By Jadyn Buccilli
Staff Writer
The Instagram account for the animated comedy series “South Park” recently announced the release for its 29th season to air on Sept. 16, and with this post came some unexpected news. The show, which has been running since 1997, will be undergoing a name change.
The caption of the Instagram post, made on Sept. 8, explained to viewers that the long-running television series will be renamed “South America.” Along with this announcement came a photo of the iconic sign with the town’s name, the word “Park,” covered up with a green sign reading “America.” The caption also featured a joint statement from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of “South Park.”
“Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of ‘South Park’ to ‘SOUTH AMERICA,’” Parker and Stone announced. “We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount – a Skydance Capitulation.”
This name change comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. According to CBS News, this order was created as a retaliation against Canada in the midst of a trade war. Trump allegedly remarks, “As you know, Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade, very, very sadly. Even the military. You know, we defend Canada for nothing.”
Certain navigation apps have already responded to this name change. Google Maps was the first of them to change Lake Ontario’s name, but Apple Maps followed close behind. Today, both apps still show the name “Lake America,” where Lake Ontario used to be, along with “Gulf of America” where the Gulf of Mexico once stood. Rumors on changing New Mexico’s name to “New America” have also come about after posts shared by Trump on Truth Social, CNN reports.
This will not be the first time that Parker and Stone have poked fun at Trump. In the show’s 20th season, one of the “South Park” elementary teachers, Mr. Garrison, is elected as president in the 2016 election, looking identical to President Trump.
Season 27 took things a step further. Instead of Mr. Garrison depicting the president, a realistic image of Trump’s face edited onto a cartoonish body became a common occurrence in “South Park” episodes. The president is in a romantic relationship with none other than Satan himself, who had previously dated the dictator Saddam Hussein in previous episodes and in “South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut.”
This romantic arc between Trump and Satan went on for around five months, featuring various other members of Trump’s administration during his second term. From Kristi Noem to JD Vance, it seems that not much of the administration was left unscathed during the entire season.
The name change is already in effect as of the announcement. South Park Studios has already plastered the name “South America” all over its website, and the show’s Instagram bio has changed to show the name. With new episodes fast approaching, “South Park” fans and haters alike wait patiently to see what Parker and Stone have up their sleeves. By the looks of this name change, it is likely that Season 29 will be full of moments that will make the news once again.
