Comedian Patton Oswalt criticizes President Donald Trump's "mediocrity" and "MAGA-friendly comedians," yet he also p...
Comedian Patton Oswalt criticizes President Donald Trump's "mediocrity" and "MAGA-friendly comedians," yet he also provides some explanation for why the president has remained unusually quiet despite the harsh satire he faces on the popular cartoon show.South Park, The Daily Beast reports.
Oswalt, whose most recent comedy specialBlack Coffee and Ice Waterstreams on Audibleon November 20, they note, "capturing this 'cultural moment,' where numerous comedians are finding it challenging to establish the right tone when it comes to what Oswalt frequently refers to as America's'authoritarian government.'"
What inspires Oswalt's optimism, he states, is that Trump possesses a "limited attention span."
Whatever terrible event occurs usually lasts about a week, and then they'll shift their focus to the next terrible thing they have in mind," Oswalt states, "The only benefit we have is hoping we can create and adapt faster than them since they appear to lack object permanence.
And although Oswalt states, "Trump is giving rise to something truly evil," he also mentions the president's silence on "South Park" speaks volumes.
Following Paramount (the parent company of CBS) resolving a legal dispute with Trump for $16 million concerning allegations of misleading editing in a 2020 production60 Minutesinterview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, late night television hostStephen Colbert mocked Paramount'sdecision made live on air, labeling the payment as a "large, substantial bribe" aimed at gaining favor with the Trump administration amid an ongoing merger.
Not long after, Paramount/CBS declared the cancellation ofThe Late Show hosted by Stephen Colbert, effective from May 2026, according to "financial" motivations.
However, Trump has made no comments regardingSouth Park, which portrays him in a comically exaggerated and unflattering manner.
"Money is the only thing that can silence Trump. He might claim that Stephen Colbert isn't achieving the ratings or generating the revenue, despite the show being exceptional," Oswalt states.
The creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have obtained several profitable agreements for the franchise, including a five-year streaming contract with Paramount worth $1.5 billion, equivalent to $300 million per year.
"And South Park, not only does it generate an enormous amount of money, but it also receives exceptional ratings. And Trump can only be so upset about it, because ultimately, Trump will respect something that has sky-high numbers and even higher profits," Oswalt explains.
"He can’t look at South Parkand witness its brilliance, yet he cannot look at someone like John Oliver and recognize the same level of brilliance. All he can focus on is this person's numbers, their numbers, and that's the only way he perceives the world," he adds.
Parker and Stone maintain a comprehensive production agreement with Paramount, ensuring a minimum annual income of $250 million until 2030. Although they have consistently been known for their controversial approach, they also remain closely attuned to the current political climate.
"It's not as if we became entirely political... It's that politics turned into popular culture," Parker states.
It also became profitable.
So something that is as large and as evident asSouth Park, both in terms of quality, which people like you and I can observe, but also in quantity and financial aspects, which Trump can perceive, he simply becomes quiet. If Colbert were makingSouth Park money and getting South Park "eyes on him, Trump wouldn’t know how to react," Oswalt states.
