'South Park' Might've Just Reignited Kanye West Feud

Ye – the rapper formerly known as Kanye West – is back in the headlines these days, and South Park seized the opportunity to revisit its feud. The comedy series created a promo for its new season where a full orchestra performed a live rendition of the "Gay Fish" song from "Fishsticks," the episode that once got Ye so angry.

South Park Season 25 premiered this week, and the show marked the occasion with a dramatic take on "Gay Fish" from Season 13, Episode 5, "Fishsticks." In the 2009 episode, the boys notice that saying "fish sticks" quickly can sound like saying "fish d-s," and their riffs on this bit became a national sensation. However, the show's fictionalized version of Kanye West does not understand the joke no matter how many times it's explained to him, and he becomes irate. In the end, the cartoon Kanye tries to live in the sea as a "gay fish," but drowns.

Back in 2010, Ye responded in his song "Gorgeous." He rapped: "We make 'em say ho 'cause the game is so pimpish / Choke a South Park writer with a fish stick / I insisted to get up off this d-." That seemed to be the end of it, but now this 12-year-old feud has never been closer to a revival.

South Park is enjoying something of a resurgence right now thanks to its massive renewal deal at Comedy Central and its huge slate of spinoff projects on Paramount+. At the same time, Ye is in the headlines for less savory reasons. His divorce from Kim Kardashian has been a publicity rollercoaster, including his new relationship with actress Julia Fox.

Ye made some shocking claims about the Kardashian family in 2020, claiming that the family was trying "to lock [him] up" and alluding to his own bipolar disorder. In February of 2021, Kardashian filed for divorce. Ye agreed in April, filing for joint custody of their four children and no spousal support. However, he also made several public statements saying he wanted to call off the divorce and stay with Kardashian.

With the divorce moving forward, Ye has taken several opportunities to be critical of Kardashian on social media and in his music. This week he lashed out at her on Instagram for allowing their eldest daughter to create a TikTok account, and Kardashian responded with an Instagram post of her own.

"Kanye's constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create," she wrote. "As the parent who is the main provider and caregiver for our children, I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision – because it brings her happiness."

"Divorce is difficult enough on our children and Kanye's obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation so negatively and publicly is only causing further pain for all," she continued. "From the beginning, I have wanted nothing but a healthy and supportive co-parenting relationship because it is what is best for our children and it saddens me that Kanye continues to make it impossible every step of the way. I wish to handle all matters regarding our children privately... hopefully he can finally respond to the third attorney he has had in the last year to resolve any issues amicably."

The public drama between Kardashian and Ye is likely to continue as their divorce moves forward, and even when it's over, neither of them are likely to leave the spotlight anytime soon. That makes it almost certain that the South Park writers will have more jabs for them in the near future. South Park Season 25 premiered on Wednesday, Feb. 2 on Comedy Central. New episodes air each week.