Each episode of “South Park” opens with a disclaimer: “All characters and occasions on this present — even these based mostly on actual folks — are fully fictional. All celeb voices are impersonated … poorly. The next program accommodates coarse language and on account of its content material it shouldn’t be considered by anybody.”
Whereas a few of that language should be required by an exhausted authorized workforce behind the scenes, the long-running satirical cartoon is understood for urgent hot-button subjects and quickly churning out searing parodies. Season 27, which premiered in July, isn’t any exception, specializing in President Trump, his associates, insurance policies and different present occasions. Some members of Trump’s cupboard have been outspoken about their likeness showing in “South Park,” however others have shrugged it off. Over time, the animated collection has depicted conservatives and liberals alike, leaving nearly no public determine, politician or activist shielded from critique or crude depiction.
This season has had an uncommon cadence of episodes, with the primary two arriving on a weekly schedule, then biweekly earlier than the arrival of Episode 5, which aired three weeks in a while Wednesday. The delayed episode arrived after the taking pictures dying of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose debate model was depicted within the Episode 2. Nevertheless, “South Park” creators Matt Parker and Trey Stone instructed the Denver Publish the delay was unrelated to current occasions, like Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, or the content material: “Nobody pulled the episode, nobody censored us, and you recognize we’d say so if true.” The pair had issued a press release on Sept. 17 saying the episode wasn’t completed in time. Future episodes will air each two weeks by means of Dec. 10.
Here’s a information to each parody and reference thus far on this season of “South Park.”
This story will likely be up to date with every new episode.
‘Sermon on the ‘Mount,’ Episode 1
Cartman in “Sermon on the ‘Mount.”
(Comedy Central)
Slicing funding to the Corp. for Public Broadcasting
Cartman is dismayed to seek out out Nationwide Public Radio has misplaced its federal funding after he tunes in to listen to static — an NPR program is his “favourite present,” he says, the place “all of the liberals b— and whine about stuff.” He rants to his pals about how the federal government “can’t cancel a present” and wonders what could be subsequent on the chopping block.
In July, the Senate voted to approve the Trump White Home’s proposal to claw again roughly $1 billion in federal funding beforehand allotted for public broadcasting. NPR and PBS are nonetheless working regardless of the funding cuts, however layoffs and diminished programming are anticipated.
Christianity in public colleges
Head of South Park Elementary PC Principal, whose title was a play on the initialism for politically right, declares to the varsity that his title now stands for “Energy Christian Principal.” He holds an meeting the place he says that “our Lord and savior Jesus Christ” is the one factor that may carry again some normalcy to those “corrupt instances.” He proceeds to welcome Jesus to the meeting as a visitor speaker. When the scholars return residence, their dad and mom and the folks of South Park are alarmed to listen to concerning the emphasis on Christianity — and the presence of Jesus — within the city’s public faculty.
Trump has beforehand endorsed displaying the Ten Commandments in school rooms amid a push to include extra Christianity into public colleges.
‘Woke is lifeless’
The phrase continuously utilized by Trump was inscribed on a T-shirt Cartman wears after he realizes the idea of “wokeness” is now not outstanding. “Everybody hates the Jews, everybody’s superb with utilizing homosexual slurs,” he says, lamenting that he now not feels objective if there’s no wokeness to contest.
Karoline Leavitt
The White Home press secretary is depicted corralling the president, sporting a big cross necklace, as she usually does throughout press briefings. Leavitt tells Trump numerous his supporters are beginning to flip towards him and begs him to speak to them, including that they’re “actually riled up.” Trump’s base has expressed frustration over the administration’s strategy to sharing details about the Jeffery Epstein case after he promised extra transparency concerning the convicted intercourse offender, who died by suicide in 2019, and the intercourse trafficking investigation involving the late financier.
President Trump
Trump seems this season with a picture of his face over an animated physique, continuously repeating the phrase “Chill out, man” and threatening lawsuits towards anybody who’s in his manner. He’s proven berating a White Home portrait painter for an unflattering depiction of him and there are references to the dimensions of the president’s genitalia. He’s additionally depicted as being in an abusive relationship with Devil — during which Trump is the abuser. “South Park” has beforehand depicted Devil as being the sufferer in an abusive relationship with Saddam Hussein.
