Everyone loves a good political satire, right? Well, typically, that depends on which side of the fence you’re on.Donald Trumphas been the primary target of most political satire over the last decade, for obvious reasons. The president has made it very clear that he does not approve of anything that makes fun of him. One of his most notorious foes is soon-to-be ex-Late ShowhostStephen Colbert. But we’re not here to discuss the ‘financial decisions’ behind Colbert’s departure from the air, which came shortly after he criticized Paramountfor settling with Trump on his60 Minuteslawsuit. This time, let’s take a step back to when Trump was first elected president. Remember that?
In 2018, Colbert debutedOur Cartoon President, an animated sitcom parodying the daily goings-on of the White House. Trump, his family, staff, and members of Congress were all regular fixtures on the program. It ran until November 2020, when Trump lost his bid for a second term in office.Our Cartoon Presidentwas a by-the-numbers satire, rarely going beyond surface-level critiques and toothless criticism.However, it would still be challenging to envision the series returning, given the current state of the dynamic between Colbert, Paramount, and the POTUS.
The Storyline of ‘Our Cartoon President’
Our Cartoon President
Our Cartoon Presidentcenters on the titular, overly orange Donald Trump and his days in Washington, D.C. Veteran voice actor Jeff Bergman voices the POTUS, deliveringa surprisingly solid impression.Other fixtures include First Lady Melania Trump and the immediate Trump family, Vice President Mike Pence and the White House staff, as well as various members of the news media and Congress. Most episodes spoof wacky sitcom tropes against the backdrop of the “unique” political climate. Trump hires impersonators to do his job, throws parties in the White House, and tries to boost his image while doing as little work as possible.
The show does a good job of boiling most figures down to their core personality traits. Trump is vain and lazy, wanting the appearance of being president without the responsibilities. Melania is portrayed as barely caring about her husband or politics at all. Donald Jr. and Eric are portrayed as childish fools who simply want their father’s approval. Mike Pence is an overly pious Christian who sometimes struggles with his boss’s decisions. Trump’s cabinet shares inane and borderline evil ideas that they know he’ll like without thinking through. The Fox News personalities regurgitate Trump’s beliefs and praise him endlessly. Republican congressional leaders do whatever he says, and Democrats avoid taking a position on anything to duck their responsibilities. They’re all stereotypes, but very accurate stereotypes.
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Due to the very nature of politics, filmmakers are left with an abundance of real-life inspiration and material to make hilarious political satires.
The humor isn’t half bad either. The style mimics the conventions of a workplace comedy, with every character being unhinged comic relief. Yes, we’ve seen Trump satire before. However, the medium of animation allows for everyone to be greatly exaggerated for effect. The third season also introduces Joe Biden in the middle of his campaign.Our Cartoon Presidentdoesn’t take it easyon him either, spouting off the endless nonsense one-liners and rambling disjointed stories that the former POTUS was known for.
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One area where critics felt the show was lacking was the satire itself.Since everyone was so cartoony and over-the-top, they alleged that the show watered down the most problematic elements of the administration. Trump was a caricature to laugh at rather than be called out for his dangerous ideas. It focused too much on telling jokes and not enough on telling the truth. But didn’t we have enough endless depressing news cycles to keep us up to date on the atrocities? This was just one low-budget cartoon on a little-watched premium network? This series would solidify no one’s opinion, good or bad, on Trump. And in Trump’s first term, pointing and laughing at him was the norm in satire. But things are different now.
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The industry was shocked by the news, but President Trump reacted to it as expected.
Trump critics want their favorite shows to hold him accountable for his policies, not just go all “ha, ha, he’s got funny hair.” He can still be satirized, but while calling him out for everything that’s happening. IfOur Cartoon Presidentwere to return, its overly goofy comedic approach wouldn’t cut it. Trump can’t be treated as just a silly novelty anymore. However, there’s very little chance this show could ever come back.
Paramount is eager to stay on the President’s good side, as Skydance committed to “unbiased” journalism and no DEI at CBS to secureapproval for their merger. And it worked. Paramount also paid him $16 million to settle his lawsuit against60 Minutes. Many people claimed thatStephen Colbert’sLate Showwas cancelledafter he called out Paramount for bending the knee by settling the suit. Paramount denies this, saying that the decision was purely financial.However, the optics of outspoken Trump critic Colbert losing his show just as Paramount needs POTUS' approval to merge with Skydance aren’t great.
Would that same Paramount justify giving Colbert another show to call out the man they’re trying to cozy up to? Probably not.Our Cartoon Presidentis unlikelyto be seen again. However, if it were to make a return, don’t expect the same style. No more “ha, ha, isn’t Donald Trump silly?” Expect it to go for the jugular in calling out authoritarianism à laSouth Park’s new season. Colbert’s gloves are off, as evidenced by everyLate Showepisode last week, relentlessly bringing up the Epstein files. Giving Colbert another platform would be something viewers want to see, but that Paramount almost certainly does not.StreamOur Cartoon PresidentonApple TV.
