South Park Creators Announce Name Change to 'South America'

The creators of the animated TV show South Park have announced that its new series will be titled South America, which appears to reference U.S. President Donald Trump's attempts to rename geographical features. Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker stated, "Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA." This announcement follows Trump's executive order in August to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America and a previous declaration to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. The announcement coincides with South Park's 29th season and its recent Emmy win for Outstanding Animated Program. The official name change was shared on the show's social media account, featuring an image of the South Park sign altered to reflect the new name. The creators also expressed gratitude to their parent company, Paramount, in the post. The Trump administration had approved a $111 billion merger with Warner Bros Discovery, which has since been paused until June 2027 due to lawsuits from 12 U.S. states concerned about competition and consumer prices. A day prior to the show's announcement, Trump shared an AI-generated video altering a sign in New Mexico to reflect the name change. Mexico has rejected the proposed name change for the Gulf of Mexico, arguing that a single country cannot rename a shared body of international water. South Park has a history of satirizing Trump during his presidencies, and the White House previously criticized the show as "fourth-rate" following an episode that depicted Trump in a compromising situation. The new season of South Park is set to premiere on September 16.