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We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
David James

‘Straight for the jugular’: ‘South Park’ demolishes Donald Trump, leaves jaws on floor with deepfake depiction

South Park is officially back and has proved that it’s still absolutely fearless. The show has now been on the air for a colossal 27 years, and most shows that last this long sink into mediocrity and become shadows of their former selves (I’m looking at you, The Simpsons), but Matt Stone and Trey Parker have still got it where it counts.

Even before this episode aired, drama surrounded it, with Parker and Stone engaged in fierce negotiations with Paramount over a new five-year deal said to be worth an astonishing $1.5 billion. With that much money on the table, even South Park might have played it safe for a bit.

But, well, last night’s episode showed it’s just as crass and barbed as it ever was. The premiere episode took direct aim at Trump, with him suing the residents of South Park for $5 billion for criticizing him. This is a none-too-subtle parody of Trump’s actual legal flailings, with the episode putting South Park studio Paramount itself in the firing line for their $16 million settlement with the president over his frivolous lawsuit.

“He can do anything to anyone”

Trump is then shown tearing his clothes off and leaping into bed with Satan, with Jesus himself arriving to warn South Park from criticizing him: “Do you really want to end up like Colbert?” If someone has the power of the presidency and also has the power to sue and take bribes, then he can do anything to anyone.” Jesus warns the citizens to “shut the f**k up or South Park is over.”

The Paramount situation is satirized throughout the episode. In real life, Trump is insisting the settlement with Paramount grants him $20 million worth of PSAs and ads. In South Park, the residents are forced to make PSAs for him.

The first of these is shown in the show, in which a live-action deep-faked (and alarmingly realistic) Donald Trump stumbles around in the desert, strips naked, and collapses to the floor. At this point, his uh, shrivelled member pokes its head with googly eyes on it and chirpily says: “I’m Donald J. Trump and I endorse this message.”

Naturally, Trump supporters are absolutely horrified. Sure, South Park has spent 27 years mocking literally everything, but poking fun at Trump is going too far!

We can only wait to see what Trump himself makes of this. Presumably, he’s going to get his lawyers on the phone as soon as possible and sue everyone under the sun. It looks like South Park is saying, “bring it on”.

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