“South Park” is back to once again mock President Donald Trump — and this time, Vice President JD Vance, too.
The Comedy Central show took aim at the president, as well as Vance and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in its latest episode, “Got A Nut,” which aired on Aug. 6.
The episode revolves around school counselor Mr. Mackey being fired from his job and, because he’s desperate for money, joining Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A parody ad for the federal agency mocks its recruitment process, with a jingle declaring, “We don’t ask for experience, just show up!”
South Park is one of the most influential television shows in history. It has a massive enough media presence to break international headlines for their content. Shock and disgust is and has always been their presentation.
South Park so explicitly going against the Trump administration in his second term is legitimately an influence on wide public opinion. Simply put, millennial men like South Park. It is widely regarded as being lampooning everyone in an honest way. I dont agree with that, but thats certainly the way a lot of people see it. It holds particularly heavy sway over several demographics.
What I’m saying is that South Park has, and has always had, a real impact on US politics and public opinion. The fact they are coming out with such open and direct attacks against the Trump administration (his first presidency around they used a Proxy character to criticize him, this time its just him) is a sign of a changing tide in public opinion towards the administration. I personally hope they keep going, drag every one of their names through the mud. Itll break headlines every single time, if only because fascists are so vain and sensitive to their image.
I don’t think they are making any strong statements. I think they are making liberals feel like “we are right” and I think they are making strong conservatives think “damn, South Park went woke”. The people not with a strong opinion either way or the other will conclude “well I guess that’s a debate right now”. When this is the time we need a strong shift away from the failures of both parties that have failed the American people in order to serve the wealthy and imperial interest.
This is a time for artist to make strong statements of anti genocide, anti fascist, anti Imperialist, anti capitalist interest.
South Park makes a strong anti Trump statement in a time when the population needs to hear more than that. It is a failure of what art should push. Deciding more to fill that void with “shock” value of tired sex/Satan/small penis jokes instead.
It is an out of touch Gen X opinion that still thinks the dream of their parents wasn’t a lie.
There is nothing that challenges the the structures. Only the individuals that power those structures. Only appealing to replace them.
It is art that avoids class conflict. Which is probably the point I’ve been trying to make this whole time.