Paramount-owned cable network Comedy Central pulled a scheduled re-run of a “South Park” episode on Wednesday, a move that was almost certainly influenced by the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk.
The episode, titled “Got a Nut,” originally aired earlier this year as part of the show’s 27th season. The episode depicts one of the show’s main protagonists, Eric Cartman, as a conservative podcaster and concludes with a parody ceremony called “The Charlie Kirk Award for Young Masterdebaters,” featuring appearances by President Donald Trump and Satan.
The satire was considered relatively restrained by “South Park” standards. The episode also introduced the show’s exaggerated depiction of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and continued a subplot about a romantic relationship between Trump and Satan.
Kirk reacted positively to the portrayal after the episode first aired.
“There’s going to be a lot said about this, but we need to have a good spirit about being made fun of. This is all a success, this is all a win,” Kirk said in a TikTok video. “We as conservatives, we have thick skin, not thin skin. You can make fun of us, and it doesn’t matter. And until next time, I hope all of you become master debaters for truth.”
While the installment has been pulled from Comedy Central’s cable channel, it is still available through on-demand platforms, including the streaming service Paramount Plus. Paramount recently signed a $1.5 billion deal to acquire the full streaming rights to South Park, episodes of which were previously offered on HBO Max in the United States.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University during his “American Comeback” tour. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries. He was 31.
—
Read more:
