thresh, and i don't think the top of the line is needed for that. I work with neural networks and I dont think I need that, because it is cheaper and more environmentally sound to rent a remote server for the time i need. my next GPU is going to be decided on performance per watt. Neoliberalism is the reason my country is struggling right now, being the one that was the testground for it, an imposed system, against what the people wanted, we directly voted a full blown socialist president, and then the US didn't liked it (declassified documents) so we got a dictatorship courtesy of the US and became the testground for neoliberalism economical policies in 1973, hint, short term gains, long term loses.

[@Burningtreeblood]

I miss these types of episodes. Give the staff all the coffee beans! Big episodes please!

[@Dr0]

It is definitely problematic to trust the market to self-regulate and still have the interest of people as important rather than profit, and I think that even if people try to fight it so that it does work there’s publicity and marketing which are too effective tools. We are on an era where unfortunately everything is a product, including social or humanitarian causes and even family and friends

[@alenasenie6928]

Not exactly true, for long term gains the betterment of the people is the best strategy, but they are doing short term gains, and that is done by making people miserable at best.

[@juliojap6470]

To the fans of earthling cinema, Jared will be streaming with Garyx Wormuloid 10am PST (in T minus 30)

[@christophergarrett7082]

Anybody else got flashback to black out Tuesday where everyone was declaring that they're not racist.

[@LimeyLassen]

God, don't remind me

[@xpkareem]

Solutions are not required for critique. In fact I often respect the opinion of critics who admit they have no solutions.

[@quintessenceSL]

It's generally offered as gimme to the critique that unless you have a 5 point plan of action, you should shut-up and give the subject of the critique carte blanche. It's essentially attempting to derail consensus building. A solution need not be any more complex than "hey, stop that".

[@sada0101]

Satire is entirely making fun of things. It is pointing to the things that don't work. And that has very real value in a societal level. Satire doesn't have to offer answers. Just set us on the path to find new answers ourselves.

[@kwusho2223]

probably y'all's best video so far, keep up the great work i love what y'all are doing it's so important

[@violenceisfun991]

fake basketball player! your car is an undercover robot

[@EmperorPilaf04]

I still have the entire Bigger, Longer, and Uncut soundtrack memorized. In fact my acapella group sang the giant medley in college.

[@terrab1ter4]

Ironically, media outlets covering episode 2's reveal that Token = Tolkien, are convinced it's simply the show and its creators 'owning up to a problematic character in the shows history that doesn't translate well into a more modern, progressive culture.' Someone didn't watch the episode, did they

[@ramigilneas9274]

They even changed Tokens name wherever they could in ALL of the old episodes… which looked more like making fun of the woke trend of changing the names of actors who changed their gender identity in all of their previous movies.

[@bls8959]

@@ramigilneas9274 Idk trey and Matt have been towing the Democratic party line for years

[@Astrothunder_]

@@bls8959 that doesn’t inherently mean you are a fan of cancel culture

[@ChrisCrond]

I just saw what they have always seen in liberism up here in Canada just recently. I feel dumb now for not listening since smug alert...

[@GDSprodify]

Great Episode, as a Man from the Hood of Norfolk, VA going to a Private College in NYC I see both sides (Good/Bad) of Neoliberalism and Them trying to use me and people like me for personal baptism or justify their beliefs.

[@zoehltsen83]

Great video. An admirable effort to explain the system that were living in and take for granted as "the way things are"

[@justicedunham4088]

On the “Token” vs “Tolkien”, I went back and watched older episodes. The subtitles called him “Token”

[@mrillis9259]

Subtitles are terribly racist.

