Yes, South Park is coming for Turning Point USA. And for those familiar with the show, this is far from an insult; it’s a pop culture badge of honor.
Christiane Emery is the PR Administrator for Turning Point USA. With a background in film and communication, she explores the role of culture and conservatism in shaping today’s trends.
Getting roasted is a rite of passage. It means you’re culturally relevant. I can think of a few iconic roasts that cemented a spot in pop culture history—the Tom Brady roast, the Justin Bieber roast—but South Park is a whole other level of elite status.
Since its debut in 1997, South Park has mocked the biggest headlines, personalities, and ideological hot zones of the moment. The show has managed to turn every taboo topic imaginable into a punchline and still make it appealing to the masses. Part of the trick is that they go after everyone. When you parody both Al Gore and Kanye West, no one can claim you’re picking sides.
The show roasts people who matter. Cultural fixtures. Names that even a casual viewer will recognize. Which is why the teaser for Season 27, Episode 2 caught so much attention, it appears to feature Cartman imitating none other than Charlie Kirk, with Mr. Mackey alongside him conducting ICE raids.
Yes, South Park is coming for Turning Point USA. And for those familiar with the show, this is far from an insult; it’s a pop culture badge of honor.
South Park has taken aim at Hillary Clinton (Season 11, Ep. 6), Donald Trump (Season 27, Ep. 1), and even Jesus Christ. You don’t end up in their crosshairs unless you’re making serious noise.
As Alex Clark said at the Young Women’s Leadership Summit in 2022, “When they continue to underestimate us. Let them.” The louder you stand for your beliefs, the harder it is for the world to ignore you.
What’s always made South Park different from other forms of satire is that it’s not performative. Its creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, have long called themselves libertarians, but the show’s ideology is far more complex than party labels. South Park’s true North Star? Irreverence. And a healthy suspicion of groupthink.
That’s why this episode matters. If Charlie Kirk is getting the South Park treatment, it means Turning Point’s message is breaking through.
This isn’t the first time conservatives have been targeted. But unlike the Left, we don’t cry about cartoons—we laugh, we analyze, and we double down. Turning Point USA has spent years preparing students to walk onto hostile campuses and stand firm. As Alex Clark said from the YWLS stage:
“Wear the target on your back as a badge of honor… Take that bullseye, wear it proudly, and find a great pair of shoes to match it.”
Charlie seems to agree. The idea is simple: if you’re going to stand for something, expect resistance. And if you’re loud enough, expect mockery.
Just 10 minutes into the episode, TPUSA contributor Morgonn McMichael took to Twitter, saying, “I can’t lie, this South Park episode with @charliekirk11 character is HILARIOUS.” One of the most pointed sequences comes when cartoon Charlie disrupts a campus tabling scene, a clear parody of TPUSA’s nationwide college activism. Clyde, decked out with a “He-Man” water bottle, starts off spouting culture war lines: “Women have it good in America just like Black people do.” But before he can finish, Cartman bursts in, channeling Charlie Kirk with his signature gelled hair and tight blue polo. He punches Clyde, shouting, “I’m sick of people stealing my schtick! If anyone around here is gonna be a master-debater, it’s me,” and picks up right where Clyde left off. A female student approaches only to insult Charlie’s haircut, a nod to how online discourse often hyper-focuses on superficial jabs rather than substance.
Despite Cartman’s aggressive takeover, the episode hilariously awards Clyde the “Charlie Kirk Award for Young Master-debaters,” underscoring the unpredictable nature of cultural influence. The episode wraps up with a darkly comedic twist as DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is depicted shooting Superman’s dog, Krypto, another pointed jab at political figures and pop culture icons alike.
Getting parodied by South Park means you’re no longer just part of a movement; you are the movement. For years, the Left dominated comedy, pop culture, and late-night television. Conservatives were either ignored or treated as caricatures by default. But the fact that South Park, arguably the most fearless, no-holds-barred animated show in modern TV history, is even paying attention to Turning Point signals a seismic shift.
Conservatives aren’t outside the cultural conversation anymore. We are the cultural conversation. From viral podcast clips to youth events packing out stadiums, the reach is undeniable. And when you’re creating culture instead of reacting to it, the old gatekeepers have no choice but to respond, even if that response comes in the form of satire.
Some critics will try to spin this episode as a takedown. They’ll say it proves TPUSA is out of touch, or that Charlie Kirk is the butt of the joke. But they’re missing the point. South Park doesn’t waste airtime on people who don’t matter. The real story isn’t that we were mocked—it’s that we couldn’t be ignored.
And that’s the kind of relevance you can’t buy.
