The animated series South Park has made headlines with the announcement of its new title, South America. This change appears to be a clever jab at President Donald Trump, who has made headlines for his attempts to rename geographical locations.
Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker expressed their thoughts in a statement, stating, “In light of the courage and patriotism displayed by Apple and Google, we are rebranding South Park to SOUTH AMERICA.” The reference ties back to Trump’s executive decision from August, which aimed to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America and his previous declaration to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
The title change coincides with the show’s 29th season and follows a recent Emmy win for Outstanding Animated Program. The announcement was made through the program’s official social media, showcasing a modified image of the South Park sign, with ‘Park’ substituted for ‘America’.
Context Behind the Name Change
Stone and Parker also took the opportunity to thank their parent company, Paramount, humorously referring to it as a “Skydance Capitulation” in their announcement. This comes amid significant media landscape changes, including a massive merger between Warner Bros Discovery approved by the Trump administration, which has faced legal challenges from multiple states.
Just a day prior to this major announcement, Trump shared a digitally altered video showing him replacing ‘Mexico’ with ‘America’ on a sign welcoming visitors to New Mexico. This follows a series of renaming efforts by Trump, including the contentious decision regarding Lake Ontario, which has been met with disapproval from Mexico, arguing that such changes to shared waters cannot be made unilaterally.
South Park’s Ongoing Relationship with Trump
Since its inception in 1997, South Park has been known for its sharp satire, particularly targeting Trump during his time in office. The creators have often faced backlash from Trump himself and his supporters for their critical portrayals of him.
In response to the show’s content, the White House previously labeled South Park as a “fourth-rate” program struggling for relevance after an episode that depicted the president in a compromising situation with Satan. Following their Emmy win, the show also shared a satirical image of a fictional Trump with the caption, “You finally got your Emmy.” The upcoming season is set to premiere on September 16.
