“South Park” returned to its regularly scheduled programming on Wednesday night after detouring for a Halloween Special on Oct. 31. The third episode of Season 28 saw Butters experimenting with OpenAI’s generative AI video platform Sora 2, much to the chagrin of fellow South Park Elementary student Red. Meanwhile, JD Vance manages to seduce Donald Trump and dodge punishment for trying to kill his unborn baby with Satan.
The episode opens with Butters showing off his latest AI video, which features Santa Claus peeing in the mouth of his classmate Red. In an act of swift vengeance, Red creates her own AI video of Butters having sex with Studio Ghibli icon Totoro and plays it during a schoolwide assembly. Once Detective Harris of the Park County Police Department catches wind of the videos, he launches an investigation under the suspicion that popular fictional icons are really committing unspeakable acts against the children of South Park.
Back at the White House, Trump is deciding how to punish Vance for his treason. However, Vance manages to smooth-talk his way out of it. Having mended their relationship, Trump and Vance have a quick soak in the hot tub together, and afterward, they make passionate love in the Lincoln Bedroom.
OpenAI has come under fire in recent weeks for allowing Sora 2 users to generate videos with copyrighted IP. Sora 2 currently operates on an opt-out system, meaning any creator can contact the platform developers and have their IP made inaccessible. However, according to copyright law, rights holders can still sue and obtain statutory damages for individual acts of infringement, regardless of the opt-out policy.
“South Park” in 2025 has been all about Trump, and this week’s episode brought more of the same. Seasons 27 and 28 have practically revolved around the president, focusing mostly on his relationship with Satan, while many series mainstays have been allocated to supporting roles.
“South Park” co-creator Trey Parker recently told the New York Times that the focus on Trump is not because he and longtime collaborator Matt Stone have “got all political.” It’s instead because “politics became pop culture.”
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“It’s like the government is just in your face everywhere you look,” Parker explained. “Whether it’s the actual government or whether it is all the podcasters and the TikToks and the YouTubes and all of that, and it’s just all political and political because it’s more than political. It’s pop culture.”
From Variety US