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South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker announced an apparent temporary name change to “South America,” saying they were “inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google.” Unveiled after the series won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, the move was reinforced by an image of its familiar sign with “Park” replaced by “America.”

Details

• Renaming campaign: Trump ordered the US government last year to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Mexico opposed the change, arguing that Washington could not unilaterally rename a body of water shared by several countries. His administration later directed that Lake Ontario be called Lake America within the United States.
• Mapping response: Google adopted Lake America for US users of its mapping service, while Canadian users continued to see Lake Ontario. Apple subsequently followed the same approach for Apple Maps in the United States. Google has explained that Maps changes place names when official government sources update them. Stone and Parker turned that policy into ironic praise for the companies’ “bravery and patriotism.”
• Emmy victory: The announcement followed South Park’s latest Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. Its official account also posted an image mocking Trump, showing him holding an Emmy with his pants around his ankles. The Television Academy lists five wins for the series in that category from 21 nominations.
• Trump clashes: The White House called South Park a “fourth-rate” program during its 27th season after an episode depicted a fictionalized Trump in a provocative scene involving Satan. The series has repeatedly targeted his policies, rhetoric and political style, drawing criticism from Trump, his administration and supporters.
• Corporate punchline: Stone and Parker also thanked parent company Paramount with the phrase “a Skydance Capitulation.” The relationship between Paramount Skydance and the Trump administration has attracted attention amid broader changes across the US media industry. The administration approved a proposed $111 billion merger involving Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, but the transaction was later paused after 12 US states filed lawsuits raising competition and consumer concerns.

Background

South Park debuted on Comedy Central on August 13, 1997, following four foul-mouthed schoolchildren—Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny—in a fictional Colorado town. Political satire has remained central to the series, with Trump becoming a recurring target during his second term and technology companies now joining the institutions featured in its jokes. Since its launch, it has become one of the most recognizable political satire programs on American television.

What’s next

The upcoming episodes will show whether “South America” appears as the program’s on-screen title or remains limited to the current publicity stunt.