The creators of the long-running animated series South Park have officially changed the show’s title to South America, a pointed mockery of tech giants and their own corporate parent for bowing to a recent presidential directive. The move, announced on Tuesday, quickly took effect on Comedy Central’s website by Wednesday morning.
Why the Name Change?
President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed for renaming well-known geographic landmarks with U.S.-centric titles, most recently calling for Lake Ontario to be changed to “Lake America.” Both Apple and Google agreed to adopt this change on their map applications, a decision that did not go unnoticed by South Park co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
In a statement released Tuesday, the duo said: “Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA.” The sarcasm was unmistakable, as they also took aim at their own employer, the Trump-approved media conglomerate Paramount Skydance. “We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation,” they added.
Season Premiere and Fallout
The 29th season of the show, now billed as South America, is scheduled to premiere next Wednesday at 10 p.m. EDT and PDT on Comedy Central, which is owned by Paramount Skydance. As of Wednesday morning, TV Guide still listed the program under its original name, South Park.
Neither Google, Apple, Paramount, nor the White House responded to requests for comment on Wednesday.
A History of Satire
Since its debut in 1997, South Park has built a reputation for irreverent, Emmy-winning satire of American culture and politics. In recent seasons, the show has taken a decidedly anti-Trump stance, even featuring a caricature of the president impregnating Satan. The latest title change continues that tradition, using humor to highlight what the creators see as corporate compliance with political pressure.