Speaking at Comic-Con on Thursday, Trey Parker and Matt Stone responded with humour to White House anger over the latest South Park premiere, which depicted a naked Donald Trump in bed with Satan. 'We're terribly sorry,' Parker said, followed by a long, deadpan stare.
The episode, which aired on Wednesday, features a hyper-realistic deepfake video of Trump walking naked in a desert and repeatedly suggests his genitalia are small. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called the show 'uninspired' and 'desperate for attention,' adding that Trump's 'hot streak' cannot be derailed by a 'fourth-rate show.'
Parker revealed that producers initially wanted to blur Trump's penis in the episode. 'No you're not gonna blur the penis,' he recalled saying. Stone added that the team decided to put eyes on the penis to make it a character, sparking a four-day debate among 'grown-up people.'
The episode also takes aim at Paramount, which recently settled a lawsuit with Trump for $16m. In the show, Jesus warns South Park residents to settle a similar case, referencing Paramount's cancellation of Stephen Colbert's Late Show after Colbert criticised the settlement.
Parker and Stone signed a $1.5bn, five-year deal with Paramount for 50 new episodes and streaming rights. The efficiency of South Park's production allows it to stay current, with episodes finished within hours of airing. 'I don't know what next week's episode is going to be,' Parker admitted.
