NationStates Jolt Archive

Have you ever heard of the little people under the earth? They used to hang out around my school and I was wondering where they went and what their purpose in life was. Does anyone have any information about them?

If they looked like this then they're underpants gnomes. Their mission in life is to make profit. Here's the plan.

Step 1, collect underpants
Step 2,
Step 3, profits.
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2427/1242/1600/UnderpantsGnomes1.jpg

And what was step two? I don't think they were because there were no filings for underpants theft in the office. How exactly do they make a profit from underpants and can people other than underpants gnomes make a profit from underpants? (I'm hurting for money right now)

And what was step two? I don't think they were because there were no filings for underpants theft in the office. How exactly do they make a profit from underpants and can people other than underpants gnomes make a profit from underpants? (I'm hurting for money right now)
Well, step 1 is collect underpants.

I know that already. Step two?

I know that already. Step two?
um, step 3 is profit.

The Underpants Gnomes have a three-phase business plan, consisting of:

Collect underpants
???
Profit!
None of the gnomes actually know what the second phase is, and all of them assume that someone else within the organization does. A similar business model is also found in one episode of Arthur, where an organization of pets form the Sock Exchange. The gnomes specifically satirize dot-com businesses with poorly devised business models, although the satire lends itself to any ill-conceived business plan. The three-step business plan has become a recurring joke on websites like Slashdot, Fark, MetaFilter, with various things substituted for the first step. The Gnomes may be a parody of a Looney Tunes episode Yankee Dood It (1956), where Elmer Fudd educates some elves, who help a shoemaker in his trade, on how a business operates, all while trying to evade Sylvester the Cat, who discovered that the word "Jehosephat" turns elves into mice.

In the episode, Tweek (who appears for the first time here) stays up very late and consequently sees the Underpants Gnomes stealing his underwear. At the same time, Tweek's father manipulates the boys into giving a report condemning "Harbucks" Coffee, his big-company competitor. The town agrees to vote whether or not to allow big companies in South Park, but ultimately, after the boys talk to the Underpants Gnomes about business, it is decided that big companies are good, since after all, companies have to be good to get to be so powerful; Tweek's father is offered a position as Manager of Harbucks but replies, "that won't be necessary, I'm sure we'll make more than enough money selling our son into slavery."

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underpants_Gnomes

ok, that makes sense. Sounds like your average business structure. So do they sell the underpants?

ok, that makes sense. Sounds like your average business structure. So do they sell the underpants?Would you buy used underpants?
I mean, if you're not Japanese and they didn't belong to a highschool girl. In which case they'd not be called underpants but panties, but that's besides the point.

Well, i don't know how they make a profit with them if they don't sell them. What other way could they possibly use them?

Well, i don't know how they make a profit with them if they don't sell them. What other way could they possibly use them?Fertiliser? Art exhibit? Alchemy? Genetics experiments?
Who knows, the gnomes themselves certainly don't, it's step two of their plan.

ah, ok. but that still doesn't explain the little people. I'm pretty sure that they aren't underpants gnomes. But then again, they were always mysterious, so there is a slight possibility that they are.

Their purpose is to make people wonder what their purpose is. They can only exist when people think about them, as they feed off of the brain waves devoted to their existence, and the only way they can make people continually think about them is by being mysterious.

By jove, you've got it! I'm going to post that onto the announcement board so they will come back. There are too many brain waves floating around and they need to be consumed. Thank you. You've solved it.