South Park, Trump, and the Death of the Strongman Illusion

South Park, Trump, and the Death of the Strongman Illusion

I’ve been battling a familiar enemy lately, writer’s block. But this time, it’s not from a lack of ideas. It’s from too many. Every day has felt like an avalanche of absurdity, like we’re trapped in a society on the brink, where up is down and the most ridiculous people are granted power and applause. And at the center of it all is one man who defies parody because he is parody. I’ve felt helpless staring at the blank page, wondering: what can I even say anymore? Then came the newest episode of South Park. It didn’t just snap me out of my funk, it slapped the whole world across the face. The Return of the Villain, Literally From the moment Donald Trump appeared on screen with his actual face pasted onto a cartoon body, it was clear what Trey Parker and Matt Stone were doing. Not hinting. Not alluding. Saying the quiet part out loud. Trump is not just like Saddam Hussein, he is Saddam Hussein. For longtime fans, the reference was unmistakable. Saddam was originally portrayed with a photo head, a squeaky Canadian voice, and a bizarre sexual relationship with Satan. And now? Trump inherits it all. Same visuals. Same voice. Same narrative absurdity. It was brutal. It was hilarious. It was exactly what we needed. Cartoon Logic, Real-World Consequences South Park’s decision to use Trump’s actual photo rather than animating him wasn’t just about creative symmetry with Saddam, it was a genius statement in itself. The real Trump is already too cartoonish to exaggerate. He is the caricature. And the way they skewered his ego? Having his micro-penis be the reason he’s such a raging narcissist? That wasn’t just funny, it was tactical. It’s a dig you know cuts to his core. Vanity is his oxygen. Satire is the pin. Then they pushed it further: even Satan was offended that Trump’s name is on the Epstein list. You could feel the writing room cackling as they typed that line. So were we. Strongmen Hate Laughter But here’s the real brilliance of it all. South Park doesn’t just mock Trump, it disarms him. Trump, like every authoritarian, thrives on fear. On control. On litigation. The media reports; he sues. The critics speak; he bullies. But satire? He can’t touch it. Try suing South Park and they’ll just turn it into an episode, with Trump losing the case and getting pantsed by Satan in court. This is the power of parody. It reduces fear to farce. It shrinks bullies down to bite-sized buffoons. Vincent “The Chin” Gigante, a literal mafia boss, walked around New York City in pajamas pretending to be mentally ill to dodge prosecution. He knew the value of being underestimated. Trump is doing the same thing, except we’ve given him a podium, a party, and half the country’s loyalty. South Park isn’t letting him get away with it. A Final Thought We’ve reached the point where mainstream media is too scared to call a con man a con man. But satire doesn’t ask permission. It just loads the truth into a joke and fires it straight at the emperor’s nudity. If Trump is the cartoon villain, then satire isn’t just a joke, it’s our last truthful weapon. And we better start using it like our lives depend on it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit scottbarzilla.substack.com [https://scottbarzilla.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Are They Ignorant or Are They Evil?

I had the pleasure of making a 14-hour drive this week as my family took our annual trip to the beautiful beaches of Destin. The emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico never disappoint. While we were there, I caught up with someone I’ve known for quite some time. That’s one of the benefits of returning to the same place every year thanks to a timeshare. But during this trip, something strange happened. This woman, Ashley, kept referring to the “Gulf of America.” She clearly wanted to see who would react. She was looking for attention, validation, or maybe just hoping to stir something up. On the drive home, which gave us plenty of time to reflect, my wife and I got to talking about it. I kept coming back to the same question. With people like Ashley, are they ignorant or are they evil? Ashley is married, has a career, and is a mother of two. Her family attends church regularly and goes on vacations. On the surface, she seems like a good person. And yet, she supports a political movement and a man who cause real, lasting harm. Indifference Is No Longer the Problem I’ve written before about the danger of good people being indifferent. That used to be our biggest problem. But that time has passed. This past weekend, between four and six million Americans participated in protests against Donald Trump and the increasingly authoritarian way he is governing. That number is extraordinary. A normal, rational person would look at that level of protest and say, “Wow, that many people are upset. Something must be seriously wrong.” Instead, conservatives rushed to social media and repeated a familiar set of lies. One of the most common claims was, “They’re all paid actors.” Others insisted, “They’re violent radicals,” or said, “These protests are un-American.” Let’s be clear. Protest is one of the most American acts a citizen can take. These people are not tearing down the country. They are fighting to preserve what’s left of the Constitution. Some conservatives even claimed the protesters were trying to start a civil war. At the same time, the President has called in active-duty Marines to assist with ICE and domestic law enforcement, coming dangerously close to violating the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. Fox News and the Factory of Lies This level of ignorance is not an accident. It is being manufactured. Fox News