'South Park' excoriated Trump. The White House comeback is just sad
A few hours before the premiere of the 27th season of "South Park" on July 23, the show's creators signed a streaming deal with Paramount worth a reported $1.5 billion.
A little later, the show didn't just bite the hand that feeds it. It gnawed through the hand and didn't stop there, ripping the company to shreds — and that was just collateral damage.
The real target was Donald Trump. In the episode, Trump is Satan's lover (though Satan isn't impressed). He complains about the, um, size of a nude painting of himself in the White House and shows up in a public service announcement with a talking penis.
Watch 'South Park' with Paramount+ free trial
'South Park' standing up to Trump is novel in an era of capitulation
A White House spokesperson told Rolling Stone (in real life) that "President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country's history — and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak."
Not for lack of trying.
On one hand, the Season 27 premiere is just another example of "South Park" being "South Park." For the entire run of the show, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker take great (and lucrative) delight in skewering every conceivable element of culture and society. It's crude, without question offensive at times (purposely, gleefully so) and often hilarious. No sacred cows and all that.
But in an era when entertainment companies, along with politicians and seemingly everyone else, race to knuckle under to Trump's bullying and litigious tactics, the episode is still a shock.
Talk about making a statement.
Where to watch: Season 27 of 'South Park'? How to see the Trump episode
What did 'South Park' say about Donald Trump?
In the episode, called "Sermon on the Mount," Trump sues the town of South Park for $5 billion because some residents are complaining about the presence of Jesus — literally Jesus, he's a character on the show — in their public schools.
Mild spoilers follow. But first, a little context.
Paramount has been criticized, and rightfully so, for settling a frivolous lawsuit Trump filed against "60 Minutes" for an interview with Kamala Harris that Trump claims was edited to make her look better and thus harm his reelection chances. (Long story short, the editing was nothing unusual.)
Paramount owns CBS, which airs "60 Minutes." It also owns Comedy Central, the network on which original episodes of "South Park" appear.
Meanwhile, CBS canceled "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," citing "purely financial" reasons. Colbert is a frequent Trump critic; Trump gloated publicly after the cancellation was announced. On July 21, Colbert ripped Paramount and Trump in his opening monologue. His friends and rivals, including Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Anderson Cooper, Adam Sandler and more, showed up in support of the host.
OK, for the "South Park" spoilers.
It turns out that Jesus isn't in South Park voluntarily. 'I didn't want to come back and be in the school," Jesus tells the town, "but I had to because it was part of a lawsuit and the agreement with Paramount."
'You guys saw what happened to CBS?" he continues. "Well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount. You really want to end up like Colbert? You guys got to stop being stupid."
'South Park' also makes fun of '60 Minutes'
The show also skewers "60 Minutes" (with nervous journalists praising Trump), the Epstein files (one of the reasons Satan won't sleep with Trump), NPR (kinda sorta; it's a loving jab) and more. Parker and Stone are nothing if not equal opportunity offenders.
Trump "has the power to sue and take bribes and he can do anything to anyone," Jesus tells the town. "It's the (expletive) president, dude. … South Park is over.'
It's not. Neither the town nor the show. Again, it's not just the vitriol that is so shocking in the episode. Although, boy, it is. But it's the fact that some outlets, including ones that do so at great financial risk, are willing to criticize Trump at all. It's rude and will offend half the people who watch it.
It's also a welcome change. And it's about time.
Where to watch 'South Park'
10 p.m. Wednesdays on Comedy Central. Episodes are available to stream the following day on Paramount+.
Standing up: Stephen Colbert and his late night rivals are 'not giving in'
Reach Goodykoontz atbill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook:facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Media commentary with a side of snark?Sign up forThe Watchlist newsletterwith Bill Goodykoontz.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'South Park' Trump episode is refreshingly brutal | Opinion
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