When Disney’s live-action Snow White remake hit theaters on March 21, 2025, it was already a lightning rod for controversy, grappling with casting backlash, a modernized narrative, and a disappointing $205 million global box office against a $270 million budget. But the final blow came from an unexpected source: South Park. In its 27th season, the irreverent animated series unleashed a scathing takedown of the film in an episode titled “Woke White,” airing on Comedy Central on August 20, 2025. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the episode mercilessly mocked Disney’s approach to the remake, targeting its perceived “woke” agenda, casting choices, and corporate pandering. With razor-sharp humor and biting commentary, South Park has reignited debates about Hollywood’s remake culture, leaving fans in stitches and Disney reeling from the satire.

South Park’s History of Skewering Disney

South Park has never shied away from taking aim at cultural giants, and Disney has been a frequent target. From the 2019 episode “Band in China,” which depicted Mickey Mouse scolding Snow White and other characters for criticizing the Chinese government, to the 2023 special “Joining the Panderverse,” which lampooned Disney’s diversity-driven remakes, Parker and Stone have consistently called out the studio’s practices. “Joining the Panderverse” famously reimagined South Park’s main characters—Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny—as diverse women, a jab at Disney’s casting shifts, including Rachel Zegler’s role as Snow White. The special’s viral clips, which blamed Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy for “why Disney movies all suck now,” struck a chord with audiences frustrated by the studio’s output.

“Woke White,” the third episode of Season 27, builds on this legacy, delivering South Park’s most direct attack on Disney’s Snow White remake. The episode, which quickly became a trending topic on X with hashtags like #WokeWhite and #SouthParkSnowWhite, has been hailed as a masterclass in satire, blending crude humor with sharp cultural critique. Fans have flooded social media with praise, calling it “hilarious” and “savage,” while others have accused it of fueling anti-diversity sentiment. Regardless of where viewers stand, South Park’s takedown has made waves, exposing the fault lines in Disney’s attempt to reimagine a classic.

The Episode: A Brutal Roast of Snow White

“Woke White” centers on Eric Cartman, who dreams he’s been transported to a version of South Park where Disney’s influence has taken over, turning the town into a sanitized, politically correct nightmare. The episode opens with Cartman waking up to find his friends replaced by CGI “magical creatures” and the school renamed “Nevermore Academy,” a nod to Netflix’s Wednesday. The plot revolves around Cartman’s quest to save South Park from a “woke” Snow White, portrayed as a caricature of Rachel Zegler’s character, complete with a tiara and a penchant for delivering empowerment speeches. “I’m not here to be saved by a prince—I’m here to lead!” the character declares, prompting Cartman to retort, “Then why are you singing about wishes like a knockoff Elsa?”

The episode skewers several aspects of the Snow White remake. It mocks the decision to replace the seven dwarfs with CGI creatures, depicting them as creepy, uncanny figures who spout corporate buzzwords like “inclusivity” and “representation.” One scene has the creatures chanting “We’re not dwarfs, we’re diverse!” while Cartman screams, “You’re just bad CGI!” The satire also targets Zegler’s 2022 comments criticizing the original 1937 film’s “dated” romance, with the Snow White character dismissing the prince as a “stalker simp” and rewriting “Someday My Prince Will Come” as “Someday I’ll Run This Kingdom.” The new song, performed in a deliberately off-key tone, is a hilarious jab at the remake’s attempt to modernize its music.

Disney’s broader remake strategy comes under fire, too. The episode portrays a cartoonish version of Disney CEO Bob Iger, who appears as a villain obsessed with “pandering to the algorithm.” In a memorable scene, Iger holds a meeting with executives, including a stand-in for Kathleen Kennedy, where they brainstorm ways to “fix” classic Disney films by adding diverse casts and removing “problematic” elements. “Why stop at Snow White?” Iger’s character asks. “Let’s make Cinderella a CEO and Dumbo a vegan activist!” The satire is biting, accusing Disney of prioritizing marketability over storytelling, a sentiment echoed by fans who feel the Snow White remake lost the original’s magic.

Tying into Real-World Controversies

“Woke White” cleverly weaves in real-world controversies surrounding the Snow White remake. The casting of Zegler, a Latina actress, as the traditionally “snow-white” princess sparked debate, with some praising the diversity and others accusing Disney of betraying the source material. The episode exaggerates this by having Cartman confront a “diversity consultant” who insists Snow White’s name comes from a snowstorm, not her skin, a direct nod to the film’s retconned backstory. The replacement of the dwarfs with CGI creatures, prompted by criticism from actor Peter Dinklage, is lampooned as a corporate dodge, with Cartman calling it “a lazy way to avoid real casting.” The episode also references the rumored tension between Zegler and co-star Gal Gadot, portraying them as bickering caricatures who can’t agree on the film’s message.

