"In July, South Park secured a $1.5 billion contract with Paramount. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone also signed an overall deal to produce new episodes and content through South Park Studios." -- Aj Jimenez, 8th grade
In July, South Park secured a $1.5 billion contract with Paramount. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone also signed an overall deal to produce new episodes and content through South Park Studios. This is major news for fans eager for more content. However, what caught many off guard was South Park’s return to making episodes about the Trump administration.
South Park had previously made episodes about Trump, but these new ones might be the funniest yet. In Jesse Hassenger’s article, “South Park has become the most important TV show of the Trump 2.0 era,” he writes, “he’s also given the same romantic partner: a muscled-up and put-upon version of Satan, who has found himself in another toxic relationship.”
The latest South Park episodes put Donald Trump into a satirical storyline where he’s involved in a strange relationship, an unexpected pregnancy, and topics like tariffs, immigration, and even the “end times” from a Biblical angle. Trump and his team haven’t taken it well—a spokesperson called the show “uninspired and irrelevant.” But Piper Stuip, a 12th grader at Oakland School for the Arts, said it’s “...very up South Park's alley. It's how they usually do–real events and dramatizing them, but the Trump episode isn't really too dramatized.”
But how are other audiences reacting to South Park’s take on Trump? “I think it was a humorous jab at the politician and president,” said Literary Arts 8th grader Cece Burger, who also thinks it's “...an interesting way to kind of rebel against the government.” Cece Burger has also expressed that the satirical episodes aren't far from the truth, saying, “While I haven't seen [many] of the episodes, I don't think they're exaggerating much.”
Another Lit Arts student, 8th grader Sayuri Espinoza, agrees. “...The Trump one [the South Park episodes] was hella realistic on what he actually does, and they just so accurately depict what he said. ‘Don't worry about it, don't do that, it doesn't matter!’ It's literally him.”
Donald Trump isn’t the only white, right-wing conservative targeted by South Park episodes and online ridicule. The show has also featured figures like JD Vance, Kristi Noem, and even political commentators such as Charlie Kirk. By satirizing multiple prominent conservatives, South Park highlights how public figures across the right-wing spectrum become subjects of both parody and criticism—not just Trump alone.
In Keegan Kelly’s article it details what exactly happened in the show and how Charlie Kirk himself has reacted to it.
“Charlie Kirk Edits Out the ‘South Park’ Line About His Own Deceptive Video Editing” she writes, “When Kirk recorded himself reacting to his South Park parody in “Got a Nut,” he and his podcasting team cut the line in which Cartman, who spent the episode imitating Kirk…admitted that his debate videos are rigged in his favor. “I’m getting really good at this! I have my arguments down rock-solid; these young college girls are totally unprepared, so I can just destroy them,” Cartman tells his mom of his "master debating," continuing, “And, also, edit out all the ones who actually argue back well.”
"Guess which half of the line was missing from Kirk’s stream?” Which is honestly absurd—Kirk ended up proving South Park’s point perfectly. He edited out the exact part of the episode that calls him out for that behavior, yet denied it. Piper Stuip agrees. “I did see Charlie's reaction vaguely. I think it's funny that he sort of tries to be in on a joke when it's about him. He’s an easy person to make fun of.”
South Park’s political commentary/comedy matters because it challenges authority and sparks important conversations. However, this very bold approach could provoke backlash from the Trump administration and its loyal followers, especially since some late-night shows, like The Jimmy Kimmel Show and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, have already been canceled under political pressure.
Jimmy Kimmel had said, “We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it.” This ultimately led to his show being canceled, as people found it to be rude and insensitive.
Could the same happen to South Park? It's worth considering what losing such satirical voices would mean for free speech and open debate, since we've already lost two whole shows. Luckily, Jimmy Kimmel’s show has come back, but my point still stands.
While some people online—such as Republicans—see South Park as disrespectful, weird, and/or childish, some students at our school find South Park funny. They’ve noticed how the show continues to push boundaries by creating controversial, satirical episodes about famous people and still manages to get away with it.
