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The creators of South Park have announced a tongue-in-cheek name change for the long-running animated series, rebranding it as South America in what appears to be the latest satirical swipe at President Donald Trump and major tech companies.
Ahead of the show's Season 29 premiere, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said the move was inspired by Apple and Google, which have adopted geographic name changes ordered by the Trump administration.
“Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of ‘South Park’ to ‘South America,'” Parker and Stone said in a statement. “We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation.”
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Newsweek reached out to Paramount, Apple, Google and the White House for comment via email.
Why It Matters
For nearly three decades, South Park has built its reputation on mocking political figures and corporations.
The show's recent focus on Trump has generated significant attention and renewed larger discussions about political satire in entertainment.
By targeting Apple and Google alongside Trump, Parker and Stone appear to be criticizing not only government actions but also the willingness of major corporations to adopt them.
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Did 'South Park' Get Renamed?
The announcement was a joke made by the series creators ahead of the Season 29 premiere.
Parker and Stone issued a satirical statement claiming they were changing the show's name from South Park to South America. The move was a parody of recent Trump administration efforts to rename geographic features by adding "America" to their names.
The series will continue to air as South Park. The mock rebranding appears to be a promotional stunt and another example of the show's long-running political satire.
In a statement shared ahead of the Season 29 premiere, Parker and Stone said they were "inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google” and are changing the name of South Park to South America.
The pair added: "We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount—a Skydance Capitulation."
“A Skydance Capitulation” has become a satirical phrase by the South Park creators to mock their parent company, Paramount, for bending to political pressure during its merger with Skydance Media. During a settlement, Paramount paid $16 million to resolve a lawsuit filed by Trump over a 60 Minutes interview. The company also agreed to end its corporate DEI program.
The mock announcement was a reference to recent actions by the Trump administration involving the renaming of geographic locations, including referring to Lake Ontario as Lake America following a dispute with Canada, and Trump's earlier call to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, which was subsequently reflected in mapping services operated by Google and Apple. And this week, Trump threatened to rename New Mexico as "New America" even though he has no legal authority to rename any state.
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'South Park's' Recent Trump Obsession
The name-change gag is far from the first time the series has targeted Trump.
The show's most recent season has repeatedly mocked the president and his administration. Among the most talked-about storylines were depictions of Trump in a relationship with Satan, echoing the show's earlier portrayal of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, as well as portrayals of Vice President JD Vance as Tattoo from the television series Fantasy Island.
The political material earned attention during this year's Emmy Awards, where the series won Outstanding Animated Program for a season that frequently poked fun at Trump and his allies.
A day before the "South America" announcement, the show's social media account celebrated its Emmy win with a direct jab at Trump.
"You finally got your Emmy,” the show wrote with an image of Trump.
While accepting the award, Parker said, “A big thank you to the greatest fans in the world. It’s only because of you guys that we haven’t been canceled in 30 years."
Previously, the White House issued a statement calling South Park "irrelevant for 20 years,” and “relying on uninspired ideas for attention."
Trump has also previously expressed his disdain for the Emmys.
"The Emmys were horrendous…the absolute worst show," Trump wrote on X in 2012.
He also said, "The Emmys are all politics, that's why, despite nominations, The Apprentice never won — even though it should have many times over."
Why Did Donald Trump Rename Lake Ontario?
Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to refer to Lake Ontario as "Lake America." The move followed the ongoing trade dispute with Canada and was the latest in a series of administration efforts to rename well-known geographic locations.
The order followed Trump's earlier decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, which also sparked significant public debate and international attention.
Which Map Applications Display Lake America?
Both Google Maps and Apple Maps have adopted the administration's naming change and display Lake America following Trump's executive order.
Parker and Stone specifically referenced those companies in their statement, saying they were inspired by the "bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google" when announcing the mock renaming of South Park.
MapQuest, however, surged to the top of Apple's U.S. App Store rankings this week after publicly refusing to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America."
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How Many Emmys Has 'South Park' Won?
South Park added another trophy to its collection this week when it won Outstanding Animated Program at the 2026 Emmy Awards. This Emmy arrived after a season that heavily satirized Trump and his administration.
This marked the show's sixth Emmy win overall and its first Emmy victory in more than a decade. The show celebrated the achievement on social media with an image of a cartoon Trump holding an Emmy accompanied by the message: "You finally got your Emmy."
The joke referenced Trump's long-standing frustration that NBC's The Apprentice was nominated for Emmys but never won.
What Happens Next
Season 29 of South Park is scheduled to premiere on September 16 on Comedy Central, with new episodes becoming available on Paramount+ the following day in the United States, Canada and Australia.
If the promotional stunt is any indication, viewers can likely expect Trump and his administration to remain recurring targets when the new season debuts.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jenni Fink and Gray R. Thomas
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