Review: South Park “Wok Is Dead”

Overview

Butters experiences the reality of tariffs when he has to buy a Labubu doll for his girlfriend’s birthday.

Our Take

In a new episode of South Park titled “Wok is Dead,” the show takes on a number of topical issues, including tariffs and a satirical storyline involving Donald Trump and Satan. The episode follows Butters as he tries to buy a popular collectible called a Labubu doll for his girlfriend’s birthday, only to find the price inflated by Trump’s tariffs.

The plot then veers into a more outrageous territory, with the show revealing that Trump is in an intimate relationship with Satan. This storyline is a continuation of a season-long arc where Trump and Satan’s relationship has been a recurring theme. A major twist in the episode is the reveal that Satan is pregnant with Trump’s “butt baby,” a reveal celebrated by a fictional Fox News.

This episode is the latest in a season that has seen South Park mock the Trump administration, including previous episodes that have satirized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her controversial memoir. The show, known for its biting social commentary, uses the absurd situation to criticize how the media and the public can be distracted by sensationalism and celebrity, while ignoring more serious policy issues.