South Park Creators Rename Show ‘South America’ in Apparent Dig at Trump
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South Park Creators Rename Show ‘South America’ in Apparent Reference to Trump’s Lake and Gulf Name Changes
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: The announcement comes after South Park won an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program.
By Claire Keenan
Published 26 minutes ago
The creators of the animated TV show South Park have announced that its new series will be titled South America, seemingly referencing US President Donald Trump’s attempts to rename Lake Ontario and the Gulf of Mexico.
"Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA," creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker wrote in a statement.
Trump signed an executive order in August to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America, and last year declared that the Gulf of Mexico be known as the Gulf of America.
The announcement, made after the show’s 29th season premiere, follows South Park’s Emmy win for Outstanding Animated Program on Sunday.
The official name change, shared on the show’s social media, featured an image of the South Park sign with ‘Park’ replaced by ‘America’.
"We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount – a Skydance Capitulation," the creators added.
Paramount Skydance is the show’s parent company. The Trump administration approved a $111 billion merger with Warner Bros Discovery this year, one of the biggest media deals in history. However, the merger has been paused until June 2027 due to lawsuits against the deal.
A day before the announcement, Trump shared an AI-generated video showing him placing the word ‘America’ over ‘Mexico’ on a "Welcome to New Mexico" sign.
In August, trade tensions escalated between the US and Canada, leading Trump to order a similar change for Lake Ontario. Apple and Google subsequently updated their Maps apps to reflect the new name for US users.
Last year, Trump also ordered the Gulf of Mexico be renamed as the Gulf of America, a move rejected by Mexico, which argues that a single country cannot rename a shared body of international water.
South Park, which aired its first episode in 1997, has frequently mocked Trump during his two terms in office. Both Stone and Parker have been criticised by Trump, the White House, and MAGA supporters for their show’s jabs at the president.
During the 27th season, the White House described South Park as "fourth-rate" and "hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention," after an episode depicted Trump naked in bed with Satan.
After winning the Emmy on Sunday, South Park shared an image of a fictionalised Trump with the caption: "You finally got your Emmy."
The new season of South Park is set to premiere on 16 September.
