In a biting new episode that aired on Thursday, 27 November 2025, the long-running animated series South Park delivered its signature satirical take on contemporary political and cultural issues, this time focusing on Saudi Arabian sponsorship and a government official's social media fixation.
Satire in the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot
The episode, titled 'Turkey Trot', centres on the town's annual Thanksgiving race. In a plotline that mirrors real-world debates, the community seeks financial backing from Saudi sponsors for their event. This narrative thread directly references the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival, where high-profile comedians have performed under stringent conditions imposed by the Saudi government.
Meanwhile, the episode introduces a parallel storyline involving Pete Hegseth, who holds the fictional title of 'Secretary of War'. The character's department becomes convinced that the benign Turkey Trot race is, in fact, an 'Antifa uprising', leading to a chaotic and humorous overreaction. This plotline specifically targets Hegseth's real-life noted obsession with creating and consuming social media content.
Co-creators on Politics as Pop Culture
Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the masterminds behind South Park, provided insight into their creative process. They explained that in today's media landscape, politics has effectively become pop culture. Their approach to satire, they clarified, is not partisan but is aimed squarely at extremists from across the entire political spectrum.
The episode successfully blends these two narratives, using the town's scramble for foreign sponsorship and a government agency's misguided panic to critique the blurred lines between global finance, entertainment, and modern political paranoia.
