Deleted episode of SouthPark which stars Charlie Kirk like character. Photo Credit: Paramount
Last month, Comedy Central pulled an episode parodying conservative commentator Charlie Kirk shortly following his death on Sept. 10, 2025.
In the episode titled “Got a Nut,” Clyde Donovan launches a right-wing podcast that Eric Cartman hijacks, adopting a persona after the late Charlie Kirk. Cartman goes on to compete for the “Charlie Kirk Award for Young Master Debaters.”
The episode, released on Aug. 6, became incredibly controversial after the death of Charlie Kirk. In fact, South Park is being blamed for Kirk’s death by many members of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. Comedy Central permanently pulled the episode from rotation, though it is still available on Paramount+.
Since the show’s debut in 1997, South Park has built a reputation for criticizing everyone from celebrities to politicians. The joke has always been that no one is safe from South Park’s satire, even in 2025.
For instance, in 2000, the show’s writers nailed the absurdity of the U.S. election system in the episode “Douche and Turd.” The children from South Park Elementary pick between two terrible mascot candidates after PETA protests shut down the school’s team name, the “South Park Cows.”
Other examples of the show’s satirical plays on politics includes “About Last Night” over the 2008 presidential election, “Oh, Jeez” over the 2016 presidential election and “The Pandemic Special” about the public’s and government’s mishandling of COVID-19.
Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park, relentlessly use their platform to say whatever they want. They treat satire as a form of free speech, which they use to criticize celebrities, political parties, religions and cultural trends. Their social commentary works because they’re not trying to be “safe” or balanced in the way traditional media is.
Season 27 of South Park premiered its first episode on July 23 this year. Four episodes are currently available to stream, and another six are expected to be released.
In one episode this season, Butters obsesses over a Labubu to buy for his girlfriend, who then uses the Labubu in a religious sacrifice ritual with her friends. This perfectly captures how obsessed people can get with trends.
In another episode, Jesus becomes the new South Park Elementary School counselor. The episode pokes fun at how religion is woven into everyday life, often in ways that are ridiculous or performative.
For nearly 30 years, South Park has done the same thing again and again: it exaggerates reality until it’s ridiculous. Season 27 demonstrates that Parker and Stone continue this satirical approach.
The show remains relevant even 28 years after its first airing, controversy and all. It calls attention to human behavior and quirks of society in a way that is both humorous and reflective.
