For its nearly 30-year run, South Park has been known for using toilet humor and ruthless commentary to mock various groups of people. The show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have tackled everyone from celebrities to foreign governments with no holds barred. But when the show returned last week after a hiatus, it was to address the current political climate that some satirists find challenging.
In 2016, Parker and Stone expressed reluctance to comment on President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in an interview with Vanity Fair. They stated that reflecting on previous elections had been “a mind scramble” for them, and they didn’t want to tackle the specter of Trump’s potential re-election in their upcoming season.
However, it appears that this stance has changed after the show’s latest premiere. With Trump having returned to office, South Park may feel compelled to address him once again. The shift in tone suggests that the show’s creators are now looking for new ways to satirize politics and current events.
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/south-park-trump-episode-paramount-satire/683722