‘Creators of South Park’ deliver a deadpan response to Trump episode controversy

Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone of “South Park” recently found themselves in hot water after their Season 27 premiere portrayed President Donald Trump in a less-than-flattering light. The episode, which aired on Wednesday night and is available for streaming on Paramount+, showed Trump in bed with Satan, poked fun at his controversial comments about the “Epstein list”, and even included a deepfake sequence featuring a talking micropenis endorsing Trump.

The response from the White House was swift and harsh, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers dismissing the show as irrelevant and desperate for attention. Parker and Stone addressed the controversy during a panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego, where they expressed some regret over the reaction to their episode. Despite some pushback, they were adamant about keeping the animated micropenis unblurred in the deepfake sequence, arguing that it added to the character’s portrayal.

The episode, titled “Sermon on the ‘Mount,” also took shots at Paramount, following the duo’s massive $1.5 billion deal with the company for global streaming rights to “South Park” and 50 new episodes. In particular, the episode mocked Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Trump over an alleged interview editing controversy. The storyline in the episode further lampooned Trump’s actions, with Jesus himself warning against ending up like Stephen Colbert after his show was abruptly cancelled by CBS, owned by Paramount.

Despite the backlash, Parker and Stone remain unapologetic in their approach to satirizing current events and personalities in their signature irreverent style.