'South Park' Season 29 Premieres as 'South America,' Satirizing Trump's Renaming Efforts

Comedy Central’s "South Park" kicked off its 29th season Wednesday night with a significant rebranding, changing its title to "South America" in a satirical nod to President Donald Trump's efforts to rename landmarks. The premiere episode included an updated theme song, a revised town sign, and an animated depiction of Trump, continuing the show's recent trend of political satire.

The fictional Colorado town's sign was altered to read "South America," and the show's official website and YouTube account also adopted the new branding. This renaming gag satirizes Trump's directives to rename geographic features, such as his executive order in August to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America" and previous directions to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America."

In a mock statement released ahead of the premiere, "South Park" co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone referenced the rebranding: "Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA. We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount – a Skydance Capitulation."

The show's 27th season, which frequently targeted Trump and his administration, won an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. One notable episode depicted the president in a relationship with Satan, a portrayal that drew a sharp response from the White House at the time. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers stated, "This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention."

Entertainment critic Christian Toto noted that "South Park" historically targeted both sides of the political spectrum but shifted its focus in recent seasons. He observed, "Last season, it abandoned that approach and went hard against all things Trump. Like many modern Trump gags, the jokes were obvious and rarely funny."

Toto compared this shift to that of other comedy programs, such as "Saturday Night Live," which he argued has also become more one-sided. He added, "The first new ‘South Park’ episode of the season mostly avoided politics. We'll see if that continues. Will be interesting to see if the ensuing Trump jokes are funny or more ‘clapter,’ and if creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone return to hitting both sides of the aisle again."