“South Park has been going on for so long, and their whole thing is to crap on people,” says Sayuri Espinoza, pointing out the show’s long history of targeting many different kinds of public figures. Some even said it makes politics feel less serious and more approachable when shows like South Park poke fun at big names.
South Park had previously made episodes about Trump, but these new ones might be the funniest yet. In Jesse Hassenger’s article, “South Park has become the most important TV show of the Trump 2.0 era,” he writes, “he’s also given the same romantic partner: a muscled-up and put-upon version of Satan, who has found himself in another toxic relationship.”
The latest South Park episodes put Donald Trump into a satirical storyline where he’s involved in a strange relationship, an unexpected pregnancy, and topics like tariffs, immigration, and even the “end times” from a Biblical angle. Trump and his team haven’t taken it well—a spokesperson called the show “uninspired and irrelevant.” But Piper Stuip, a 12th grader at Oakland School for the Arts, said it’s “...very up South Park's alley. It's how they usually do–real events and dramatizing them, but the Trump episode isn't really too dramatized.”
But how are other audiences reacting to South Park’s take on Trump? “I think it was a humorous jab at the politician and president,” said Literary Arts 8th grader Cece Burger, who also thinks it's “...an interesting way to kind of rebel against the government.” Cece Burger has also expressed that the satirical episodes aren't far from the truth, saying, “While I haven't seen [many] of the episodes, I don't think they're exaggerating much.”
Another Lit Arts student, 8th grader Sayuri Espinoza, agrees. “...The Trump one [the South Park episodes] was hella realistic on what he actually does, and they just so accurately depict what he said. ‘Don't worry about it, don't do that, it doesn't matter!’ It's literally him.”
Donald Trump isn’t the only white, right-wing conservative targeted by South Park episodes and online ridicule. The show has also featured figures like JD Vance, Kristi Noem, and even political commentators such as Charlie Kirk. By satirizing multiple prominent conservatives, South Park highlights how public figures across the right-wing spectrum become subjects of both parody and criticism—not just Trump alone.
In Keegan Kelly’s article it details what exactly happened in the show and how Charlie Kirk himself has reacted to it.
“Charlie Kirk Edits Out the ‘South Park’ Line About His Own Deceptive Video Editing” she writes, “When Kirk recorded himself reacting to his South Park parody in “Got a Nut,” he and his podcasting team cut the line in which Cartman, who spent the episode imitating Kirk…admitted that his debate videos are rigged in his favor. “I’m getting really good at this! I have my arguments down rock-solid; these young college girls are totally unprepared, so I can just destroy them,” Cartman tells his mom of his "master debating," continuing, “And, also, edit out all the ones who actually argue back well.”
"Guess which half of the line was missing from Kirk’s stream?” Which is honestly absurd—Kirk ended up proving South Park’s point perfectly. He edited out the exact part of the episode that calls him out for that behavior, yet denied it. Piper Stuip agrees. “I did see Charlie's reaction vaguely. I think it's funny that he sort of tries to be in on a joke when it's about him. He’s an easy person to make fun of.”
South Park’s political commentary/comedy matters because it challenges authority and sparks important conversations. However, this very bold approach could provoke backlash from the Trump administration and its loyal followers, especially since some late-night shows, like The Jimmy Kimmel Show and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, have already been canceled under political pressure.
Jimmy Kimmel had said, “We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it.” This ultimately led to his show being canceled, as people found it to be rude and insensitive.
Could the same happen to South Park? It's worth considering what losing such satirical voices would mean for free speech and open debate, since we've already lost two whole shows. Luckily, Jimmy Kimmel’s show has come back, but my point still stands.
While some people online—such as Republicans—see South Park as disrespectful, weird, and/or childish, some students at our school find South Park funny. They’ve noticed how the show continues to push boundaries by creating controversial, satirical episodes about famous people and still manages to get away with it.
“South Park has been going on for so long, and their whole thing is to crap on people,” says Sayuri Espinoza, pointing out the show’s long history of targeting many different kinds of public figures. Some even said it makes politics feel less serious and more approachable when shows like South Park poke fun at big names.
