Comedy Central has removed a South Park episode that parodied conservative activist Charlie Kirk from its cable television rotation following Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University on Wednesday evening (September 10, 2025). The decision comes as the network navigates the sensitive intersection of satirical content and real-world tragedy.
The episode in question, titled “Got a Nut,” originally aired on August 6 as the second installment of South Park‘s 27th season. In the satirical animated comedy, character Eric Cartman adopts the persona of a right-wing podcaster, mimicking Kirk’s signature campus debate style and appearance. The episode culminated with Cartman receiving the “Charlie Kirk Award for Young Masterdebaters,” directly referencing the Turning Point USA founder’s collegiate debate tours.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot while speaking at a university event as part of his organization’s “American Comeback Tour.” The assassination occurred as Kirk was taking questions from the audience about mass shootings and gun violence. A single gunshot struck Kirk in the neck, and he was later pronounced dead. The FBI has characterized the incident as a targeted attack, though the shooter remains at large and no suspects have been identified.
⚡️FBI Salt Lake City releases suspect photos
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— The Tennessee Holler (@thetnholler.bsky.social) September 11, 2025 at 11:28 AMFollowing the tragedy, Comedy Central quietly replaced the scheduled rerun of “Got a Nut” with a different episode from the current season. Sources close to the network indicate the removal is temporary and was implemented out of respect for the circumstances. The episode remains available for streaming on Paramount+, allowing viewers to access it intentionally rather than encountering it during passive cable viewing.
The decision has sparked debate within conservative circles about the role of satirical content in political discourse. Some MAGA supporters have pointed to the South Park episode as contributing to a hostile climate toward Kirk. One Turning Point USA staffer posted on Telegram, “Comedy has consequences. Charlie was targeted in the culture before he was targeted in real life.” Radio host Jesse Kelly told his listeners that “South Park thought it was funny to turn Charlie into a cartoon joke. Now his wife is planning a funeral.”
However, Kirk himself had embraced the satirical portrayal when it originally aired. In a Fox News interview prior to the episode’s premiere, Kirk called the depiction “a badge of honor” and stated, “We as conservatives should be able to take a joke, we shouldn’t take ourselves so seriously – that’s something that the left has always done.” Kirk even briefly changed his social media profile pictures to show Cartman in his likeness and shared clips from the episode on his platforms.
The practice of temporarily removing content that intersects with real-world tragedies is standard across the entertainment industry. Networks routinely pull programming that might appear insensitive following natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or other violent events. The approach allows time for emotions to settle while avoiding the appearance of capitalizing on tragedy.
President Donald Trump paid tribute to Kirk on Truth Social, writing, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.” Vice President Kamala Harris also condemned the violence, stating, “Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”
I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah. Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family.
Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.
— Kamala Harris (@kamalaharris.com) September 10, 2025 at 2:48 PMThe incident highlights the increasingly volatile climate surrounding political discourse in America. Kirk had built Turning Point USA from a small conservative student group into one of the most influential forces in Republican politics, focusing particularly on engaging young voters on college campuses nationwide.
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have not publicly commented on the episode’s removal. The satirical series is scheduled to return with new episodes on September 23 on Comedy Central, with subsequent streaming availability on Paramount+.
As investigations continue into Kirk’s assassination, the temporary removal of the South Park episode represents the entertainment industry’s ongoing struggle to balance creative expression with sensitivity to real-world events. The episode’s eventual return to regular rotation will likely depend on how the situation develops and when the political temperature surrounding the tragedy begins to cool.
