The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman has explained why the show doesn’t explore politics in the same way as South Park.
The Simpsons boss Matt Selman has admitted the show isn’t “as brave” as South Park.
The showrunner, who has been involved with the iconic animated series since 1997, has reflected on the difference between the two programmes having previously said it is not the Simpsons “mission statement to respond to the crisis of the moment”.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he admitted: “I’m not as brave as Matt [Stone] and Trey [Parker]. I will stand by that quote.
“They are brave. They are brave American heroes, and I am a coward. Quote me on that.”
Matt told the outlet that their story on his original quotes made him “look like a giant chickens***”.
He clarified: “What I should have said the first time was just, ripped-from-the-headlines daily cataclysm humour is best left to shows like South Park that can do a fast turnaround, where it is up to us to address the deeper recurrent themes of the dystopia that we live in.
“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 humour about how the world has gotten dumber and worse.”
Back in 2025, Matt explained to EW that the nature of making The Simpsons doesn’t necessarily lend itself to political commentary.
He said: “Well, when you write a show that doesn’t come out until 10 months after you write it, it kind of takes the pressure off, because who knows what the f*** we’re gonna be looking at in 10 months.
“So like South Park, they make their show in a week, and even they can’t stay up to date on things. More crazy s*** goes down faster than even they can do it.”
South Park recently returned for its new season under the name South America, in a dig at US President Donald Trump’s controversial renaming of major landmarks, including the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and Lake Ontario to Lake America.
In a statement earlier this month, Trey and Matt quipped: ““Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to South America.
“We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation.”
The Simpsons showrunner praises South Park ‘bravery’ but calls himself ‘a coward’
