The animated comedy South Park returned to Comedy Central for its 29th season with an unexpected rebranding, changing its name to South America, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The season premiere aired on Wednesday, Sept. 16, following two previous seasons that heavily focused on President Donald J. Trump, including storylines involving him getting Satan pregnant.
South Park Rebrands as South America for Season 29 Premiere
Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced the title change on Sept. 8 in a joint statement, saying, Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of ‘South Park’ to ‘SOUTH AMERICA,’
while also thanking their parent company Paramount as a Skydance Capitulation,
as reported by USA Today. The stunt serves as a jab at President Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America amid a trade war with Canada, as well as a satire of tech companies like Apple and Google going along with the geographic changes on their maps.
Inside the Episode Plot and New Title Sequence
The season opener, titled South American Biker Gangs,
begins with the name change already established as a fait accompli, with town signage and buildings reflecting the new moniker and characters casually referring to the town as South America without offering objections, according to USA Today. The premiere’s main plot centers on children across the town acquiring class-three e-bikes that reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, led by Cartman, who insists to his mother that he needs a bike to get in shape and avoid weight-related bullying.
The proliferation of the noisier e-bikes prompts Stan’s father, Randy Marsh, to form a counter-gang of adults who complain about bandana-wearing riders and eventually form their own biker gang, blocking traffic and demanding protein packets. Tragedy strikes when Kenny’s cheaply constructed e-bike explodes, killing him and leaving the remaining core boys visibly grieving. Following the incident, the adult biker gang uses Kenny’s death to unite the town and successfully ban e-bikes from South America.
Trump’s Absence in the Main Plot and Presence in the Intro
While Seasons 27 and 28 featured a season-long arc centered inside the White House, the Season 29 premiere stays entirely local within the fictional Colorado town and omits President Trump from the main body of the episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter. However, USA Today notes that Trump makes a cameo in the newly debuted opening sequence, appearing completely nude and wiping himself with the American flag, while the theme song lyrics and town sign have been updated to reflect the change to South America.
Ahead of the premiere, Parker and Stone’s official social media accounts also posted an image of a cartoon version of Trump with his pants down holding an Emmy, captioned You finally got your Emmy,
referencing Trump’s past complaints about never winning an Emmy for The Apprentice.
Broadcast Schedule and Underlying Satire
The episode features several underlying jokes and social metaphors, including Google searches for how to change laws in South America through bribery, and references to upcoming midterm elections where characters lament the state of the country and hope things improve in November because Grand Theft Auto 6
comes out. A lone news reporter is the only character taken aback by the town rolling over for the name change without pushback.
New episodes of the six-episode season air at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central every two weeks through November, with subsequent air dates scheduled for Sept. 30, Oct. 14, Oct. 28, Nov. 11, and Nov. 25.
Worth a look