South Park seems to be borrowing a tactic from Donald Trump: if you dislike a name, change it. The long-running animated satire has revealed a new moniker for its upcoming 29th season – it will now go by the name South America.
In a characteristic ironic twist, the show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, announced the name change as a direct jab at the U.S. president and his endeavors to rename various geographical features to include “America.” They expressed their inspiration from tech giants Apple and Google in making this bold move, thanking their parent company Paramount for their support.
This shift in name holds significance due to the underlying tensions within the show’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, which is linked to David Ellison. The Ellisons are currently embroiled in legal disputes over alleged dealings with Trump to facilitate the Paramount and Warner Bros. merger.
Trump’s trend of renaming geographic landmarks began during his second term, with attempts to change the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and more recently, directing the renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America. While some entities resisted these changes, tech companies like Apple and Google faced backlash for accommodating Trump’s renaming efforts on their maps.
The announcement of the rebranded South America came shortly after Trump proposed renaming New Mexico to New America. Whether this name change is a passing joke or a theme for the new season remains to be seen, aligning with the show’s tradition of satirizing Trump and his presidency.
South Park, known for its Emmy-winning controversial humor since 1997, has continuously mocked Trump and his administration, sparking backlash from Trump supporters. The show’s recent Emmy win was celebrated with a jab at Trump on social media, highlighting the ongoing feud between them.
The upcoming season of South Park, now South America, is set to premiere on September 16 on Comedy Central, followed by its Canadian debut on Paramount+ the next day.