Black Friday

This clip from the satirical show "South Park" depicts crazed Black Friday shoppers at the South Park Mall. The security guards brace themselves before opening the doors, praying for their lives. Once the doors are opened the shoppers immediately begin to reap chaos and violence. The floors are covered with pools of blood. A woman is seen beating another woman with a baseball bat. Another lady uses her child to reach a n item placed on a high shelf. It even features actual clips from Black Friday madnesses. At the end of the clip, fourth-graders Eric Cartman, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick and a few others walk into the video game store. They seem to be unaffected by the gruesome result of Black Friday and ask for a Xbox One gaming system at the store. The employee, too, seems unfazed by the aftermath of the scene throughout the mall and cheerfully greets them. This clip clearly ridicules crazed Americans on Black Friday. They spend their holidays waiting in long lines to get little discounts on unnecessary items. This would not be so egregious if these shoppers carried themselves in a civil manner. Instead, they literally trample one another. The episode employs exaggeration to underline this issue, but it does not stray too far from the truth. It is effective in conveying its message, as the absurdity of it all forces us to think about our crazed consumerism. The familiar Charlie Brown holiday music at the end also makes the ordeal more humorous.