South Park Becomes 'South America': Parker and Stone Troll Trump Ahead of Season 29
South Park is no more. Long live South America.
Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced on 8 September 2026 that their long-running animated series will henceforth carry the name "South America," ahead of its 29th season premiere. Comedy Central, the network that airs the show, attributed the announcement to the creators in a press release picked up by multiple outlets including TVLine, USA Today, Variety and Deadline.
In their statement, Parker and Stone said the name change was "inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google," and they thanked parent company Paramount, calling it "a Skydance Capitulation" — a jab at the corporate structure that now sits above the show (TheWrap, The Hollywood Reporter).
The target of the gag is President Donald Trump's push to rename geographic features with the word "America." Trump has directed the federal government to call the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" and Lake Ontario "Lake America." Apple and Google drew criticism for updating those names on their map apps. On Monday, Trump floated renaming the state of New Mexico to "New America" — though a state's name cannot be changed by executive order (The Hollywood Reporter).
It was not immediately clear whether the "South America" name is a one-day stunt or a title that will carry into the new season (The Hollywood Reporter). With Parker and Stone, either is plausible. The pair have built a nearly three-decade career on baiting public figures and institutions, and they rarely telegraph which bits will last.
The announcement lands two days after the show won an Emmy for outstanding animated program — its first in that category since 2013. After the win, South Park's Instagram account posted an image of the show's animated Trump character clutching an Emmy with his pants down, captioned: "You finally got your Emmy" (The Hollywood Reporter).
Season 29 — or the first season of South America, depending on how long the bit survives — returns Wednesday, 16 September on Comedy Central, with the episode available the following day on Paramount+, the streaming platform owned by Paramount Global (The Hollywood Reporter).
For a show that has satirised four sitting US presidents and outlasted countless competitors, renaming itself to mock a naming trend is on brand. Whether "South America" sticks past opening night or folds by the first commercial break, Parker and Stone have once again made sure the conversation starts before the episode does.
