‘South Park’ premiere parodies national anthem protest

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

9 years ago

San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid (35) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) kneel during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Santa Clara, Calif., Monday, Sept. 12, 2016. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

LOS ANGELES — “South Park” has taken on the controversy over San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest.

Wednesday night’s premiere episode of the Comedy Central cartoon’s 20th season focused on a protest of the anthem by elementary school children. It also featured a reboot of a version of the song by director J.J. Abrams, who successfully restarted the “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” franchises.

The episode ends with Abrams’ version being played at a 49ers game. The song was preceded by an announcement asking everyone to “rise, or sit, or take a knee to honor America.” .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

“South Park,” which is known for quickly satirizing controversial issues, also has its Mr. Garrison character running for president, taking on the persona of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.