The Epstein record
Devil laments the hypothesis that Trump’s title is on the “Epstein record,” a purported record of his alleged purchasers. In actuality, the Justice Division has stated no such record exists, strolling again feedback Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi made in a Fox Information interview earlier this yr that the record was “sitting on my desk” in preparation for launch. When the record is introduced up within the collection, fictional Trump says, “Are we nonetheless speaking about that?,” mirroring feedback he made in actual life.
CBS’ ’60 Minutes’ and Paramount drama
The stopwatch featured within the introduction to “60 Minutes” is strapped to a bomb when it seems on “South Park.” The hosts of the present are visibly nervous and proceed praising the president whereas masking his lawsuit towards the city of South Park, including that they don’t agree with Trump’s detractors.
The scene references the authorized tussle between Trump and Paramount World, the mother or father firm of CBS, which airs “60 Minutes.” The president sued over edits to a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which led to Paramount agreeing to pay $16 million to settle the lawsuit in July; shortly after, the Federal Communications Fee, led by a Trump appointee, accredited Paramount’s merger with Skydance.
Between the settlement and merger approval, CBS introduced it’s canceling “The Late Present With Stephen Colbert.” Colbert continuously skewers the president on his present, and Trump praised the cancellation. Paramount additionally lately purchased the worldwide streaming rights to “South Park” in a profitable $1.5-billion deal for Parker and Stone.
In the course of the episode’s fictitious “60 Minutes” phase over Trump’s lawsuit towards the city, Jesus comes to go to the townspeople. By way of whispers, he tells them, “I didn’t wish to come again and be within the faculty, however I needed to as a result of it was a part of a lawsuit and the settlement with Paramount.”
“The president’s suing you?” a protester asks.
Jesus, by means of clenched tooth, explains: “The man can do what he needs now that somebody backed down. … You guys noticed what occurred to CBS? Properly, guess who owns CBS? Paramount! You actually wish to find yourself like Colbert? You guys gotta cease being silly. … If somebody has the ability of the presidency and in addition has the ability to sue and take bribes, then he can do something to anybody.”
“All of you, shut the f— up or South Park is over!” Jesus says.
The folks of South Park find yourself settling their lawsuit with the president for $3.5 million, saying will probably be superb so long as they lower some funding for his or her colleges, hospitals and roads. And as a part of the settlement, they need to conform to “pro-Trump messaging.” Minimize to a live-action deepfake video of Trump trekking by means of the desert in a present of loyalty to his supporters earlier than he strips bare.
‘Obtained a Nut,’ Episode 2
Cartman turns into a podcaster in Episode 2.
(Comedy Central)
Be aware: This episode aired on Aug. 6, greater than a month earlier than political commentator Charlie Kirk, who’s parodied all through the episode, was shot and killed.
ICE recruitment and immigration raids
This episode is concentrated on the continued raids carried out throughout the nation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Division of Homeland Safety officers since earlier this yr.
When South Park Elementary counselor Mr. Mackey is fired — the federal government is removing pointless spending in colleges, he’s instructed — he indicators up for a job with ICE, enticed by a beneficiant signing bonus and a better wage. Mackey watches a promotional video, full with animations of officers sporting gaiters and a theme music: “We don’t ask for expertise, simply present up / We don’t care should you’ve learn a e book or grown up / If you happen to’re loopy or fats and lazy, we don’t care in any respect … If you happen to want a job, it’s a job to have.”
Mackey is employed with alarming pace and proceeds to go on his first raid, focusing on a “Dora the Explorer” reside present, which has a not-so-intimidating viewers of younger youngsters and abuelitas. After ICE brokers hear from protesters that there are “many Latinos in heaven,” they make the pearly gates their subsequent cease.
Kristi Noem
The Division of Homeland Safety secretary leads ICE brokers by means of a collection of raids this episode, however she first seems in an orientation video. She tells the brand new recruits, “Just a few years in the past, I needed to put my pet down by taking pictures it within the face as a result of typically doing what’s essential means doing what’s onerous,” and she or he proceeds to occurring a taking pictures spree focusing on yelping puppies (together with Krypto the Superdog) all through the episode. In her 2024 e book, Noem wrote about how she killed her 14-month-old canine for exhibiting aggressive conduct.
