The creators of "South Park" said they have faced no pressure from Paramount Global, the parent company of Comedy Central, to tone down their criticism or parody of President Donald Trump in the show's latest season.
Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who co-created the long-running animated series, told The New York Times that Paramount has given them full freedom over the show's direction.
"I know with the Colbert thing and all the Trump stuff, people think certain things, but they're letting us do whatever we want, to their credit," Stone said.
The show's 27th season, which began in July, features Trump as a recurring character involved in a storyline that depicts him in a romantic relationship with Satan.
Parker said the season's political focus reflects how politics has merged with pop culture.
"It's like the government is just in your face everywhere you look," Parker said. "Whether it's the actual government or whether it is all the podcasters and the TikToks and the YouTubes and all of that, and it's just all political and political because it's more than political. It's pop culture."
Stone said the pair were motivated to target Trump after sensing that others were hesitant to criticize him.
"Trey and I are attracted to that like flies to honey," he said. "Oh, that's where the taboo is? Over there? OK, then we're over there."
He added that the decision to feature Trump prominently in the season premiere was influenced by the timing of Paramount's merger with Skydance, which was completed in August.
Stone said they wanted to prove the show remained independent during the company's merger scrutiny.
Paramount executives have faced public and political attention over the company's direction following the merger.
Paramount announced its plans to widen the range of opinions in its media outlets and chose Bari Weiss to head CBS News.
The company also canceled "The Late Show" hosted by Stephen Colbert, a frequent critic of the president, which fueled speculation about shifts in editorial policy.
Stone said they planned to feature Trump only once but kept him in the show after realizing the storyline offered more comedic material.
"It's not that we got all political," Parker told the Times. "It's that politics became pop culture."
"South Park" remains one of the longest-running animated comedies on television and has seen its ratings climb during Trump's second term.
The show's renewed attention has also drawn criticism from the White House.
In a statement to USA Today in July, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the series "hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention."
Stone and Parker said they'll keep including politics in the show while it stays relevant to the culture.
"We just go where the conversation is," Stone said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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