The White House has got its panties in a bunch/knickers in a twist over the return of South Park to television screens this Wednesday after a break of two years. The animated series’ explosive season premiere, titled Sermon on the Mount, featured President Donald Trump in bed with Satan, sparking outrage among officials and sparking a political firestorm.
The episode touched on sensitive political and cultural issues, including the recent demise of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Trump’s ongoing legal battles against Paramount, and broader concerns over government censorship of media. The episode also incorporated scenes critiquing the current political climate, with characters engaging in debates about free speech, privilege, and the influence of the mainstream media.
In a statement to Variety, White House spokesperson – a typically over-made-up bottle blonde called Taylor Rogers – expressed her disapproval of the show’s content and its cultural implications. ‘The Left’s hypocrisy truly has no end,’ she hissed. ‘For years, they have condemned South Park for what they called offensive content, yet now suddenly they are praising the show. This inconsistency reveals their true intentions — an obsession with controlling narratives rather than embracing free expression.’ Big words for a Trump spokesperson!
Rogers went on to do that very Trump-ian thing of dismissing the show’s relevance. ‘South Park hasn’t been culturally significant for over two decades, and its recent attempts at relevance are desperate,’ said a woman desperate enough to work for Trump. ‘President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than many previous administrations in a century, and no juvenile cartoon can derail his momentum.’
The episode itself sees Cartman – the series’ notorious antagonist – despondent over the cancellation of a fictional NPR radio show, which he claims is shut down by Trump. The show’s plot humorously depicts Trump as dismissive and self-absorbed, decorating the White House with nude portraits of himself and engaging in risqué bed scenes with Satan, who comments on Trump’s manhood and alleges connections to the Epstein scandal.
Meanwhile, the town of South Park reacts to national controversies. When the children’s school principal brings Jesus into an assembly, the townsfolk riot, reflecting the show’s typical satirical take on societal divisions. In the White House, Trump is caricatured criticising rising tariffs and trivialising critics, displaying a series of satirical images that include him in bed with Satan. The creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, opted for a unique visual style in this season opener, overlaying Trump’s face onto animated bodies assembled from real photographs.
The episode’s plot thickens as Trump finds himself embroiled in legal battles, suing South Park residents for $5 billion over the depiction of Jesus in the school and the broader controversy surrounding his policies. The episode culminates with the town negotiating a settlement, which includes a disturbing requirement for them to produce “pro-Trump messaging” in public service announcements—a move that satirises government propaganda and media manipulation.
Adding to the animated series’ audacity, the episode features NSFW deepfake adverts portraying an unclothed President Trump navigating a desert landscape, epitomising South Park’s signature blend of irreverent humour and political commentary.
The return of South Park coincides with a lucrative new licensing deal valued at approximately $1.5 billion (£1.1 billion) with Paramount. This agreement guarantees the debut of fifty new episodes over the next five years, all airing on Paramount’s Comedy Central channel, alongside a new streaming partnership that will bring the series’ extensive library to Paramount+ in the United States.
The licensing deal is notable not just for its scope but also for its timing, set against the backdrop of a pending corporate merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, the latter led by billionaire and Trump ally David Ellison. This consolidation follows recent legal disputes, including a settlement with Trump over allegations of election interference in the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris — a move that further underscores the complex intersections of entertainment, corporate interests, and politics.
As South Park continues to push boundaries and challenge political norms, the White House’s vehement reaction underscores the cultural tensions of our time: a clash between free expression in comedy and political sensitivities. Whether the show’s satirical provocations will impact public discourse remains to be seen, but its return signals that in the battleground of American cultural politics, nothing is off-limits.
[Picture: Paramount+]
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