[@henningschafer6712]

Your videos are so damn compelling. Whenever I watch them I become so interested in philosophy ❤️

[@master1442p]

"wow whats he gonna do?" broke me, just the lack of investment was golden

[@kudjoeadkins-battle2502]

I don't know if they meant to do it, but I like to believe that they did. In AAVE, and I am a speaker, a native speaker. We typically wouldn't pronounce "Tolkein" the way it is written. We would pronounce a word spelled like that as "Token".... That to me was one reason the joke was so funny.... In AAVE some double consonants found in the middle of words are not pronounced. One popular example is the word "Little"... In AAVE we pronounce it like "Li-el" which is why we have "Lil" Kim and "Lil" Wayne. When I hear standard speakers pronounce "Lil" I always laugh.

[@yoyoyodaboy]

I loved this episode, it was fascinating! Thanks Michael, you’re the man!!

[@josercamino320]

I just believe that some people replaced god with politics and there god is the all mighty party. (This is mostly sarcastic btw)

[@leonardovalle9019]

Not really, you are spot on. That’s what Nietzsche was referring with “god is dead”. Also, the whole communist idea were based on that, which is why it baffles me that every video this guy touches is a social commentary on capitalism.

[@alenasenie6928]

I have one question, didn't they established his name was Tolkien a few seasons ago? i could have swear it was not something made in the 25th season

[@cherie..cherry]

No because in the captions for the first seasons, his name has always listed been as “Tolkien” 😅

[@seanmaddex4104]

It’s quite fitting that the first movie you were caught sneaking into was South Park bigger longer and uncut.

[@jamiedorsey4167]

Wasn't the whole pajama episode about our performative attitudes around wearing masks? At least that's how I took it. This video comes across more as an excuse to talk about what you want to talk about rather than really listening to what its saying.

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

No.

[@benjaminmadrigalperez9010]

Cartman was literally banned from wearing pajamas.... how is that related to masks??? Did you see the episode???

[@jamiedorsey4167]

@@benjaminmadrigalperez9010 It kind of seems like you're cherry picking one example. And that one in particular, there had to be some plot point that set the controversy in motion. The examples I primarily think of are the people in the real estate office and the domestic disturbance guy who was so against the idea of wearing pajamas that he wouldn't even wear them to bed, and the officer trying to patiently reason with him.

[@eaglescout1984]

The "whole" episode, no. Part of the episode, absolutely. Wearing pajamas starts off as a symbolic gesture of solidarity (like wearing an LGBTQ pin or putting a Ukrainian flag in your front yard). But it becomes something accepted by society as "the right thing to do" so that it morphs into something like wearing masks during COVID where some people are shunned and even businesses begin requiring it to show customers they can feel good about the company's values

[@IanEastonIsJesus]

I’m somewhat convinced that he was high on this episode

[@Elonpocalyps420]

“Use the labour force, Slavoj” - Jacques Lacan

[@ikeduno7973]

Getting caught sneaking into the south park movie is the most meta thing I've ever heard.

[@xTexnarelx]

I loved this video. Is an amazing use of applied philosophy to understand this representation of neoliberalism. thank you!

[@mangaas]

How did you not get what the pajamas were? 🤣🤣🤣

[@lordmegatron4789]

I loved how they used house music during cartman's house advert

[@Sijuste0]

Tell me you don't understand the pyjamas episode without telling me you don't understand it.

[@yurineri2227]

8:36 Not really a correction but just so people are aware, the pope being rich and against rampant neo-liberalism isn't really contradictory or even surprising, he is a priest so he made a vow of poverty, meaning he can't use his money for much stuff (not to mention most of his living expenses are covered by the church) so he just accumulates most of his admittedly big salary as pope (the money he does use almost always goes to charity tho)

[@arvinbuenaagua5161]

he's a jesuit. but all priests swear to poverty

[@yurineri2227]

@@arvinbuenaagua5161 I had read that he was both a Jesuit and a Franciscan, guess that information was wrong so I edited the Franciscan part-out and yeah I knew all priests swear to poverty, I just mention he was a Franciscan since I thought that made the vow of poverty double important since it's very important for their order (at the start of its history they couldn't even own anything) but that was just an assumption so maybe I was wrong, thanks for the corrections

[@catdogmousecheese]

It's also worth mentioning, the federal government gives priests and military personnel huge breaks on their taxes. I'm an accountant.