She’s additionally seen rounding up as many immigrants as attainable in raids, shouting orders like, “If it’s brown, it goes down.”
And in a operating gag, her face periodically melts off, requiring a glam squad equal to a pit crew, and at one level, it appears to tackle a lifetime of its personal. Trump additionally says her face “freaks me out” throughout the episode.
Noem responded to the depiction on Glenn Beck’s podcast, calling it “lazy” to focus on her appears to be like. “In the event that they wished to criticize my job, go forward and try this, however clearly they will’t, they simply choose one thing petty like that,” she stated.
Proper-wing debate podcasts
Whereas conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk doesn’t seem as a personality on this episode, his model of debate content material — and his title — are featured.
Loudmouthed Cartman is pissed off that so many others, specifically his classmate Clyde Donovan, are profiting off of “his shtick” of arguing towards liberal views.
Clyde has a debate podcast, inviting viewers to observe as he “completely destroys these woke liberal college students.” He’s arrange in a tent on a school campus the place he waits as a line of scholars come to talk with him, and he challenges them to “show me flawed.” Cartman ultimately takes over, saying that he’s the “grasp debater” and sporting a haircut just like Kirk’s. He shuts down his opponents’ arguments with phrases like, “You simply hate America and you like abortions.”
Clyde and Cartman’s content material replicates Kirk’s well-known model. The founding father of the conservative group Turning Level USA continuously toured school campuses and hosted occasions identical to the one depicted within the episode. The phrase “show me flawed” was used continuously by Kirk to advertise his occasions, inviting college students to problem his political and cultural views.
On Sept. 10, Kirk was shot and killed whereas internet hosting such an occasion at Utah Valley College, the primary cease of his “American Comeback” tour. Weeks earlier than he was killed, Kirk responded to the episode with a 30-minute YouTube video, discovering it humorous.
“I believe numerous it was hilarious in the direction of me,” he stated. “A few of it was very humorous and I don’t suppose we should always have too thick of pores and skin.”
He additionally touched on the attain of his group and occasions, noting that his title is enshrined in “The Charlie Kirk Award for Younger Masterdebaters” that Cartman and Clyde compete for within the episode. “So a campus factor I’ve been doing for 13 years to debate random school children has now been so essential that it will get outstanding prime-time placement on Comedy Central?” he requested by means of laughs. “I believe the entire thing is simply superior and hilarious.”
Mar-a-Lago
When Mr. Mackey is rewarded for good work as an ICE agent, he’s flown to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, the place he continuously stays and hosts occasions.
He’s greeted by laughing girls who hand him a drink and put flower leis round his neck earlier than the president meets him and offers him a short tour of Mar-a-Lago. Whereas there, Mackey by accident walks in on two older males receiving massages from youthful girls, considered one of whom is a tearful Dora, detained within the raid that happened earlier within the episode. The scene is probably going a reference to Epstein and accounts from survivors who say they had been compelled to present massages to him and his associates. Trump stated this summer season that Epstein “stole” younger girls who labored on the Mar-a-Lago spa, which induced them to have a falling-out.
JD Vance
The vice chairman is depicted as a model of Tattoo, the character from late-’70s drama “Fantasy Island,” and is animated equally as Trump, besides the photograph used for his face is lifted immediately from viral memes. He usually does the president’s bidding, calling him “boss.” In flip, Trump continuously calls Vance “silly.” Acknowledging the caricature, Vance wrote on X, “Properly, I’ve lastly made it.”
‘Sickofancy,’ Episode 3
Randy begins microdosing ketamine and Towelie goes to Washington, D.C., on this episode.
(Comedy Central)
Immigration raid at hashish farm
Randy’s hemp farm enterprise, Tegridy Farms, is the location of an immigration raid on the the start of this episode. Whereas Randy is taking pictures a business, full with calming guitar music and a trite script, ICE officers interrupt by detaining nearly all the employees. “You sons of b—,” Randy screams after the vans as they drive away. “These are my Mexicans!”
