Photo: AFP
A former South Park writer is using satire to protest President Donald Trump’s push to rename Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center.
According to The Independent, writer Toby Morton purchased the domain names TrumpKennedyCenter.org and TrumpKennedyCenter.com back in August, anticipating that Trump would attempt to put his name on the world-famous performing arts institution. Morton said he acted after Trump began removing and replacing members of the Kennedy Center’s board earlier this year.
“As soon as Trump began gutting the Kennedy Center board, I thought, ‘Yep, that name’s going on the building,’” Morton told The Washington Post.
Earlier this month, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the center would be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center following a unanimous vote by a newly reconstituted board made up of Trump appointees. The decision has sparked protests, artist boycotts, and a lawsuit arguing the renaming is unlawful because only Congress has the authority to approve such a change.
Morton quickly transformed the domains into parody websites. One welcomes visitors to the “national cultural center dedicated to legacy, loyalty, and the careful presentation of history,” adding pointed lines such as, “What is remembered matters. What is omitted matters more.” The site also features satirical programming references and imagery resembling heavily redacted government documents.
The parody has drawn widespread support, including from Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, who called Morton's work "unique and impactful."
In the fallout of the renaming controversy, several artists have withdrawn from scheduled performances in protest, including jazz supergroup The Cookers and drummer Chuck Redd. Center president Richard Grenell has threatened a $1 million lawsuit against Redd, calling his cancellation a “political stunt.”
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