South Park renames itself South America for new season

The creators of “South Park” say the show will be renamed “South America” for its 29th season, a satirical move aimed at President Donald Trump’s efforts to rename geographic landmarks with “America.”

“Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA,” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker said in a statement posted to the show’s official social media account. The post showed the familiar South Park sign with “Park” replaced by “America.”

The announcement came after Trump shared an AI-generated video showing him placing the word “America” over “Mexico” on a “Welcome to New Mexico” sign. The Guardian reported that Democrats criticized the post, accusing Trump of trying to distract from his war in Iran and rising prices. The outlet also noted that the federal government has no authority to change a state’s name.

Trump signed an executive order in August to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America as trade tensions escalated between the United States and Canada. Apple and Google later changed the name in their maps apps for U.S.-based users. Last year, Trump declared that the Gulf of Mexico should be known as the Gulf of America. Mexico has rejected that change, arguing that one country cannot rename a shared body of international water.

Stone and Parker also used the announcement to refer to their corporate parent. “We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation,” they said. Paramount Skydance is the parent company of “South Park.” The Trump administration approved its $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, one of the largest media deals in history. The BBC reported that the merger has since been paused until June 2027 after 12 U.S. states filed lawsuits, citing concerns that the deal could harm competition and lead to higher prices for consumers. The Guardian reported that the deal has drawn backlash in the creative industry and described Paramount Skydance owner David Ellison as a Trump ally.

The name-change announcement followed another milestone for the long-running Comedy Central series. “South Park” won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program on Sunday. After the win, the show shared an image depicting a fictionalized Trump with the words: “You finally got your Emmy.”

“South Park,” which first aired in 1997, has frequently mocked Trump during his two presidential terms. Its creators have repeatedly drawn criticism from Trump, the White House and MAGA supporters for episodes targeting the president and members of his administration. During the show’s 27th season, after an episode depicted Trump naked in bed with Satan, the White House called “South Park” a “fourth-rate” show that was “hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention.”

The Guardian reported that the series has also portrayed an animated Trump with small genitalia and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as a puppy killer whose Botoxed face occasionally melts off. In August, a writer for the show said he had purchased the rights to trumpkennedycenter.org, predicting Trump would rename the Kennedy Center after purging its leadership, installing himself as chair and filling the board with loyalists.

The 29th season, billed as “South America,” is scheduled to premiere Sept. 16 and stream globally on Paramount+.