[@arvinbuenaagua5161]

@@yurineri2227 it's okay. the qualification was appreciated.

[@arvinbuenaagua5161]

@@catdogmousecheese tax breaks for the Church are quite normal in liberal democracies, since separation between church and state cuts both ways. what is blatantly corrupt is the military tax breaks. it's trickle down economics 101.

[@ryanhupp5240]

Oh my God, there’s a personality test for wine. Because of course there is. In the very episode that talks about how the pursuit of profit renders nice things meaningless. You know maybe artists are meant to be starving. Maybe a philosopher who is overcome with worry on how to pay the bills is too caught up in the system to properly objectify it.

[@seth5143]

I completely agree with you but at the same time artistic idealism tends to lead to some questionable behavior as well (ie. the Grateful Dead spiking people's drinks with hallucinogens, hanging out with Hell's Angels, exposing children to decidedly adult activities, letting crowds overflow and trash venues, excessive consumption which we'd need multiple earths in order for everyone to engage in, supporting people who destroy the planet we do have, etc.) Hippies may get better weed from the innovations attending indoor cultivation but it's also far more expensive and harmful than outdoor. I guess it's hard not to cause some damage or be a hypocrite to some degree. Not exactly sure what I'm driving at with all of this, just throwing it out there.

[@quinnp8493]

There is a large scale shortage of housing, landlords are no more greedy in Houston where rent is relatively flat than in Austin where rents are skyrocketing. The issue is the most American cities have turned homes into gold by limiting the supply to land hungry single family homes. In NYC only 10% of all housing is newer than 30 years old. Tokyo by comparison has build roughly 1/2 its housing supply in that same time. Now maybe nobody has wanted to move to New York since the 1990's but rising prices and a population that grows exactly as fast as housing supply strongly suggests that people are trying to outbid eachother for a limited number of available rentals.

[@penelopegreene]

Wisecrack: "If you want to change, I hope you like books, because you're going to have a lot of reading to do!" South Park Al Gore: "And stop by the Supermarket, kids, because we're about to get CEREAL!!!"

[@talideon]

Unlike the Mountain Dew sponsorship, you can't see the soul leaving Michael's body, so it must be good stuff! 🙂

[@Kingdeme]

Pijamas are a metaphor for masks

[@maxmustermann2197]

No, masks are a metaphor for capitalism

[@avancalledrupert5130]

Yep

[@brettbarker3073]

Thank you for the reading list! Keep up the great work. You guys are the best!

[@RaphaelAlejandro]

This was very nice! I wish I could study philosophy with you guys. You helped me a lot already, but could be even more. Commenting for the algorithm.

[@BlueProphet7]

Love this episode. I think you covered (or I bet you're at least familiar with) Bo Burnham's "Inside". One of the many themes in it is the soullessness in what so many people consider to be a vibrant culture. He goes so far as to sing the line "Neoliberal fascists are destroying the left". I think it's neat that we have a lot of creative and philosophically aware performers and artists out there. Thanks for the video.

[@courtneyo2082]

It seemed like you kind of skip the whole commentary on the mask mandates and made it only about crypto, consumer habits and capitalism. It was very clear that they were referring to the masks

[@savagecabbage553]

They're not wrong but I think you gotta think of it as a pivot vs a skip. KZbin and it's algorithm (praise be its benevolent wisdom) will usually flag somthing that talks about COVID or in this case, masks.

[@alfredogonzalez9420]

It seems like you missed the entire episode of them talking about the masks and how it's not pandering completely to either side, do you want them to repeat that whole episode on this one or what?

