The creators of the animated series "South Park" announced Tuesday they will rename the show "South America" ahead of its Season 29 premiere, a move described as a sarcastic jab at President Donald Trump's recent renaming of geographical locations.
The show's creators stated the rebranding is inspired by what they called the "bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google," referencing the tech companies' decisions to rename the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario as the Gulf of America and Lake America, respectively. These changes align with an executive order from Trump that has led to a spree of patriotic renamings.
A graphic accompanying the announcement showed the "South Park" logo with "America" superimposed over "Park." The post also thanked "South Park" parent company Paramount, referring to it as "A Skydance Capitulation." This appears to reference a settlement Paramount reached with Trump following a lawsuit he filed against Paramount Global and CBS last year. The lawsuit alleged that CBS News, owned by Paramount, edited an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris to present her more favorably. Paramount reportedly agreed to a $16 million payout.
This renaming stunt is the latest in a series of topical jokes from "South Park" writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The show is set to premiere its 29th season on Wednesday, Sept. 16, on Comedy Central.