"South Park" is no more. Say hello to "South America."
The Emmy-winning animated series is changing its name in a marketing stunt poking fun at President Donald Trump. On Sept. 8, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone declared the show will henceforth be known as "South America."
"Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of 'South Park' to 'SOUTH AMERICA,'" the duo said in a joint statement. "We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount – a Skydance Capitulation."
The move was a parody of Trump signing an executive order in August directing his administration to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America amid a trade war with Canada. A poll released by Reuters/Ipsos showed that Americans
overwhelmingly oppose the move. But, as Parker and Stone's statement hints at, Google Maps and Apple Maps have both adopted the new name for users in the United States.
Trump previously signed an order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and he recently suggested New Mexico could be renamed "New America."
Along with the announcement, "South Park" shared new promotional artwork for the upcoming season where the word "America" is slapped over the word "Park" in the show's logo.
'South Park' wins Emmy after seasons mocking Trump
"South Park" is coming off a pair of back-to-back seasons that were heavily focused on repeatedly mocking the Trump administration.
Beginning with the Season 27 premiere in July 2025 and going through the Season 28 finale in December, Trump became a major character on the show, which depicted the president by putting a real photo of him on an animated body. Parker and Stone have been unsparing and relentless in skewering Trump in every single episode, showing him as a thin-skinned bully who is literally in bed with Satan. The show's recent depiction of Trump has been identical to the way "South Park" previously spoofed Saddam Hussein.
The past two seasons of "South Park" have taken plenty of shots at other members of the Trump administration, as well, including former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who in one scene was shown going on a shooting spree in a pet store. While "South Park" has never shied away from politics since it began in 1997, rarely has politics been such a major focus for the show. One meta episode in 2025 even had a character complain that the series had become too political.
But in an interview with The New York Times, Parker defended the shift, explaining, "It's not that we got all political. It's that politics became pop culture."
The White House previously said in a statement shared with USA TODAY in 2025 that "South Park" "hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention. 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."
"South Park" returns for Season 29 on Sept. 16, and if there was any question of whether the new episodes would remain focused on Trump, the name-change stunt appears to remove all doubt. Parker and Stone previously told Jimmy Kimmel that they would go back to work on the new season at the end of August. The series is famously produced with an unusually tight turnaround, allowing for up-to-the-minute parodies of recent events.
Ahead of the new season, "South Park" won the Emmy for best animated series on Sept. 6. The show's social media account celebrated the win by posting a graphic showing Trump, with his pants down, holding an Emmy. In a nod to the fact that the president has often complained about not winning an Emmy for his show "The Apprentice," the show's post read, in a message to the president, "You finally got your Emmy."
Contributing: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'South Park' changes its name in stunt to mock President Trump
