Comedy Central: Scared of Free Speech
I haven’t seen last night’s South Park episode yet, but I intend to ASAP. From an article on CNN.com:
Banned by Comedy Central from showing an image of the Islamic prophet Mohammed, the creators of “South Park” skewered their own network for hypocrisy in the cartoon’s most recent episode.
The comedy — in an episode aired during Holy Week for Christians — instead featured an image of Jesus Christ defecating on President Bush and the American flag.
[…]
Parker and Stone were angered when told by Comedy Central several weeks ago that they could not run an image of Mohammed, according to a person close to the show who didn’t want to be identified because of the issue’s sensitivity.
The network’s decision was made over concerns for public safety, the person said.
Comedy Central said in a statement issued Thursday: “In light of recent world events, we feel we made the right decision.” Its executives would not comment further.
Comedy Central’s decision is based off of the rather bigoted notion that American Muslims will violently react to something shown on a basic cable cartoon show. Incredibly, Cartoon Network apparantly believes that it would be held responsible for such a violent reaction.
Of course, where there’s defecation, there’s Bill Donohue:
A frequent “South Park” critic, William Donohue of the anti-defamation group Catholic League, called on Parker and Stone to resign out of principle for being censored.
“The ultimate hypocrite is not Comedy Central — that’s their decision not to show the image of Mohammed or not — it’s Parker and Stone,” he said. “Like little whores, they’ll sit there and grab the bucks. They’ll sit there and they’ll whine and they’ll take their shot at Jesus. That’s their stock in trade.”
If they’re whores, then consider me a gentleman caller.
As a Christian, I can say that I found it all hilarious.
“I am American President George W. Bush. I crap on you!”
I’d be more liable to worship the Pope if he were made of gold. Or were calf-shaped. Preferably both.
If one cannot laugh at their own beliefs from time to time, they are sad people.
Therefore, I can say I saw…and I laughed my ass off.
Ignorant?? Haha, because I don’t treat what the Pope says as if it is the word of God? Yeah how dare I not worship him.
[quote]I could care less about Lent or what the Pope says.[/quote]
Sorry to say this, but how incredibly ignorant of you Anthony.
Doncha know?
And more Minnesotans…yah betcha!
It was a joke, dude. I gave up the ELCA for Lent a few years ago and haven’t looked back.
Lutheranism is like being Catholic…but with less guilt and more jello.
Gentlemen nowhere in my rant did I say it was an attack on Christianity. Nowhere did I say that comedy central was right to stifle their free speech. I merely said as a Christian I had problems with it.
Thanks for the tips however Tyler, I do not want to let the commentator down by not fullfilling my destiny as the future leader of the ADL. I will see how I can best change my vocab to better compare to Donahue.
“The comedy
The last part of the South Park episode was not an attack on Christianity. Instead, it was an attack on Comedy Central, a network that will allow Parker and Stone to feature Jesus shitting all over the American flag and President Bush, but won’t allow them to feature a benign depiction of Mohammed handing Peter Griffin a football helmet with a fish on it (or whatever the hell it was). Was the ending of the episode offensive? Yes. Far more offensive than a damn drawing of Mohammed. That was the point.
Anthony: In order to become the next Donahue, you need to work on yourindignation, and make sure you throw in some alliteration. For example … “Parker and Stone aren’t artists!!!!! They are putrescent purveyors of puke!!! God, I just want to wrap my meaty claws around their necks and snap them like twigs!!!!!!!!!!!!! (veins pulsating like wild bait) Whores!! Filthy, money grubbing, whores with crabs and open, puss-filled sores!!! ARARARARGHGHGGHHGBLELEJHVJKGF!!!!!!!(Head explodes)
Stone/Parker were trying to depict what the Muslim World-equivalent of “South Park” would look like. Don’t take this bit as an attack on Christianity. If you want to get upset, look no further than last season’s “Bloody Mary” episode.
I’m not Catholic. I could care less about Lent or what the Pope says.
If you give up Catholicism for Lent next year, your life will be infinitely happier.
As future leader of the anti-defemation league and leader of my own political cult (thanks to the commentator) I will go on record saying that the episode was hilarious; until the part with Christ. Being the Christian that I am I found it offensive and in all honesty found it hard to enjoy the last few mintues of the program. I will applaud (partially) Stone and Parker for fighting against the man that is the network. Words of advice to the both Stone and Parker though, it is always better to be the man than it is to fight the man. In any sense the part where they exposed their own networks lack of intestinal fortitude by not showing the cartoon was comically delicious.