[@persona189blank6]

@@alfredogonzalez9420 South park may not be completely pandering to either side, but in this episode, it seems like Wisecrack is

[@courtneyo2082]

@@alfredogonzalez9420 yes because if you're going to review an episode that's key theme was the parallels between mask mandate and pj mandate then you review the material for that episode. It doesn't matter if they covered it in another video because that video wasn't a review on this episode

[@alfredogonzalez9420]

@@courtneyo2082 you stupid? This wasn't a review of that episode, the other video is, just watch the other one and stop acting like a clown

[@DonnaSnyder]

Great episode. Very educational. Thanks.

[@keremozturk4134]

I always appreciate a proper reading list. Thanks! 😁

[@Palemagpie]

I rented bigger longer and uncut. when I was 12 from a video store. After having a badly staged conversation with my buddy intentionally within ear shot of the clerk talking about how awesome my 16th birthday party had been. It was probably laughably bad thinking back, and clearly bullshit. Luckily a bored teenager didn't give a shit if I rented a 16 rated movie. Lol we thought we were so smooth too. Rode that ego for weeks.

[@chrism8180]

😂

[@nataliabae3149]

The real versus reality thing is so true. It’s so hard to find a real person to date and hang out with.

[@ichigo9171]

one of the best parts of new SP is more wisecrack on it

[@zeliavoss]

Could you do a whole video building the Star Wars Philosopher lore?

[@zachtaylor8222]

bro, there is a noticeable difference between capitalism and consumerism. its not helpful to mix them up.

[@arkology_city]

I love how leftists hate on people for selling products.......they have to eat and have bills to pay....you expect them to work and give you things for free??? Not everyone can get their paychecks for free from the taxpayers and government like you do. Sorry. Just another example of humanity hating the very people they actively enslave. "I am superior to you because I don't have to give back to society to enable my existence"

[@andrewd2534]

They literally can’t exist without one another

[@zachtaylor8222]

@@andrewd2534 you literally have no idea what words mean

[@andrewd2534]

@@zachtaylor8222 yeah sure explain to me why I’m wrong then

[@lawket]

I interpreted the Pajama Day story as the topic of wearing masks, and how people and companies felt like they were helping COVID by wearing masks and companies were requiring masks to be seated (IHOP), less of "Faith"

[@maxmustermann2197]

Nahh, gotta cram some Marxist philosophy in there

[@NeonNijahn]

Samesies.

[@callahanh14]

Anyone remember in Demolition Man the throw away joke about the franchise wars?

[@chrisdavis1742]

Where is the further reading list?

[@dylanthomas385]

Cool 😎

[@fluffidor]

Wow, this was really fascinating to watch. Like, you actually bring up the allegory of the fish not noticing the water it swims in, but you're not able/willing to notice/acknowledge that the ideology South Park is parodying in this episode - is yours.

[@loudestsack]

After watching this video, I'm convinced the writing staff for this channel are a bunch of aloof pseudo-intellectuals.

[@laurocoman]

@@loudestsack Jared's videos on this season are so much better. Honestly, they are night and day. The guy was the best part of this channel.

[@erikbarrett85]

That song w Ozzy dmx and odb on the south park album is so good. So is that version of bubblegoose

[@edgarmayorga8048]

i think this is my favorite video by you guys so far. Maybe a zizek vs chomsky video in the future.... maybe.....

[@samuelpires3247]

The incredible irony of a philosophy youtube channel opening up a video about woke culture in relation to capitalism with an ad for a subscription wine shipping service is so great it is almost palatable. Truly taking the term "champagne socialist" to the next level.

[@spraynard9529]

You criticize society, yet you live in one. Curious.

[@blase777]

I love how the neoliberalism as a political theology is basically a mirror reflection of communism in former Eastern Bloc. Instead of Party and ideology you've got corporations and consumerism. What Stan basically did with that reading Tolkien shit was an example of 1950s public self-criticism by Eastern European intellectuals and politicians, who wanted to avoid ostracism from their colleagues and supervisors, who were believing in communism (often from cynical and pragmatic reasons).

