With its 20th season set to get underway on Comedy Central later tonight, South Park certainly shows no signs of slowing down or shying away from controversy. A trailer promoting new episodes of the venerable animated sitcom demonstrates the show’s commitment to covering current events, with a focus on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s recent protests of the national anthem.
The clip sees various South Park residents packed into a football stadium ahead of a big game. The crowd sings the national anthem, but the lyrics have been tweaked to offer a harsh critique of the local police force.
“Colin Kaepernick is great, cops are pigs, cops are pigs,” the crowd sings in unison. “Wait, someone just took my stuff, I need to call the cops. Oh no, I just said cops were pigs! Who’s going to help me get my stuff?”
One of the series’ great strengths is the fact that its production schedule is set up such that episodes can revolve around current events in a timely fashion. For example, Kaepernick’s first protest of the national anthem came at an NFL preseason game on August 26, just a matter of weeks before tonight’s episode lampooning the situation.
However, Kaepernick isn’t the only newsworthy figure that’s set to be parodied in the series opener, which is apparently titled Member Berries. The show is set to put its own spin on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, with a storyline that sees Mr. Garrison running for office with the help of a deep orange tan.
South Park returns to Comedy Central at 10 p.m. ET/PT tonight. New episodes from season 20 will be available for streaming in HD via Hulu and South Park Studios the day after their broadcast debut.
