The long-running animated comedy South Park will be billed as "South America" for its upcoming 29th season, its creators announced on Friday, casting the change as a satirical response to a recent wave of high-profile renaming controversies.
In a statement, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker said the new title was "inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA." They added: "We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount – a Skydance Capitulation." The pair have a long record of lampooning public figures and institutions.
The announcement came amid efforts by former president Donald Trump to rename a gulf, lakes and even states after the word "America," a campaign to which the statement alluded. Stone and Parker framed their renaming as commentary on companies and institutions that the statement suggested had acquiesced to political pressure, singling out technology firms in particular.
The show's parent company, Paramount Skydance, was referenced in the creators' comments. Paramount Skydance is owned by David Ellison, a close associate of Trump, and is moving ahead with a proposed $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery that was approved by the Trump administration; that consolidation has drawn criticism from parts of the creative industries.
Season 29 of the series, now to be presented under the "South America" banner, is scheduled to premiere on 16 September and will stream globally on Paramount+. The creators did not provide further details about whether the retitling will be permanent or how the change will be reflected within the show itself.
The move is the latest example of South Park's creators using publicity and formal announcements to make pointed commentary about contemporary political and corporate developments, continuing a pattern that has been part of the programme since its debut.