The satire doesn’t stop at Disney. South Park takes aim at the broader cultural landscape, mocking the outrage culture that fueled the Snow White backlash. In one scene, Cartman logs onto “X” (a parody of the platform) to find trolls and influencers amplifying the controversy, with posts like “Snow White is WOKE TRASH!” and “Rachel Zegler canceled!” The episode also pokes fun at clickbait YouTubers, depicting a character named “ClickBait Carl” who churns out videos titled “Snow White DESTROYED by FACTS and LOGIC!” This self-awareness is classic South Park, skewering both sides of the debate while exposing the absurdity of online pile-ons.

Fan Reactions and Cultural Impact

The episode’s release sent shockwaves through fandoms, with X posts garnering millions of views. “South Park just obliterated Disney’s Snow White—I’m crying laughing!” one fan wrote, while another posted, “Trey and Matt are national treasures. They said what we’re all thinking about these remakes.” Clips of Cartman’s rants and the Iger parody went viral, with some fans creating memes juxtaposing the South Park Snow White with Zegler’s real-life interviews. The episode’s 8.7/10 rating on IMDb reflects its popularity, with viewers praising its “brutal honesty” and “spot-on” critique of Hollywood.

However, not all reactions were positive. Some fans accused South Park of punching down, arguing that targeting Zegler, a young actress navigating a polarized climate, was unfair. “Rachel didn’t write the script or choose the CGI dwarfs—why go after her?” one user posted. Others defended the satire, noting that South Park spares no one, from celebrities to corporations. The episode’s portrayal of Zegler’s character wasn’t personal but a stand-in for broader industry trends, they argued. Still, the backlash has fueled debates about whether South Park’s humor crossed a line or simply held a mirror to Hollywood’s missteps.

Disney has remained silent on the episode, but insiders suggest the studio is “furious” over the portrayal. Rumors of private outreach to South Park’s team surfaced, though Parker and Stone, protected by free speech and their history of tackling powerful targets, are unlikely to back down. The episode has also reignited discussions about Snow White’s failure, with analysts pointing to its mixed reviews (41% on Rotten Tomatoes), tonal inconsistencies, and the studio’s mishandling of controversies as key factors. “South Park didn’t destroy Snow White—it just pointed out what was already broken,” one critic noted.

The Bigger Picture: Disney’s Remake Woes

“Woke White” taps into a growing frustration with Disney’s live-action remakes, which have faced scrutiny for straying from their source material. While films like Cinderella (2015) and Beauty and the Beast (2017) found success, recent efforts like Mufasa: The Lion King and The Little Mermaid have struggled to recapture the magic. South Park’s satire reflects a broader sentiment that Disney’s focus on modernization—often seen as pandering to progressive audiences—has alienated fans who cherish the originals. The Snow White remake’s emphasis on Snow White as a leader rather than a romantic heroine, coupled with the CGI dwarfs and Zegler’s controversial comments, became easy targets for South Park’s biting humor.

The episode also highlights the challenges of navigating cultural debates in 2025. The polarized reactions to Zegler’s casting and Gadot’s political stance, combined with the film’s poor performance, made Snow White a perfect storm for satire. South Park’s ability to distill these complexities into crude, hilarious commentary underscores its enduring relevance. By mocking both Disney’s corporate decisions and the outrage culture surrounding them, the show exposes the absurdity of a world where a fairy tale becomes a battleground.

A Lasting Impact

“Woke White” has cemented South Park’s reputation as a cultural provocateur, unafraid to take on Hollywood’s biggest players. The episode’s takedown of Snow White has resonated with audiences disillusioned by Disney’s remake strategy, while sparking heated discussions about representation, creative control, and the role of satire in addressing industry missteps. As South Park continues its 27th season, with new episodes airing Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central, fans are eager to see what Parker and Stone tackle next.

For Disney, the Snow White fallout and South Park’s roast serve as a wake-up call. With the studio scaling back its 2026 slate to focus on quality over quantity, the question remains whether it can recapture the magic that made its classics timeless. For now, South Park’s “Woke White” stands as a brutal, hilarious reminder that in the battle between nostalgia and reinvention, no one escapes unscathed—especially not Disney.