South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem criticizes South Park, labeling it as lazy and petty.
In the latest episode of South Park (Season 27, Episode 2, "Got a Nut"), Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Vice President JD Vance find themselves at the centre of sharp satire, with the animated series mocking both figures in a politically charged narrative.
The episode features Noem delivering an ICE recruiting video, in which she bizarrely admits to shooting her own puppy in the face to illustrate "doing what's hard." This scene escalates as Noem and Mr. Mackey join an ICE raid on a Dora the Explorer Live! show, during which she shoots a service dog, amplifying the show's critique of her and ICE’s harsh tactics.
Vice President JD Vance, on the other hand, is depicted as a comedically short sidekick to Trump in a grotesque parody set at Mar-a-Lago. The scene features a disturbing threesome scenario with Satan, a crude jab at Vance's perceived subservience to Trump.
The episode's portrayal of Noem's job was not criticized, but her character's Botox procedure dissolving, causing her face to melt, became a running gag throughout the episode. Noem called the portrayal "petty," stating that it's "always the liberals and the extremists who do that."
South Park responded to the DHS's post with the message: "Wait, so we ARE relevant? #eatabagofdicks." Before the episode aired, the Department of Homeland Security and South Park traded barbs on social media. Secretary Kristi Noem appeared on Glenn Beck's radio show on Thursday night to discuss the portrayal.
In another scene, Noem is depicted shooting a dog and conducting ICE raids at a live production of "Dora the Explorer" to target Latinos. The dog-killing became a recurring gag throughout the episode. Vance responded to the episode on Thursday morning, saying "Well, I've finally made it."
Recurring character Mr. Mackey loses his job as a teacher due to Trump's Department of Education budget cuts. He later takes a job as an ICE officer in the latest South Park episode.
The portrayal of Noem and Vance sparked controversy with the Trump administration due to its unflinching and explicit ridicule. The mocking tone—linking Noem to violence against animals and ICE’s aggressive immigration policies and depicting Vance in a subservient, grotesque role—was seen as a deliberate provocation and a bold political statement by South Park, reinforcing its long tradition of irreverent satire directed at current political figures.
Social-media platforms were abuzz with discussion about the latest episode of South Park, as the series tackled both Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Vice President JD Vance with sharp satire. The episode's portrayal of Noem and Vance sparked controversy within the Trump administration, due to its unflinching and explicit ridicule, particularly for linking Noem to violence against animals and ICE’s aggressive immigration policies, and depicting Vance in a subservient, grotesque role. The portrayal of celebrities and political figures like Noem and Vance in the entertainment realm of pop-culture, such as South Park, often ignites debates and stirs controversy on social media.