In July, chaotic raids focusing on a hashish firm’s rising website and greenhouse in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties drew nationwide consideration after a person who was fleeing immigration officers died.
Microdosing ketamine
Along with his enterprise in shambles, Randy rethinks his technique with the assistance of an over-complimentary AI chatbot. Maybe in a nod to Trump’s former ally and onetime “particular authorities worker” Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman behind Tesla, SpaceX and X, Randy turns to ketamine. Randy insists a slew of “tech guys” are taking small doses of ketamine and the drug “provides their minds the sting to work with AI.” Ketamine “bolsters our focus and creativity,” he tells his companion Towelie. Underneath the affect of the drug, Randy transforms Tegridy Farms from a “quaint farm” into an “AI-powered marijuana platform for world options.”
Musk’s use of ketamine and different medicine has been beforehand reported, with the tech chief saying in a 2024 interview that ketamine has been prescribed to him and is “useful for getting one out of a adverse way of thinking.” He has denied abusing it. “If you happen to use an excessive amount of ketamine, you’ll be able to’t actually get work carried out. I’ve numerous work, I’m sometimes placing in 16-hour days,” he stated. “So I don’t actually have a state of affairs the place I will be not mentally acute for an prolonged time frame.”
Musk supported Trump’s marketing campaign and served as an advisor to the president, helming the Division of Authorities Effectivity earlier this yr with the aim of slashing spending.
Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook dinner
Meta and Apple chief executives Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook dinner, who had been each current at Trump’s inauguration and have maintained pleasant relationships with him, are each portrayed on this episode as members of a protracted line outdoors of the Oval Workplace ready to bestow a present on the president.
“Mr. President, your concepts for the tech business are so revolutionary,” Cook dinner says to Trump. Cook dinner provides the president a present on behalf of Apple, which really occurred this summer season. Zuckerberg is later seen giving the president a present that seems to be a gold and bejeweled Meta digital actuality headset.
Luxurious jet from Qatar
Qatar’s chief can also be seen in line holding a mannequin gold aircraft with a tag that claims “Air Pressure One.” Like everybody else, the chief compliments the president and insists his genitalia will not be small earlier than giving him the reward. Trump and the Protection Division accepted a luxurious Boeing 747 plane from Qatar for President Trump to make use of as Air Pressure One this summer season, regardless of ongoing questions concerning the ethics and legality of taking the costly reward from a international nation.
Washington, D.C.
When Towelie takes a visit to the capital on this episode, he sees armed troops guarding monuments just like the Washington and Lincoln memorials and the Capitol surrounded by tanks and jets. Within the episode, the Lincoln Memorial has been changed by a statue of a stern-faced Trump with uncovered genitalia.
In August, Trump known as up Nationwide Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to help federal legislation enforcement in his bid to “reestablish legislation and order” by focusing on criminals — although crime has been down within the metropolis — and the homeless. Though troops weren’t initially armed, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth later ordered them to hold service-issued weapons.
Reclassifying marijuana
Randy sends Towelie to satisfy with Trump and provides him a present in hopes of persuading him to reclassify marijuana on the nationwide degree. (The reward is Towelie himself.) Randy, within the type of a hologram, tells Trump he thinks they will work out a mutually useful association.
Trump stated in an August press convention that his administration was contemplating reclassifying marijuana as a much less harmful drug, which might be a big change in coverage however wouldn’t make the drug authorized throughout the nation.
‘Wok is Lifeless,’ Episode 4
Butters buys a Labubu for his girlfriend.
(Comedy Central)
Tariffs and Labubus
The clerk on the Metropolis Pop-Up — rebranded from Metropolis Wok — the lone purveyor of Labubus within the space, says the favored dolls are onerous to maintain in inventory, they usually’re very costly due to tariffs. The “thriller field” that Butters has to buy for the possibility of getting the precise Labubu his girlfriend needs units him again $85, and later, the worth shoots as much as $120 to offset an increase in tariffs. (The true-life dolls usually fetch far more than that on resale websites, particularly if they’re uncommon.) When Butters balks on the worth, the shop proprietor explains that the price of tariffs is handed onto the shopper.