admitted in court that it is not a news outlet. It is a commentary and entertainment channel. They said this after being sued for repeatedly lying on air about election fraud. Those lies cost them nearly a billion dollars in damages. And still, millions of Americans continue to watch. They are fed a daily stream of hate. Democrats are not portrayed as fellow citizens who simply have different ideas. Instead, they are depicted as dangerous enemies. Some of Fox’s greatest hits include: * The false claim that Democrats want open borders to win elections * The myth that Critical Race Theory is being taught in grade schools * The lie that teachers are “grooming” children * The smear that Democrats are pedophiles * The fantasy that the 2020 election was stolen Fox has convinced many Americans that teaching honest history is somehow a threat. They label anything involving empathy, inclusion, or race as “CRT” and then convince their viewers it’s dangerous. They have accused Democrats of being socialists who want to destroy capitalism. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has protected corporate real estate, kept corporate tax rates low, and encouraged workers to return to the office. For historical context, Ronald Reagan’s corporate tax rates were higher than Biden’s. Democrats have failed to raise the minimum wage. They have failed to secure paid parental leave. They have failed to hold abusive corporations accountable. If anything, they have been too friendly to capitalism, not hostile toward it. Evil Leadership and Engineered Ignorance I have no doubt that Republican officials know exactly what they are doing. They have deliberately underfunded public schools, especially in low-income neighborhoods. They are banning books that challenge their worldview. They have turned school boards into political battlegrounds, focusing more on headlines than student success. They are raising a generation of kids where teachers must live in fear of saying the wrong thing. One complaint could end a career. Why push for a less educated public? Because uninformed people are easier to control. Critical thinkers ask questions and resist manipulation. But if you gut the education system, flood the media with propaganda, and stoke fear, then you get a voting base that follows orders without thinking. Just look at the Capitol rioters. Were they thoughtful citizens making calculated decisions? Or were they a mob driven by lies and fueled by rage? Weaponizing Christianity Republicans have also found a way to weaponize Christianity. They claim their actions are taken in the name of honoring Christ. Yet their policies often contradict the values Christ taught. Marjorie Taylor Greene says Democrats are godless and that we must make America Christian again. Many of Trump’s supporters believe he was chosen by God. This belief is not only irrational, it is dangerous. When someone is seen as divinely chosen, then anything they do becomes justified. That is not how democracy works. That is how theocracy works. Christianity is being used as a political weapon. It serves to: * Attack the LGBTQ+ community * Justify cruelty toward immigrants and the poor * Silence opposition * Hide personal scandals and hypocrisy Ken Paxton talks about family values while cheating on his wife. Trump has cheated on every wife he has had. Newt Gingrich admitted to having an affair while leading the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Mark Sanford abandoned his duties as governor to visit his mistress in Argentina. Rudy Giuliani’s scandals barely fit in a single news cycle. It always comes back to the same thing: one set of rules for them, and a different set for everyone else. So… Are They Ignorant or Evil? Some people are just evil.Hitler. Stalin. Mussolini. Pol Pot. Trump. These are people who seek power and do not care who they harm along the way. But others are simply ignorant. They believe what they are told because they have never been taught to question it.Their church reinforces it.Their news tells them to fear.Their politicians give them someone to blame. A Father’s Fear and a Father’s Answer As a dad, this is where I feel the weight of it all. How do I prepare my daughters for a world where the truth is optional? How do I teach them that empathy and honesty matter, when society increasingly views those values as signs of weakness? What do I say when they ask why the world rewards cruelty? Do I tell them that goodness is naïve?That bullies always win?That power matters more than principle? No. I will never tell them that. Here is what I will say:Ignorance can be corrected.Evil can be resisted.And silence is never the right choice. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit scottbarzilla.substack.com [https://scottbarzilla.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Leadership Isn’t Loud

"Self praise is no praise at all." It was a phrase I heard often as a child. In my family, its origin traced back to my great-grandmother, Nana Mame. However, this old proverb has been passed down for ages. You see, as a kid growing up, if I felt that I wasn’t praised for my work quickly enough, I was very quick to call attention to my deeds and my effort. It is something I still struggle with today, but I am actively working on it. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for our current administration. Everything he does is the best. Every bill is beautiful. Every law is breakable for him. Any judge who goes against him is a leftist, Marxist, anarchist who just wants to take him down. Humility, as defined, is having a modest or low view of one's own importance. With that come the traits of self-awareness, modesty, respect for others, and openness. Being self-aware means being able to evaluate your strengths and your weaknesses, so you can surround yourself with the type of people who help fill in the gaps in your own personal repertoire. Modesty means letting your actions speak louder than your words. If a bill really is beautiful, let it play out and be beautiful. Don’t spend ten minutes going on about how lucky we are to have a guy like Trump to make such a bill possible. Modesty means not throwing yourself a birthday military parade—the first of its kind in our nation’s history. Knowing it’s never been done before would be enough for the modest crowd to pass. Respect for others is a huge sign of being humble. You never know who you are interacting with and what they know. And even if only for the purpose of personal gain, the idea that you could offend someone who someday might be able to help you should be reason enough to treat others with respect. Besides, the Bible tells us to do so—but that’s too confusing an idea for today’s Republican Party to comprehend. Openness means admitting you were wrong and learning from your mistakes. Trump is still claiming the Central Park Five were guilty, long after their false imprisonment and full exoneration. He used the presidential podium to defame a woman he sexually assaulted. And to show that I don’t only focus on the Trump administration, let’s look at Texas. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick held a press conference to celebrate himself costing more than 5,000 Texans their jobs and costing the state millions in tax revenue. He then lied and spoke of the poison that was supposedly being sold to our children. This came after he spoke with major leaders regarding cannabis culture, production, and policy. There was no changing his mind. He was going to have his moment. Gov. Greg Abbott is no better. He used underhanded tactics and outright blackmail to get his voucher scam passed. Parents, educational experts, and religious leaders were all against vouchers, but Abbott was nowhere near open-minded when it came to hearing from his constituents. He took a billionaire’s money already, and he was going to make sure vouchers passed no matter what. In the time it took to pass the bill, he showed absolutely zero respect for our state’s educators, calling them a source of indoctrination, claiming that schools were letting students use litter boxes in classrooms instead of actual restrooms, calling for the firing of teachers on the spot for allowing discussions of transgenderism, and saying that our schools are teaching Critical Race Theory. All of these statements show a serious level of disrespect for members of society like my wife and fellow Born on the Bayou host Scott, who have dedicated their lives to educating our youth. Serving your district, your state, or your country is an honor. And yes, you do become an important person when you hold one of these positions. But that doesn’t mean you become the most important person on the planet. A leader who understands their true calling is one who gets out of the way and lets their people prosper. When I think of a humble leader, I can’t help but think of my own father. As the proprietor of a restaurant while I was growing up, the number of managers who worked under his guidance before running their own businesses was massive. He had a “coaching tree” that could rival Bill Walsh. He loved helping others grow and learn how to run a business. At one point, he became a finisher, helping future proprietors be as ready as possible before accepting the keys to their own store. He went to Afghanistan to help feed our troops. He supported tons of youth and charitable organizations—and never told anyone. He simply hung up the plaque in the lobby and kept on running his business. The community knew what he did, and they supported his business because of it. (Side note for the Clear Lake, TX readers—he was eventually named the Lunar Rendezvous King for his work in the community.) And I have to think he was constantly remembering the words his Nana Mame told him from a young age:"Self praise is no praise at all." This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit scottbarzilla.substack.com [https://scottbarzilla.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Almighty Dollar vs. the Golden Rule

Growing up, there was one life lesson that stood above the rest: treat others the way you want to be treated. It was so important it earned a nickname, “The Golden Rule.” The idea was simple. If you lived life by this one rule, you were most likely going to be considered a good person. After all, people generally don’t want to be treated like garbage. By putting good out into the world, you could reasonably expect to receive good in return. The Golden Rule isn’t just some niche idea tucked into Sunday School lessons. It’s everywhere. Practically every religion or philosophy worth its salt has some version of “treat others the way you want to be treated.” Christianity flat-out says it in Luke 6:31. Judaism phrases it as, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.” In Islam, the Prophet Muhammad teaches that one cannot truly believe until they want for others what they want for themselves. Hinduism teaches not to cause pain if you wouldn’t want it done to you. Buddhism echoes the same: don’t treat others in ways you would find hurtful. Confucius advised not to impose on others what you wouldn’t want for yourself. Taoism, the Baha’i Faith, Sikhism, they all express the same idea. Even the ancient Stoics, long before church pews and temple bells, reminded people not to do to others what they wouldn’t want done to them. It is one of the few principles that cuts across continents and centuries without needing to be reworded or rebranded. That kind of staying power tells you something. It tells you this isn’t just religious talk. It’s a universal human truth. And it is just as relevant in the school cafeteria or your next family dinner as it is in scripture. Yet somehow, in America in 2025, our leaders have completely forgotten this simple truth. Instead, they have made repeated efforts to drag us back to something resembling the divine right of kings. One of the most important things my parents instilled in me is that no single person is more important than another. Yes, some people have very important jobs, and the work they do may save lives or inspire millions. But at a basic level, we are all human beings. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We all strive for things and feel the sting of defeat when we fall short. That pain and emotion is what makes the human experience so distinctive. And if we can understand the potential pain we cause others, we can work to avoid creating it in the first place. But looking at the modern American landscape, I see fewer and fewer people who genuinely care about others. Thrift stores offer a perfect microcosm of what I mean. There was a time when certain segments of the population shopped at thrift stores because that was what they could afford. If you were willing to dig through endless racks of outdated suits and jackets, sometimes you could find a great deal on a quality item you otherwise couldn't afford. Now, in 2025, people have made careers out of going to thrift stores, filling carts with the best items, and reselling them online. Many of them even film themselves doing it. Their followers will then pay extra for the privilege of buying directly from their favorite YouTube influencer. Some might say, “Who cares? It’s just a few people working hard and making money.” And while that’s not technically wrong, it misses the bigger picture. Thrift stores have responded by raising prices on some of the nicer items to slow down resellers. That means those items are now out of reach for the very customers the store was designed to serve. And beyond that, resellers are effectively stripping the shelves of the best clothing ; clothes that could help a struggling family send their child to school in something name-brand. Instead, those items are being boxed up and shipped off for double the price. I understand that Americans have been financially squeezed and everyone is looking for ways to make a few extra bucks. But when your side hustle involves robbing a community resource so you can turn a profit, you’ve stopped thinking about anyone but yourself. And that violates everything we should stand for as a society. You might be tempted to blame the Republican Party for this trend. They’ve certainly committed their share of cruel offenses in the past decade. But the real culprit is capitalism itself. By putting a price tag on everything, we’ve fundamentally altered the way we see the world. Time becomes money. A vacation isn’t about rest or memory-making. It’s measured in how much income you’re missing out on while you’re away. And when you meet someone new, one of the first questions is, “What do you do for a living?” Why not ask, “How do you like to spend your time?” That question tells you who someone is, not just what they do. Because we live in a society that judges people based on how much money they make. If you say you’re a hedge fund manager, most people will want to keep the conversation going and maybe hope you buy the next round of drinks. If you say you’re a janitor at a high school, you’ll probably hear, “Well, it was great meeting you. Hope you have a nice trip,” followed by a polite exit. Is one of those jobs more important than the other? I would argue yes. And that it’s the janitor. But that’s a whole other article. The point is this. Our society assigns value based on wealth. People believe that financial success is proof of God’s favor. If you’re rich, you must be righteous. If you’re poor, you must be lacking. And I’m here to tell you that is absolute nonsense. No one is better than anyone else. If you’re Catholic, like I am, you know we’re all sinners. None of us is perfect. We should treat one another with love and kindness and work to build a world that reflects those values. We should love our neighbors. We should stop enforcing petty border rules. We should welcome people who want to move here and help them adapt so that we all grow and thrive together. We should learn about other cultures not just out of curiosity but out of respect and empathy. That’s what we are called to do. Being a living, breathing human means trying to understand the world around us, and that includes the people living in it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit scottbarzilla.substack.com [https://scottbarzilla.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Sharing Is Caring (Unless You’re Rich)

In this episode, I reflect on a moment with my toddler that reminded me of one of the earliest lessons we all learn: sharing is caring. But while we expect our kids to embrace generosity and fairness, we seem to abandon those values as adults—especially when it comes to the ultra-wealthy and the powerful. I explore how American society has shifted from a culture that promoted shared success—through taxes, unions, and worker protections—to one that rewards hoarding and punishes compassion. We’ll talk about the historical tax system, the fall of labor unions, Reaganomics, and the propaganda that has convinced everyday people to defend billionaires they’ll never meet. And yes, we’ll talk about how all of this impacts what we teach the next generation This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit timcostello10.substack.com [https://timcostello10.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit scottbarzilla.substack.com [https://scottbarzilla.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]