[@Kruemelcx]

So you're saying... capitalism = communism?

[@Kimchii]

I mean remember the scause for a clause episode it basically was the same notion of performative activism

[@davesleyer9393]

Worlds longest wine comercial… I still don’t want to drink wine. Maybe even less

[@tectonicallyinsane3450]

Posted 15 seconds ago

[@finngraf645]

great video, really appreciate what you do

[@elkudos6262]

I thought pajamas were a placeholder for surgical masks.

[@secularmonk5176]

It was. This channel makes everything into a trail of bread crumbs back to Marxism

[@allencallahan1478]

Superb commentary. Kudos!

[@schtuff.8207]

I hope you guys can sustain yourselves, I'm shocked how few views these great videos are getting lately. KZbin is trying to bury you guys for whatever reason - they don't like anti-capitalist rhetoric I suppose...

[@Gypsygeekfreak17]

Communism is wrong

[@SquishyProductions]

@@Gypsygeekfreak17 There's more economic systems than capitalism and communism. Try googling it if you have any intellectual curiosity. For example, one proposes a law that workers be paid part of their wages in stock shares making them share holders. The only people corporations care about. It also gives them say in how the company is run. And that's just one proposal. Of course they're all about empowering the working class and so none of them will see the light of day. But there *IS* more than capitalism and communism out there.

[@Gypsygeekfreak17]

@@SquishyProductions still wrong

[@bocchithean-cap3404]

Good

[@Ryuujinv01]

This is why people who are correct, know that CNN and the "MSM" that most Trumpers complain about, are all actually 'right wing' propaganda networks, working right there alongside Fox to push the neoliberal views, but they exist to capture the half who's put off by the obvious racism of Fox. Neoliberal doesn't equate to capitalism, it's over glorified laissez faire cruelty. The videos points about how pervasive it is are accurate considering Bernies tax proposals were more than 10 TIMES to the right of NIXON but he's supposed to be our "socialist boogieman". And all this shit gets labeled as anti capitalism, when really, it's just pro successful capitalism, because successful capitalism has rules, regulations, and taxes, to ensure the market is as free as possible. Because in the absence of those structures, those who would power game and ruin communism, also ruin capitalism, if they're placed into a simulation of either.

[@WisecrackEDU]

What's your favorite moment in season 25 so far? Thanks again to Bright Cellars for sponsoring the video! Click here www.brightcellars.com/wisecrack4 to get 50% off your first 6 bottle box!

[@tectonicallyinsane3450]

Animation style in the first few seasons was unique and hand crafted so I loved them. Haven’t watched a lot in a couple months.

[@SVMSICE]

I didn't know it was on. I'll have to catch up! Can you still watch it for free on Southpark Studios?

[@akumaking1]

Why hasn’t South Park viscerally mocked Biden yet?

[@violet6450]

Hi, where is the reading list?

[@azcurraarndt899]

the 'lacan as the obi wan to Zizek's skywalker' quote cracked me up

[@ramontavaresdacruz2256]

Great, now I know I have something in common with Michael, I also sneaked up to watch South Park, but I wasn't caught, the next day all I did during school time was tell my friends to find a way to watch it because it was the one of the best movies ever

[@juliojap6470]

Awesome analysis! Jared also covered it in his new channel. Any other fans of him in here?

[@spmil999]

What's the channel?

[@juliojap6470]

@@spmil999 Just type Jared Bauer on youtube. I can't post the link

[@maxmustermann2197]

Yeah, much better analysis, here everyting is looked at from a very narrow perspective now

[@1998halflife]

Pajamas are masks, it's really that easy.

[@caseyboutell409]

Does anyone else see the irony of a rant on how neoliberalism effects ever facet of society is preceded by a 2 minute advertisement

[@maxmustermann2197]

Fish in water...

[@MachineGunKelly420]

I thought the pajamas were a stand in for masks?