South Park's Shockingly Funny Trump Roast: How They Finally Made it Work

2025-08-23 18:00:23.298

The author admits to being a bigger fan of The Simpsons than South Park, citing South Park's thinner bench of characters and its sometimes less varied political satire compared to The Simpsons' warmer social commentary. However, the author praises South Park's 27th season for its surprisingly effective satire of the second Trump administration, noting that the bar for cathartic laughter has been raised considerably due to the bleak reality of Trump's actions. The author contrasts South Park's approach with other comedic attempts at addressing Trump, criticizing the "clapter" and grandstanding that often accompanies such attempts. They highlight the absence of moralizing in South Park's recent Trump parody, focusing instead on mean caricatures of deserving figures. The show's depiction of Trump, using repurposed photos and the same voice and animation technique used for Saddam Hussein in the movie, is noted as particularly effective, as is the portrayal of Kristi Noem as a dog-murdering zealot. The article also discusses the show's use of Randy, Stan's father, as a ketamine-microdosing, tech-bro moron addicted to ChatGPT, and the surprisingly sparing use of Cartman this season. The author suggests that the success of this season's satire lies in its focus on worthy targets, allowing for a satisfying "point-and-laugh" meanness that feels deserved. While acknowledging that this praise may be seen as coming from a fair-weather fan, the author concludes that the show's willingness to target tech bros, debate-me podcasters, and Trump-world figures is a refreshing change of pace.