‘South Park’ Tackles American Stars Cashing In With Saudi Arabia in Thanksgiving Special
SOUTH PARK, COLORADO – November 23, 2023 – The animated series South Park delivered a scathing critique of american celebrities and athletes accepting lucrative deals from Saudi Arabia in its Thanksgiving special, airing Wednesday night.The episode directly addressed the controversy surrounding figures like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, and Dave Chapelle, portraying them as motivated solely by money despite Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
The episode centers around a fictional Thanksgiving parade float sponsored by Saudi Arabia, complete with a robotic camel and a banner proclaiming “Saudi Arabia: A Splendid Place!” The town of South Park is initially excited about the sponsorship money, but quickly becomes conflicted as the parade devolves into a spectacle highlighting the kingdom’s attempts too “sportswash” its image.
The satirical storyline mirrors real-world developments since 2017, when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman became the kingdom’s de facto ruler and initiated a diversification of investment into sports and entertainment. This has included the creation of the LIV Golf tour, the Saudi Pro League featuring major football stars, and events like the Red Sea Film Festival, which attracts Hollywood talent.
South Park specifically parodied comedian Dave Chapelle’s defense of his performance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival,where he argued that US critics lacked the moral standing to criticize him given free speech limitations in America.In the episode, a character resembling Chapelle delivers a similar argument, claiming it’s “easier to talk” in Saudi Arabia than in the US. This directly references Chapelle’s comments to The Hollywood reporter in December 2023, where he stated, “right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you’ll get cancelled… It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.”
The episode also touched upon broader criticisms leveled against those accepting Saudi money, referencing the kingdom’s human rights record, including the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents.
The Thanksgiving special arrives amid ongoing debate about the ethics of accepting funds from Saudi Arabia,notably considering the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza and the reported 69,000 Palestinian deaths. Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef recently argued that criticisms of performers in Saudi Arabia where hypocritical, given US involvement in human rights concerns, and pointed to the situation in Gaza, stating, “It’s not just because of the funding and enabling of a live streamed genocide for two years. Although that’s a solid start.” South Park‘s episode echoes this sentiment, portraying the town’s initial excitement over the Saudi sponsorship as quickly giving way to moral discomfort.
