“Why aren’t you guys in a gulag somewhere, shackled down in a basement?”
This provocative question was directed by Jimmy Kimmel to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of “South Park,” during their appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Tuesday evening. Kimmel’s remark referenced the animated show’s frequent satirical portrayals of President Trump, often depicting him in a provocative manner.
“We hide behind cartoons,” Parker humorously admitted in response.
Kimmel, who has faced censorship challenges from Trump supporters and the Trump-aligned FCC, has been targeted multiple times. This includes a period off-air following the MAGA community’s misinterpretation of a joke about the right-wing reaction to Charlie Kirk’s death, and a recent controversy involving Trump and his allies misrepresenting a joke about Trump allegedly sleeping during meetings. Both Trump and Melania publicly demanded Kimmel’s dismissal.
Kimmel was particularly intrigued by Parker and Stone’s portrayal of Vice President JD Vance on “South Park,” where he is humorously depicted as a confused version of Tattoo from “Fantasy Island,” originally played by the late Hervé Villechaize.
Parker shared that Tattoo was among the first impressions he did “when I was like nine years old.” He explained, “It was intended to be a one-time joke—comparing Mar-a-Lago to ‘Fantasy Island’—so we thought, ‘Let’s just have him as Tattoo in a single shot.’ We ended up loving the character so much that we expanded on it.” Parker also mentioned that season of “South Park” featured a deepfake of the president, and they brought their deepfake AI rig to demonstrate how they animated Donald Trump on the show.
At this point, Parker humorously showcased a piece of (fake) foreskin, adorned with eyes, which he animated for the audience.
“If he doesn’t burn down the Smithsonian, I hope that that winds up in the Smithsonian someday,” Kimmel joked.
Subsequently, Kimmel playfully placed the Trump foreskin prop on his pinky. “Hello, little fella,” he addressed it. “Why are you making so much trouble?”
