South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have given an insight into the process of making Donald Trump's infamous micropenis. Since premiering in 1997, the animated sitcom has become known for pushing boundaries and not being afraid to poke fun at public figures. Last season, that included US President Donald Trump, who they depicted as having a sexual liaison with Vice President JD Vance, being in a sexual relationship with Satan, and having a 'teeny-tiny penis'.
The Controversial Episode
The opening episode, Sermon on the Mount, mercilessly mocked Trump, portraying him as a litigious sex pest with cartoon depictions of his nude body several times. A fake public service announcement then aired after the episode, depicting a deepfake AI version of Trump wandering through the desert naked.
Nearly a year on, Parker and Stone have revealed just how they created a prop of the politician's genitals for the live-action shots. 'Why aren't you guys in a gulag somewhere, shackled down in a basement,' talk show host Jimmy Kimmel asked the pair, who said they managed to get away with their actions by 'hiding behind cartoons'.
How They Did It
Explaining how they pulled off the much-talked-about portrayal of the President's penis, Parker explained that they made a 'deepfake' by using an actor to play him for a live-action PSA. The segment showed a lifelike depiction of Trump wandering through a desert and stripping away his clothes until he is completely naked and writhing in the sand. Soon after, a finger-sized figure rises between his legs with cartoon eyes and a mouth. 'I'm Donald J. Trump, and I endorse this message,' the member says before the narrator labels it 'teeny-tiny'.
During their appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Parker announced they had arrived with the 'deepfake AI rig' to detail how they pulled off the 'weiner'. As he pulled out a small piece of fake foreskin, he put it on his finger, which had little eyes drawn on it. Wiggling his finger for the camera, he then quipped it was 'very sophisticated technology' and joked it cost them '$300 million' to make.
'If [Trump] doesn't burn down the Smithsonian, I hope that that winds up in the Smithsonian someday,' Kimmel declared. The talk show host was then given the prop, where he tried it on and addressed it directly, saying: 'Hello, little fella. Why are you making so much trouble? It's okay, you don't even work anymore.'
White House Response
After the offending episode aired in July last year, the scene was slammed by the White House. 'The left's hypocrisy truly has no end – for years they have come after South Park for what they labelled as “offensive” content, but suddenly they are praising the show,' White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Entertainment Weekly in a statement.
He said that 'just like the creators of South Park, the left has no authentic or original content' before taking aim at the long-running series. 'This show hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention. President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country's history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak,' he added.
Audience Reaction
However, viewers could not get enough, with one declaring it was 'the best episode ever', while another said they 'went straight for the jugular'. Within just a few days of being released, last season's premiere drew in 5,900,000 viewers.
Not long after, the creators appeared at Comic Con and jokingly issued an apology, before saying: 'Just three days ago, we were going, “I don't know if people are going to like this [but ultimately decided] let's put that in there”.' Arguments then reportedly ensued: 'They were like, “We're gonna blur the penis” and we're like, “No, you're not gonna blur the penis.”'
The decision to give the penis googly eyes was also apparently agreed to by the show's team in order to make it 'a character'.
South Park Legacy
Since its debut nearly 30 years ago, 338 episodes of South Park have been released. It has also been critically acclaimed and has won five Emmys and a Peabody Award. Last year, the co-creators reportedly signed a deal worth $1.5 billion (£1.1 billion) with Paramount to keep the show on the air for another five years. The upcoming 29th season will start on September 16.