Fox Information
This episode reveals a clip from a Fox Information phase the place an anchor is overly complimentary of the president. The anchor says the president will take questions from a “various crowd of reporters” after returning to the U.S. from a historic tariff summit, solely to disclose all the reporters are from Fox.
The Fox Information reporters additionally fixate on President Trump’s relationship along with his spouse, Melania, and his more and more frequent appearances with Devil. There’s a heavy use of wordplay that means the anchors may very well be asking concerning the affair between the president and Devil or about whether or not Trump is definitely the satan himself.
Child Rock
Fox Information reporters test in with Trump ally Child Rock after breaking the information that — buckle up — Trump has impregnated Devil. A sobbing Child Rock tells the reporters, “I’m simply so joyful.” The musician is a good friend and ardent supporter of Trump, having carried out at his inaugural rally in January and spoken many instances publicly about his assist of the president.
‘Battle of Curiosity,’ Episode 5
South Park Season 27, Episode 5 “Battle of Curiosity”
(Comedy Central)
Israel and Gaza
Kyle turns into irate when his classmates place bets on a well-liked market prediction app that his mom would “strike Gaza and destroy a Palestinian hospital.”
This episode marks the primary time this season that the present has touched on the present battle in Gaza, and it referenced real-life Israeli strikes on hospitals within the space.
Donald Trump Jr.
Trump’s eldest son seems on this episode as somebody with many roles — he’s a strategic advisor for predictive markets, he solutions the cellphone for the Commodity Futures Buying and selling Fee and in addition acts as a particular advisor to Israel. Though he wears all these hats, the collection doesn’t painting him as notably shiny — he has an entire dialog over the cellphone with himself.
He’s additionally animated to look as if he’s had intensive cosmetic surgery and he speaks with a strained voice, as if he can’t transfer his face.
Trump Jr. holds a number of key roles in his household’s enterprise and his father’s political sphere in actual life, and he serves as an advisor to each Polymart and Kalshi, two prediction market apps which might be named and spoofed on this episode.
Trump’s stance on abortion
Much less eager on the newborn he’s anticipating with Devil, Trump appears to be like for various methods to hurt the being pregnant in hopes of terminating it. He asks Devil if he needs to smoke and hand around in a scorching tub, holds up a wire hanger, tries to get him to journey down the steps or fall beneath a pile of cat feces, and even makes Devil a soup stuffed with emergency contraceptive capsules.
In actuality, Trump has repeatedly shifted his messaging on abortion however has most lately stated he believes particular abortion insurance policies and entry ought to be determined not by federal legislation however by particular person states.
Brendan Carr
The chairman of the Federal Communications Fee comes into the fold this episode when Kyle goes by means of a number of hoops to attempt to file a criticism over the wager involving his mother, which he finds offensive. The FCC is “coping with all of the offensive stuff now,” Kyle is instructed.
Carr says he wants to talk with the president after studying concerning the offensive content material, however he finally ends up falling sufferer to all of Trump’s antics in his try to terminate Devil’s being pregnant, which ship him to the hospital. The medical doctors say they’re “afraid he could lose his freedom of speech.”
Vance later threatens Carr, who retains interfering with Trump’s makes an attempt to finish Devil’s being pregnant (Vance doesn’t need something to mess along with his proximity to the presidency). “We are able to do that the simple manner, or we will do that the onerous manner,” Vance says to Carr.
These phrases match the phrase Carr stated in actual life per week earlier than this episode aired in reference to his name on ABC to behave on feedback late-night host Jimmy Kimmel made about Kirk’s suspected killer and his dying. Carr has remained within the headlines since then as backlash grew towards the FCC’s function in Kimmel’s suspension.
Benjamin Netanyahu
Annoyed by the wager about her and the continued battle in Gaza, Kyle’s mother storms into the workplace of the Israeli prime minister. “Simply who do you suppose you’re, killing hundreds and flattening neighborhoods, then wrapping your self in Judaism prefer it’s some defend from criticism?” she says. “You’re making life for Jews depressing and life for American Jews inconceivable.” She continues to berate him and a bunch of officers whereas the credit roll. Netanyahu doesn’t say something in response.
