The creators of "South Park," Matt Stone and Trey Parker, recently admitted during a pre-taped appearance for the 19th Television Academy Honors that their irreverent animated series has long served as America's jester. However, they now see President Donald Trump as having taken on that role himself.
Stone and Parker on Comedy and Fearlessness
"For 30 years, you've always had some group trying to tell you what you can and can't say, and that group has changed," said Parker. "That group's been liberal. That group's been Republican. We've always known that our job was, we're supposed to be the joker."
He added, "You need someone just making fun of things. It's a great thing to be able to be. And unfortunately, right now, we have a president who thinks his job is to be the joker."
The Peabody Award-winning satirists have targeted virtually every demographic with their long-running animated series. Trump first appeared on the show in 2001 as a well-known businessman, and they brought him back last year to mock his presidency.
Addressing Christian Nationalism and Controversy
"And so that's why we dove into the season and actually put Trump in there and Jesus and started talking about Christian nationalism and all that stuff," said Stone. "Because we had to let people know, better or worse, if you like it or you don't, it's like, this is us, OK?"
"South Park" returned in 2025 after a two-year hiatus with one of its most controversial premieres, showing Trump cavorting in bed with Saddam Hussein and Satan, and ending with a fake campaign ad featuring a naked, deep-faked Trump crawling through the desert. The mock-campaign ad narrator promised, "Trump: His penis is teeny tiny."
White House Response and Creative Independence
The show's premiere prompted the real-life White House to respond with a statement, and MAGA supporters appeared affronted. However, Stone and Parker have not allowed intimidation to influence their creative output.
Parker recalled thinking during his Television Academy Honors acceptance speech that their recent episodes would "really piss some people off," and noted that there have always been groups "telling you what you can and can't say — now that group has a military."
Earlier in the broadcast, he summed up what it takes to be in his line of work: "When you're doing this kind of stuff, you have to be fearless. We're not going to be afraid of anyone. And if we're going to do something, we're going to say, we're going to do what's funniest, do what's best, and we're just going to do it."
He concluded, "And if they want to kick us out of town, our bags are packed. It's great."
