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Andres Rivera
Web Editor
Comedy Central decided not to air a controversial episode of “South Park” on March 15 that depicted Scientology leaders acclaiming the Stan character as a savior. That same week Isaac Hayes, who provided the voice for the Chef character, left the show.
Hayes claims he quit because he could no longer stand the show’s religious intolerance. Interesting how he waited until the show made fun of his own religion to decide to quit. Creator Matt Stone did not believe Hayes’ reason either. In a statement to the Associated Press, Stone said that Hayes left because of the Scientology episode.
Comedy Central’s stated that pulling the “Trapped in the Closet” episode was based more on paying tribute to the Chef character with episodes that he is most known for. Internet blogs, on the other hand, believe Comedy Central didn’t air the episode because Tom Cruise threatened not to promote “Mission: Impossible 3.”
What does this threat have to do with anything relating to the show? Viacom owns Paramount – the studio distributing the movie. A spokesman for Cruise denied the threat, of course. By the way, the episode also shows Cruise hiding in a closet while John Travolta, another Scientologist, tries to get him out of the closet.
Even if the blogs are not true, it does seem like something Cruise would do in order to defend his sacred beliefs. We have all seen what he is capable of, arguing with Matt Lauer on Today and expressing every emotion imaginable when the gag microphone sprayed water during an on the carpet interview, to name a few.
When it comes to embarrassment of any kind, Cruise will do whatever its takes to avoid it. And yet, in trying to avoid it, he comes off a little crazy.
“South Park” creators, Stone and Trey Parker, made an unusual statement to Daily Variety Friday concerning the change in programming. “So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun! You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail!”
Why can’t “South Park” make an episode concerning Scientology? Hayes and Cruise need to have more of an open mind. This show is constantly pushing buttons. It has concentrated on Christian religions, but you don’t see the Pope whimpering about it every time a new episode airs.
Sure, one show was temporarily pulled from the 2005 season, but the two episodes cannot be easily compared. The “Bloody Mary” episode clearly shows a lack of sensitivity toward the religion by singling out an aspect and completely desecrating it.
In “Trapped in the Closet,” the Scientology leaders and followers are the ones being ridiculed the most. The only aspect of the episode that can come close to that of the “Bloody Mary” episode is that it apparently shows a portion of what the Scientology Church believes in.
Hayes discussed the episode when it first aired in November, stating that he understood it is what Stone and Parker do, but that he feared some people might believe what they were seeing in the episode.
I think the “South Park” audience has figured out by now that the show exaggerates the truth, if there is any, when dealing with controversial issues.
People who are very defensive over their beliefs usually are not too sure they should believe in them. Scientology hasn’t been around for very long, and I am not saying that it is a crack-pot idea (ok, maybe just a little), but if someone truly believes in something, it shouldn’t matter what others think.
I say stop with the entertainment politics and air the show anyway, Comedy Central.
Andres Rivera, a sophomore journalism major, is Web editor of the Campus Times. He can be reached by e-mail at arivera3@ulv.edu.
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