Lead: On 4 September 2025, South Park’s season 27 episode “Wok Is Dead” satirised both a collectible toy craze and Donald Trump, repeatedly labelling the cartoon president as Satan and ending with a plot beat that suggests Satan is pregnant with a grotesque offspring tied to Trump — a setup likely to influence future episodes.
Key Takeaways
- Episode: “Wok Is Dead,” part of South Park season 27, first discussed in reviews published 4 September 2025.
- Two main storylines: a Labubu doll craze at South Park Elementary and intermittent jabs at Trump’s policies.
- The episode repeatedly calls the cartoon Donald Trump “Satan” and implies a future plotline in which Satan carries a child linked to Trump.
- Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone continue to use extremes of satire; Jesus appears in the episode as the school counsellor.
- Critics compared this episode’s approach to the show’s 2005 “Trapped in the Closet” controversy but noted a less focused political edge.
- The show is available on Paramount+ and remains a prominent satirical platform in US pop culture.
Verified Facts
South Park’s 27th season, created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, includes the episode titled “Wok Is Dead.” The episode mixes two threads: a parody of the modern collectible “mystery box” craze built around Labubu dolls, and a running gag that positions the animated Donald Trump as Satan.
In the episode’s school-set storyline, children obsess over Labubu dolls sold in mystery boxes, leading to a mania that South Park lampoons by escalating to ritualistic behaviour and comic plagues. Jesus appears in the series as the school counsellor reacting to the chaos.
The Trump material is delivered in short bursts rather than a single sustained narrative: a caricatured Chinese character briefly addresses tariffs, and multiple characters repeat the line equating Trump with Satan. The episode closes with a plot device implying that Satan is pregnant with a child tied to Trump, signalling a potential storyline for upcoming episodes.
Reviewers have compared the episode’s tactic of repeating a single provocative claim to past South Park strategies, notably the 2005 episode “Trapped in the Closet,” which targeted Scientology and had measurable cultural impact. “Wok Is Dead” has been described by some critics as less precise in its political critique than other recent episodes of the season.
Context & Impact
South Park has spent season 27 tackling contemporary US politics and culture in short, direct sketches, often choosing shock value and blunt labels to land jokes. Earlier episodes this season have targeted topics such as the suppression of media critics and immigration enforcement tactics in satirical storylines.
Satire that leans on broad, provocative labels can have mixed effects. Some viewers see blunt labels as effective ridicule; others argue they reduce opportunities for nuanced critique. Critics of “Wok Is Dead” suggest that repeatedly calling Trump “Satan” risks either normalising the insult or undermining the show’s ability to strike at specific policies and behaviours.
For the series, the pregnancy plot is a narrative hook: by introducing an escalating, serialized gag, Parker and Stone open space for future episodes to develop or subvert the premise, potentially sustaining audience interest across the season.
Official Statements
“Donald Trump is fucking Satan.”
South Park (Comedy Central)
Unconfirmed
- That the episode’s primary goal was to provoke a direct reaction from the real Donald Trump; this remains an interpretation by critics rather than a confirmed production statement.
- Whether the Satan-pregnancy plotline indicates a long-term arc or a single-episode gag has not been confirmed by the creators.
Bottom Line
“Wok Is Dead” continues South Park’s pattern of aggressive satire but shifts toward broad provocation rather than detailed policy critique. The episode’s final twist — a suggestive pregnancy link between Satan and the cartoon Trump — serves as a clear setup for future episodes and will determine whether the season returns to sharper political targets or leans into serialized absurdity.