South Park’s Bold Return: Cartman Takes Aim at Trump and Corporate Power

There is a colloquial phrase that captures the financial freedom to speak and act without restraint: what might be called "bleep-you money." For South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, that threshold seems to have been reached with their recent $1.25 billion deal with Paramount.

Empowered by this massive deal, Parker and Stone have unapologetically intensified their satire, taking aim not only at President Trump but also at their own corporate overlords.

The premiere of South Park’s 27th season aired on July 23, coinciding closely with Paramount’s settlement of a lawsuit involving the president—a move that sparked criticism from late-night commentators. Around the same time, it was announced that Stephen Colbert’s CBS show would conclude next year, a decision publicly attributed to financial considerations by the network.

In the episode titled “Sermon on the ’Mount,” President Trump is depicted as suing various parties, ranging from local governments to news programs, with many conceding defeat. The residents of South Park resort to inviting Jesus—an established character on the show—into their schools. The president is portrayed as a petty dictator, allied with Satan, highlighting the absurdity of the situation. Jesus’s blunt advice to the townsfolk underscores the stakes: silence is necessary to avoid the show’s demise, with a pointed reference to the fate of Colbert.

The next episode follows the school counselor, Mr. Mackey, who loses his job due to budget cuts and subsequently enlists with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The recruitment jingle humorously underscores the desperation for employment.

Mr. Mackey and his novice colleagues don face masks, disrupt a live “Dora the Explorer” performance—a nod to another Paramount property—and conduct a raid in heaven to detain Latino angels. For his effectiveness, Mr. Mackey is rewarded with a trip to a satirical version of Mar-a-Lago, portrayed as a decadent fantasy retreat led by President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.