The hysterics in the press over the “cancellation” of Stephen Colbert have been constant, but also completely devoid of facts. The show hemorrhages money to the tune of $40 million a year, but it is necessary to note that this is not due to censorship from the Trump White House.
This claim of the silencing of a show critical of Trump fell apart when it was announced that “South Park” was renewed for a staggering $1.5 billion, doled out to the creators. Not only is the satirical program rewarded for its willingness to go after the president with hard portrayals and plotlines, but this payout came from the same corporation allegedly bowing to Trump's (non-existent) censorship demands.
As the new season of “South Park” recently ramped back up, the sometimes harsh content seen this year has led to a common refrain on social media. Love them or hate them for targeting Trump, JD Vance, and other members of the current administration, one valid note being made by some is that the show was never this aggressive over the past four years. Why did the creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker pull their punches during the Biden administration?
It is accurate that there was hardly anything seen on “South Park” concerning the Biden administration. One would think that between President Silver Alert acting like a Roomba and Vice President Kamala Harris delivering Salad Shooter speeches on the regular, the show would have no shortage of material. But there may be multiple reasons the program avoided that target-rich environment.
“South Park” had been on hiatus for a time, with the last episodes seen before this season arriving back in 2023, but there is another solid reason potentially behind the unwillingness to go after the previous administration – and it had everything to do with Hunter.
The president’s son has been a headline generator for years, and one of the primary topics surrounding the recidivist progeny has been his money issues. His legal wranglings were costly, and he was on the receiving end of benevolent support payments. Another form of “income” had been the alleged art career he embarked on, some 200 works that generated needed income.
And much of this came from the same source: Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris.
Morris, it was revealed, was the one who ponied up nearly $6.5 million in loans to help Hunter clear some of his IRS debt problems, and then followed that up by purchasing a number of the paintings Hunter crafted in his studio. (The recent wildfires in Southern California hit the storage warehouse where most of his works were kept, meaning the world lost these masterpieces…which were largely never displayed to begin with, but still…) But then came word that the Morris “sugar brother” support was drying up, and the lawyer could no longer serve as Hunter’s ATM.
Back to the animated show now, episodes were long delayed amid new contract negotiations, and the talks were taking place during the extremely long merger deal between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. There were all manner of deals kicked around regarding the show remaining on Comedy Central, moving to the Paramount+ streaming platforms, the number of shows pertaining to which outlet it would show on, and the length of the deal. Finally, ink landed on paper last month.
This may also have been the reason Morris was tapped out financially, as that coincided with the delay in new “South Park” episodes. As it turns out, Morris also serves as the agent for the show’s main talent, Parker and Stone, and the lapse in new shows during negotiations was due to a lack of a new contract. But in serving as their agent, Morris has just come into a hefty $150 million fee payment.
Also, in serving as their agent as well as Hunter’s lawyer and generous benefactor, it could well have meant that the Bidens were insulated against the insulting coverage on the ribald “South Park.” So, as is commonplace in Hollywood, the very creators who love to position themselves as brave social spokespersons end up looking neutered for resisting going after the people viewed as being on the same side.
In the case of the Bidens and “South Park,” it looks like a case of being in the very same family.
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
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