The latest episode of South Park is titled “Billionaire Weenietown.” It takes aim at the world of billionaires through a surreal storyline involving a group of disembodied penises in the backyard of Butters Stotch. The episode aired September 30 as the second episode of Season 29.
Butters is frustrated because the cartoonish figures are using data centers that drain electricity and disrupt his ability to watch Dr. Pimple Popper videos. His parents are deeply invested in AI and tech trends. They dismiss his complaints and blame his views on a measles vaccination he received as a child.
The episode explores the divide between rich and poor through the wealthy residents of Weenietown.
Butters eventually tries to get help from an exterminator who tells him the problem is a new strain of billionaire that cannot be controlled like regular pests. According to Rolling Stone the episode also mocks billionaires who appear on podcasts and get into public arguments with people such as actor Mark Ruffalo. Butters ultimately helps relocate some of the troublesome billionaires to Nashville.
TheWrap described the Nashville destination as an apparent jab at the Ellison family and its influence in the media and technology industries. The show also targets anti-vaccine arguments and Joe Rogan’s podcast. It references the dispute involving Ed Sheeran and Macklemore as well.
In a notable moment an AI-generated version of President Donald Trump appears in a restroom before his penis flies away to join the billionaire characters. The sequence marks the return of the show’s deepfake-style Trump after it was absent from the Season 29 premiere. According to The Guardian the episode also has an unusual element of self-satire because creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have become extremely wealthy themselves following their lucrative South Park deals.
The threat of power problems disrupting the release of Grand Theft Auto VI also becomes part of the episode’s satire.
Butters eventually takes action against the most disruptive billionaires while the remaining residents of Weenietown agree to move their data centers. The episode mixes its billionaire satire with jokes about AI and media ownership. It continues South Park’s long tradition of using absurd humor to comment on current political and social issues.