South Parkwon’t be returning for a new season until 2025, meaning it will be skipping the 2024 Presidential Election, along with satirizing nominees Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. That appears to be by design, asSouth Parkcreators Matt Stone and Trey Parker revealed they are purposely opting out of covering the election.South ParkSeason 26 aired in 2023, and in the meantime, the series has continued on with three standalone specials that streamed exclusively on Paramount+, with the latest,South Park: The End of Obesity, airing in May 2024.
While speaking withVariety, Stone and Parker explained why they have decided not to return for Season 27 until 2025. One reason for that decision, according to the duo, is that they’re waiting for Paramount “to figure all their s–t out,” referring to the studio’s sale to Skydance, which has yet to be finalized. But the main reason for the delay is that Stone and Parker wanted to avoid covering the election. While they acknowledge its importance, the duo say they feel creatively burned out by the idea of covering Trump, feeling they don’t have much more to say on the subject:
Matt Stone: “We’ve tried to do ‘South Park’ through four or five presidential elections, and it is such a hard thing to — it’s such a mind scramble, and it seems like it takes outsized importance.”
Trey Parker: “Obviously, it’s f—ing important, but it kind of takes over everything and we just have less fun. I don’t know what more we could possibly say about Trump.”
Have Matt Stone and Trey Parker Lost Their Edge?
South Park
Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s excuse for sitting out the 2024 election feels rather flimsy. The idea that they can’t think of anything more to say about Trump rings hollow when one considers thatLast Week Tonight With John Oliverairs as many episodes a week during its season asSouth Parkdoes. However, John Oliver continues to tackle these subjects in both comedic and informative ways, while the creators ofSouth Parkseemingly can’t think of anything funny to say.The Daily Show, which airs on Comedy Central alongsideSouth Park, manages to deliver humorous commentary four nights a week, with hostJon Stewart doing one show a week, the same number of episodes asSouth Parkis expected to air. IfJon Stewart can do it once a week, why can’tSouth Park?
7 Times South Park Got It Wrong
Trey and Matt don’t pull punches, but not even they are above issuing an apology.
The decision also speaks to a change inSouth Park’s creative ethos. While the series originally earned a reputation as an “equal-opportunity” offender that makes fun of everyone, in recent years, the series has become more of an avenue for Matt Stone and Trey Parker to air their frustrations and annoyances with Millennial and Gen-Z interests. Stone and Parker might be worried that mocking Trump will alienate the portion of their fanbase that celebratesSouth Parkfor “not being woke.” It speaks volumes thatSouth Parkcould dedicate an entire Paramount+ special to mocking Kathleen Kennedy, complaining about diversity in media, and spewing toxictalking points that have been co-opted for targeted harassment campaigns, but they can’t find anything to mock about Donald Trump anymore. That seems a bit disingenuous, no?
