“South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone mocked Donald Trump in a controversial episode that additionally marked the present’s final days on HBO Max.

South Park took direct goal at Donald Trump in its Season 27 premiere on Comedy Central, and now the long-running animated sequence is making a serious streaming transfer that’s turning heads.

The satirical juggernaut, created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, can be pulled from HBO Max on Monday (August 4), shifting completely to Paramount+ as a part of a $1.5 billion deal signed in July. That settlement provides Paramount+ full streaming rights to all 26 earlier seasons, its feature-length specials and no less than 50 new episodes over 5 upcoming seasons.

The Season 27 opener, “Sermon on the ‘Mount,” marked the show’s return after almost two years and wasted no time leaping into controversy. The episode featured a nude deepfake model of Trump wandering a desert and mendacity in mattress with Satan. It additionally included a fake public service announcement mocking the previous president, who hasn’t appeared within the sequence since 1997.

The White House wasn’t amused. Assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers slammed the episode, saying South Park “hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention.”

At San Diego Comic-Con the next day, Parker and Stone supplied a dry apology. When requested in the event that they anticipated the backlash, Parker stated, “We’re terribly sorry,” prompting laughter from the group,

The episode additionally caught the eye of The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, who praised the creators for his or her boldness. “And I completely agree with this one,” Colbert stated throughout his monologue. “Because if the government interfered with private AI, innovators at South Park wouldn’t be able to make important videos like this one. That is a message of hope.”

Colbert’s present was just lately canceled by CBS, which, like Comedy Central, is owned by Paramount.

Since its 1997 debut, South Park has grow to be one of the vital influential animated reveals in tv historical past. Known for its crude humor and fearless satire, the sequence has earned a number of Emmy Awards and maintained a loyal viewers for greater than 20 years. Its capacity to remain culturally related—regardless of criticism—has helped it stay a staple within the streaming period.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump stays one of the vital polarizing figures in American politics. His critics have lengthy accused him of selling misinformation, stoking division and undermining democratic establishments. The deepfake portrayal in South Park solely added gas to the fireplace amongst those that view him as a harmful affect.e

Related