[s16e14] Obama Wins! -
The Illusion of Choice: An Essay on South Park’s "Obama Wins!"
The entry of a foul-mouthed, Darth Vader-esque Mickey Mouse shifts the conflict into a battle for intellectual property. Mickey attempts to bribe Cartman by offering him a role in the new films—specifically as "Cartman Skywalker," the son of Luke Skywalker—if he reveals the ballots that would have made Mitt Romney win. This culminates in a choice for the boys: a Romney presidency where Disney owns Star Wars , or an Obama presidency where China protects the franchise. [S16E14] Obama Wins!
In the South Park Season 16 finale, , creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone deliver a biting satire that weaves together the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election and the then-recent acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney. The essay below explores the episode’s plot, its use of absurdism to comment on voter fraud, and the unexpected intersection of politics and pop culture. The Illusion of Choice: An Essay on South
The episode famously mocks the trope of complex movie plots by introducing a parodied Morgan Freeman to explain the increasingly convoluted conspiracy. As Freeman clarifies the bizarre connection between voter fraud and Star Wars technology, he notes that he earns a "freckle" every time he explains a plot point to the audience. This meta-commentary highlights the absurdity of the episode’s premise while poking fun at Hollywood’s reliance on exposition. In the South Park Season 16 finale, ,
The narrative begins with Eric Cartman stealing thousands of ballots from swing states, effectively fixing the election for Obama. However, Cartman’s motivation isn't political; he has brokered a deal with the Chinese government. In exchange for ensuring Obama’s victory, the Chinese will receive "America's greatest asset"—the rights to the Star Wars franchise—which they intend to "protect" from the perceived creative destruction of The Walt Disney Company.
Aired on just one day after Barack Obama’s real-life re-election—"Obama Wins!" serves as a frantic post-mortem of the American electoral process. Rather than focusing on political ideologies, the episode explores the cynical idea that the presidency is merely a bargaining chip in a much larger, more absurd corporate and international game.
Ultimately, the characters choose Obama, not for his policies, but to save the integrity of a beloved film franchise. By equating the fate of the free world with the quality of a sci-fi sequel, South Park suggests that in modern America, consumerism and pop culture often hold more weight than democratic ideals. The episode remains a "glorious, rollicking" example of how the show uses immediate current events to craft timeless critiques of human folly.