Contagion in South Park: The List -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 17:55:54 04/20/08 Sun
Author: JPJ II
Subject: Contagion in South Park: The List

South Park, as we have often noted, often demonstrates the mob mentality and contagion (though sometimes a little sloppily). In the episode 'The List', the boys all find out that the girls have a list ranking the males from Cutest to Ugliest. Immediately, they begin to point fingers to one another, trying to label the ugliest. Kyle, ever the voice of reason, is the only one to say that he doesn't care who what the list says. Predictably, all fingers then point to Kyle. Kyle becomes ostracized by the group for attempting to dissuade them from pointing fingers; he becomes the victim he dissuaded them from singling out. Of course, Kyle reciprocates the violence forced upon him (he gets thrown out of his group and condemned to the 'ugly kid' table) by trying to burn down the school. Mob contagion leading to reciprocal violence. Thank you South Park.

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