Entertainment

South Park Renamed 'South America' in Satirical Swipe at Trump's Geography Edicts

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

The creators of South Park have unveiled a new name for the long-running animated series, calling it South America in what appears to be a pointed jab at President Donald Trump's efforts to rename geographic landmarks.

In a statement, Matt Stone and Trey Parker said: "Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA." The reference points to Trump's August executive order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America, as well as his earlier declaration renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

The announcement, posted on the show's official social media account, comes as South Park enters its 29th season and just days after the program won an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. The post included an altered image of the South Park sign, with "Park" swapped out for "America."

Stone and Parker also thanked their parent company, writing: "We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount - a Skydance Capitulation." The show is produced under Paramount Skydance, which this year received Trump administration approval for a $111bn (£82.8bn) merger with Warner Bros Discovery, one of the largest media deals on record. That merger has since been put on hold until June 2027 after a dozen US states filed lawsuits alleging it could harm competition and drive up consumer prices.

The timing of the name change follows a string of similar moves by Trump. Just a day earlier, he shared an AI-generated video showing himself replacing "Mexico" with "America" on a "Welcome to New Mexico" sign. In August, amid rising trade tensions with Canada, he ordered Lake Ontario renamed Lake America, a change that Apple and Google later applied to their Maps apps for US users. Last year, Trump similarly directed that the Gulf of Mexico be called the Gulf of America, a change Mexico has rejected, arguing no single nation can unilaterally rename a body of water shared internationally.

South Park, on air since 1997, has a long history of satirizing Trump throughout both of his presidential terms. The show's creators have faced repeated criticism from Trump, the White House, and his supporters over these portrayals. During its 27th season, the White House dismissed South Park as a "fourth-rate" show "hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention," after an episode depicted Trump in bed with Satan.

Following its Emmy win for Outstanding Animated Program, the show also posted an image of a fictionalized Trump with the caption: "You finally got your Emmy."

The newly renamed season is set to premiere on 16 September.