South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone say that the reason their latest episodes have slammed President Donald Trump is due to a changing of the times.
‘It’s not that we got all political,’ Parker told The New York Times. ‘It’s that politics became pop culture.’
The decision has been a good business one, as Comedy Central has garnered strong numbers – double the show’s 2023 ratings, according to Nielsen – and publicity from the flagship show’s unique portrayal of the president, his cabinet members and current events.
The creative shift comes after the talented tandem spent most of the past decade avoiding Trump and his political efforts.
At one point, Parker, 56, and Stone, 54, used the Mr. Garrison character as an stand-in for the 45th/47th president.Â
Stone told the newspaper that there was a bit of a ‘taboo’ element in needling the president amid a time of rampant speculation he was using his power to target rivals in entertainment, including late night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone say that the reason their latest season has slammed President Donald Trump is due to a changing of the times.
‘Trey and I are attracted to that like flies to honey,’ Stone said. ‘Oh, that’s where the taboo is? Over there? OK, then we’re over there.’
Stone said he and his longtime collaborator ‘just had to show our independence somehow’ amid a new deal with Paramount.Â
Parker told the newspaper that he had Stone had only initially planned to put Trump in one episode, but early returns encouraged them to write more material about the president.
A July 23 episode titled Sermon on the ‘Mount resonated with influential podcaster Joe Rogan, who described their first episode lampooning Trump as ‘f***ng hilarious.’
Said Rogan: ‘There’s so much chaos. It’s so f***ed up. There’s just so much madness. Oh my God. Did you see the episode? They did a Donald Trump one with Satan.’
The White House told USA TODAY the day after the broadcast that it was a ‘desperate attempt for attention’ from a ‘fourth-rate’ program.Â
Parker told the paper that the current stream of content was not necessarily indicative of their personal politics, as they consider themselves moderates.
‘We’re just very down-the-middle guys,’ Parker said. ‘Any extremists of any kind, we make fun of. We did it for years with the woke thing. That was hilarious to us. And this is hilarious to us.’
Comedy Central has garnered strong ratings and publicity from the comedy staple’s unique portrayal of the president and current eventsÂ
The talented tandem spent most of the past decade avoiding Trump and his political efforts. Pictured in July in San DiegoÂ
Long fond of breaking the fourth wall through characters on their broadcasts, Parker and Stone have even been parodying their recent foray into political issues.
In a Halloween-themed episode, the character Stan asked, ‘How many weeks has it been now, dealing with one stupid thing after another? The truth is, I think a lot of people are afraid to admit it.’
Stan’s speech continued: ‘Yeah, everyone knows South Park sucks now and it’s because all this political stuff is being totally bogged down in it – remember when we used to do stuff, ever since all this political crap took over.’
Broadcasting exec Doug Herzog told the newspaper that Parker and Stone ‘met the moment in a way only they could do’ in adapting to a turbulent time in politics and entertainment – and making it work to their advantage.
Herzog added, ‘It all created a perfect storm for them, and they jumped right into it.’
