A writer for the iconic animated series South Park has launched a pointed satirical protest against the controversial renaming of a major Washington DC arts institution, purchasing a domain name that skewers the move.
The Satirical Domain Purchase
Toby Morton, a television writer and producer who has worked on the long-running comedy, acquired the web address trumpkennedycenter.org in August 2024. He acted after predicting that former President Donald Trump would rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts following his appointment as its chair and the stocking of its board with loyalists.
Morton explained to the New York Times that for the past five years, he has been "grabbing domains tied to politicians and authoritarian figures and turning them into blunt, often uncomfortable reflections of what they actually represent." He described his work as building sites that "mirror and expose political power by using its own language against it."
Content and Consequences of the Renaming
Visitors to Morton's site will not find the centre's usual schedule of classical music, jazz, theatre, and ballet. Instead, they are greeted by an announcement for a show by the "Epstein dancers" starting in January 2026. The site's text parodies grandiose political language, stating its purpose is to "preserve what must endure" and honour "what must not be questioned."
The actual institution's website, kennedy-center.org, now identifies itself as the "Trump Kennedy Center," though its URL remains unchanged. This renaming has caused significant turbulence, leading several performers to pull out of scheduled concerts in protest. The legality of the name change itself is currently being challenged in the courts.
A Broader Trend of Comedic Pushback
Morton is not alone in using comedy to critique the situation. A group of British satirists separately acquired trump-kennedycenter.org around the same time. Their site advertises a fictional rock musical called "Saucy Jeff," which reimagines a story about Jeffrey Epstein as the protagonist.
This incident reflects a wider shift in South Park's focus. The show, which once primarily parodied woke culture, has turned its satirical lens firmly on the Trump administration in its second term. Co-creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have noted that Trump's presidency made politics inescapable pop culture.
Reflecting on the Kennedy Center renaming, Morton suggested the act was "almost performance art in itself." He highlighted the irony of a figure who has "openly mocked artists, dismissed culture and shown nothing but contempt for the arts" now positioning himself as their steward.
