‘South Park’ is back with a bang, and this time, the satirical show is taking shots at President Donald Trump and Paramount, the parent company of Comedy Central.
The delayed Season 27 premiere of ‘South Park’ didn’t hold back, tackling the topic of “wokeness” and featuring a Trump character suing the residents of South Park for $5 billion after they protest Jesus appearing in local schools.
In one scene, Jesus references Comedy Central’s parent company and ongoing litigation around its pending sale, saying, “I didn’t want to come back and be in the school, but I had to because it was part of a lawsuit and the agreement with Paramount.”
Jesus then warns the residents of South Park, “You guys saw what happened to CBS? Well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount. You really want to end up like Colbert? You guys got to stop being stupid.”
The town eventually agrees to settle and produce pro-Trump PSAs, showcasing the Trump character as a sensitive bully who threatens to tariff or sue anyone who disagrees with him.
A Presidential Portrayal
In one controversial scene, the show superimposes a photo of the president over animation, depicting Trump in bed with Satan.
‘South Park’ creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are no strangers to causing controversy, and this scene is reminiscent of a similar depiction in 1999, when they showed Saddam Hussein in a relationship with Satan.
This time around, Satan tells the Trump character, “It’s weird that whenever it comes up, you just tell everyone to relax,” referencing the Epstein case.
A White House Response
The White House was quick to respond to the episode, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers downplaying the show’s relevance and accusing it of being “desperate for attention.”
Rogers stated, “President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak.”
A Creator’s Response
Trey Parker briefly responded to the backlash while attending an event in San Diego, saying “we’re terribly sorry,” followed by a long, dead-pan comic stare.
A Larger Context
The season premiere comes on the heels of Parker and Stone’s dissatisfaction with the planned acquisition of Paramount Global by Skydance Media and its impact on their contract negotiations.
In a recent social media post, the two creators expressed their frustration, saying “This merger is a s**tshow and it’s f**king up South Park.” They added, “We are at the studio working on new episodes and we hope the fans get to see them somehow.”
Their concerns were alleviated somewhat with the announcement of a $1.5 billion deal to stream all “South Park” episodes on Paramount+ and an order for 50 more episodes to air on Comedy Central.