A
meta-analysis of the forces driving Donald Trump's election success, anthropomorphized as smiling
grape-like fruits. Member berries represent insight by
South Park's creators into the alt-right's ground game: an
avalanche of references to 80s and 90s culture, noted for its repression of non-
white, non-heterosexual elements, distract from the far right's contempt for the social progress achieved in the 2000s and 2010s and act as a buffer against confrontation by social progressives over the right's continued resistance. Member berries are especially powerful in the context of "family friendly" environs, such as community Facebook groups, IRC, and informally organized meetings, in that they focus the conversation on media that is likely to be less diverse in its presentation. Member berries remind the alt-right, the far-right, and the white center-right of ostensibly shared goals and create a climate of exclusion and discrimination against non-whites and non-heterosexuals. The very memory of less tolerant times is enough to create
rage in the out-group, which feels invited or
even obligated to act out in protest. The act outs in turn invite (or compel) "centrist" moderators to remove the excluded, thereby
cutting the out-group off from the community and marginalizing its representation in debate. Once the
white/hetero element is consolidated, hateful rhetoric is ratcheted up considerably and white nationalist themes become "normalized" in the group.
"'Member
Chewbacca again?" "I 'member!" "'Member feeling safe? And no ISIS? 'Member when
marriage was only between a
man and a woman? 'Member Reagan?" "Oh yeah, I 'member!"
"Something wrong with these member berries!"
