In its season 27 premiere, South Park proved it hasn’t lost its edge and even dropped a blueprint for Stephen Colbert. Taking aim at both Donald Trump and Paramount, the show not only stirred controversy but also served as a reminder of how powerful comedy can be when it refuses to pull punches.
The episode used real images of President Trump rather than depicting him in the normal South Park style. The goal seemed to embarrass the president as much as possible, given the plot and the decision to make things as "realistic" as possible.
South Park also had something to say about Paramount, the studio that distributes South Park. Just a day after show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone signed a $1.5 billion deal with Paramount, South Park parodied Paramount’s real-life decision to settle a lawsuit with Trump for $16 million. In the episode, the town agrees to pay Trump off and produce flattering propaganda in exchange for being left alone.
And in a move that likely delighted Parker and Stone, the White House chose to respond. A statement given to Deadline read in part, “Just like the creators of South Park, the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows.“
"This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention," the statement continued. "President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak.”
It's more bad PR for Paramount, which would much rather focus on its merger with Skydance. But the decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has not gone over well with fans nor some pretty heavy-hitters in the entertainment industry.
If Colbert was unsure of just how hard to hit back against Paramount, South Park may have just given him the inspiration to go all out. We already know that Colbert won't back down from President Trump, telling the commander-in-chief, "go f*** yourself" days after getting cancelled.
Following South Park's lead probably guarantees a few things: Colbert will earn applause from his audience, Paramount's PR spiral will continue, and President Trump will watch and, more likely than not, respond. All of those are wins for Colbert during the final 10 months of The Late Show. He may not go to the same extremes as South Park, but the message will be the same.