The creators of South Park have renamed their long-running animated series “South America,” a pointed satire of President Trump’s recent executive orders to rename U.S. geographic features. The announcement came Tuesday, shortly after the show won an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program.
“Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA,” co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said in a statement. “We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation.”
The move echoes Trump’s August executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” following last year’s order that changed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” In the days after those orders, Apple Maps and Google Maps updated their platforms to reflect the new names, despite criticism from users.
Parker and Stone have been openly critical of Trump’s actions, particularly the administration’s pressure on tech companies. The show’s 27th season premiere depicted Trump in bed with Satan, with the president character constantly screaming and threatening to sue anyone who hurt his feelings or defied him. The episode also featured FCC Chair Brendan Carr as a sycophantic official.
The reference to “Skydance Capitulation” alludes to the $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance, which was approved by the FCC last year. That approval came after Paramount agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by Trump for $16 million, a decision that Parker and Stone have mocked on the show.
The show’s official Instagram account also took a swipe at Trump this week after the Emmy win, posting an image of an animated Trump character with his pants down holding an Emmy, with the text: “You finally got your Emmy.” Trump was nominated for an Emmy twice for NBC’s The Apprentice in 2004 and 2005, but lost both times to CBS’s The Amazing Race.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the renaming. The move is the latest in a series of cultural clashes between the entertainment industry and the Trump administration, which has increasingly used executive orders to assert control over naming conventions and federal policy.
As voter verification battles continue in the courts, and with 9/11 remembrance events on the horizon, the renaming of a cartoon show may seem trivial, but it underscores the deep political divisions that remain a hallmark of Trump’s presidency.
