The Simpsons Showrunner Praises South Park’s Political Humor: “I’m Not as Brave as Matt and Trey”

Matt Selman, the showrunner of The Simpsons, has expressed admiration for South Park's bold political humor. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Selman clarified his previous stance on political statements, noting that The Simpsons addresses broader themes due to its longer production cycle. He admitted to feeling "cowardly" compared to the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

Selman explained, "What I should have said the first time was just ripped-from-the-headlines daily cataclysm humor is best left to shows like South Park that can do a fast turnaround." He added, "So we’re not shying away from it, but when you’ve got South Park, who’s so brave and so funny and so topical, leading the charge, it frees us up to do more humor about how the world has gotten dumber and worse."

Selman acknowledged that the earlier interview made him appear "like a giant chickens***," but he accepted the label of being a "coward." He emphasized, "I will stand by that quote. They are brave. They are brave American heroes, and I am a coward. Quote me on that." Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in September 2025, Selman explained that releasing a show 10 months after it was written reduces pressure, as they can't predict the future events that might occur.

He concluded, "It’s not our mission statement to respond to the crisis of the moment. It’s more about a town of good-natured dum-dums dealing with a changing world, yet our characters never really change. The world changes around them." South Park recently received accolades, including the Outstanding Animated Program at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys for an episode featuring a micro-endowed Donald Trump.