Paramount Pictures
- "South Park" mocked CBS and Trump hours after the network's owner, Paramount, announced a streaming deal for the show.CBS canceled Colbert's show, sparking criticism of potential political motives from other TV hosts, including Jon Stewart.A White House spokesperson told BI that the "South Park" episode was "a desperate attempt for attention."
Hours after Paramount announced a reported $1.5 billion "South Park" deal, the show's creators aired a raunchy episode that made it clear they're not afraid to bite the hand that feeds them.
Wednesday night's season opener for the long-running series went full throttle. It criticized Paramount's $16 million settlement with Trump, CBS's cancellation of Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show (CBS is owned by Paramount), made jokes about the Epstein files, and showcased scenes of Trump cozying up in bed with Satan.
The episode ended with an AI deepfake of President Donald Trump walking naked through the desert.
It prompted a seething response from the White House, with a spokesperson saying "no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak."
YouTube/South Park Studios
The episode put a spotlight on "South Park's" ownership structure and licensing deals. It airs on Comedy Central, which is also owned by Paramount through its MTV Entertainment Group division. Under the terms of the new 50-episode Paramount deal struck by show creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the past 26 seasons of "South Park" are now exclusively available to stream on Paramount+ in the US.
CBS earlier this week said its decision to end Colbert's popular nightly series after more than three decades was due to financial considerations. Reports indicated the show was losing more than $40 million a year. Critics of the move, including late-night TV hosts such as Comedy Central's Jon Stewart, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, and NBC's Jimmy Fallon, suggested the decision was politically motivated.
Paramount earlier this month agreed to pay Trump a $16 million settlement over a lawsuit the president filed against the company, which accused CBS's "60 Minutes" of "deceptive editing" of its October interview with former vice president Kamala Harris. Colbert referenced the settlement, which didn't include an apology or a statement of regret, in an episode on July 14 titled "A Big Bribe."
In a post on Truth Social a few days later, Trump cheered the end of Colbert's show, characterizing it as a firing.
Wednesday's "South Park" episode repeatedly took shots at Paramount and Trump, who was represented in animated and AI deepfake form.
Parts of the episode showed Trump with his face on a blurred, animated naked body cozying up in bed with Satan, a recurring character on the show. It also includes jokes about the Trump administration's lawsuits against media companies, as well as his genitalia.
"The Left's hypocrisy truly has no end," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Business Insider. "For years they have come after South Park for what they labeled as 'offense' content, but suddenly they are praising the show."
Rogers added that Wednesday's episode is "a desperate attempt for attention."
Paramount did not respond to a request for comment.
"South Park" first aired in 1997 CBS's Comedy Central and quickly became a hit known for raunchy, no-holds-barred satire. Its episodes have directly poked fun at sensitive topics ranging from religion and gender identity to school shootings and child abuse. Though animated, it's targeted to adults and frequently contains profanity.
The episode's plot includes commentary on religion in public schools and a storyline in which Trump sues the fictional town of South Park, Colorado, for criticizing his actions in the White House.
Its recurring character Jesus also makes an appearance before the town's citizens, saying the only reason he is at the town's school is because "of a lawsuit and the agreement with Paramount."
"The guy can do whatever he wants now that someone has backed down," the Jesus character says, in reference to Trump.
"You guys saw what happened to CBS? Well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount," the character continues. "You really want to end up like Colbert? You guys got to stop being stupid."
"Just shut up or we're going to get canceled, you idiots," the character continues, saying Trump has "the power to sue" and that "South Park is over."
