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'South Park' is changing its name, at least for now, to 'South America.' This is the latest provocation from the creators of the popular American animated series, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who have decided to poke fun at President Donald Trump's initiatives to rename certain geographic locations. "Inspired by the courage and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to South America," Stone and Parker wrote in a statement published on the series' official channels.
The new season of 'South Park' will debut on September 16.
The announcement comes after "South Park," now in its 29th season, won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program on Sunday. The image shared on social media shows the show's iconic town sign with the word "Park" replaced by "America." It's unclear whether "South America" will be the show's permanent name or whether "South Park" will be reverted to later in the season.
The joke specifically targets the Trump administration's decisions on toponymy.
Last year, the president ordered the use of the name "Gulf of America" instead of "Gulf of Mexico." Mexico rejected the decision, arguing that a single country cannot unilaterally change the name of a shared international body of water. In August, Trump also ordered the renaming of Lake Ontario to "Lake America."
Apple and Google later updated the name in their respective Maps apps for users in the United States. In their statement, Stone and Parker also thanked the company that owns the series, Paramount Skydance, sarcastically calling it a "Skydance Capitulation." The reference comes against the backdrop of the complex situation in the US media industry and consolidation efforts among major entertainment groups.
South Park, which has been on the air since 1997, has repeatedly targeted Trump during his two presidencies. Its creators have been repeatedly criticized by the president, the White House, and supporters of the MAGA movement.
During its 27th season, the White House labeled the show "fourth-rate," accusing it of being "hanging by a thread" and resorting to uninspired ideas in a desperate bid for attention. The backlash came after an episode depicting Trump naked in bed with Satan.
Even after winning its latest Emmy, 'South Park' hasn't given up on political satire: the show posted an image depicting a caricature of Trump accompanied by the phrase, "You finally got your Emmy." (by Paolo Martini)
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