South Park, Can You Dig It?

Isaac Hayes could, for awhile, but not anymore. Apparently South Park's habit of ridiculing the beliefs and practices of various religious denominations (aka "good clean fun" to Hollywood types) was something Hayes could handle ... until it devoted an episode to his own Church of Scientology. While some might criticize Hayes' rather delayed and sectarian sense of injustice, I think he deserves credit for (belatedly) becoming more conscious of his own moral values and acting on them at some personal sacrifice (forfeiting whatever benefits he would have received over the balance of his contract with South Park). I don't know if Hayes would risk his neck for his brother man, but he risked something.

Comments

[john f.]

I'm guessing that despite this awakening, he would still have no problem with the episode on Mormons.

[a random John]

I have rarely watched South Park. In fact, I've never sat through an entire episode. So I have no idea what I'm talking about here, but I am under the impression that the show has mocked any and all religions at every opportunity for ten years now. I have no idea if the Chef (or is it Cook?) character has participated in this mockery. But it seems to me that this is not a case of better late than never. This is a case of being able to dish it out but not take it.

If the rumours about CoS threats are to be believed he might have been risking more by staying with the show than he lost by leaving it.

[Matt Elggren]

You can find links to all the relevant episodes in this post over at LDS Liberation Front.

I find it refreshing that we tend to laugh at ourselves rather than get angry. Seems like what you'd expect from people who have nothing to lose.

[loyd]

there was something categorically different between the mormon episode and the scientology episode. though both were set as having stupid beliefs, mormonism was presented as being still valuable (happy people, strong families, overall goodness), while scientology was characterized as an outright fraud out to take others' money.

i must agree with stone and parker (sp's creators) though. hayes wasn't too bothered about the show's portrayal of religion. it was when his particular beliefs were belittled that he suddenly got offended. mormons aren't particularly different. several years ago marilyn manson ripped up a book of mormon on stage in protest of being barred from performing. many lds were deeply offended and wanted his head on a platter. how offended would they have been if it were a quran, bagavagita, or even a bible?

[Randy B.]

Frankly, the only really funny parts of the Scientology episode are the bits about Tom Cruise coming out of the closet. And those are hillarious. The rest is just really not all that funny.

Like Watt, I am also glad we can just laugh at ourselves rather than get all worked up over a cartoon.

[Pris]

I tend to agree with Stone & Parker's view of the issue.

arJ: I've seen every episode up through the 6th season and can't think of any specific instance when Chef was in the "mocking" (which isn't exactly the word I would choose). Maybe in the David Blaine Cult episode [featuring the Super Best Friends]. I don't think it makes Hayes' case any stronger, though.

[Clark Goble]

It's kind of funny since the many episodes with Mormons in them are generally laughed at by Mormons. Including the one that mocked us for believing in the basic history of Joseph Smith. Yet Scientologists are more thin skinned.

I think the Manson ripping up the Book of Mormon was a bit more provocative since it wasn't in the context of satire on a satirical show. Rather it was direct hate speech. Even so I think the majority of Mormons didn't care that much. I mean relative to the other things Manson has done, such as getting oral sex on stage during a concert, it's pretty minor. I think people just find Manson offensive.

[Gunner]

I thought Manson's ripping the BoM in two was a reaction to the local community, mostly Mormon, attempting to keep him from performing.

Even so I think the majority of Mormons didn't care that much

I agree. If he wants to act the fool, let him.

[Bookslinger]

There's even more to the story. It now sounds like a publicity stunt, or other behind-the-scenes machinations. Isaac Hayes appears to have had a stroke in January, so he couldn't have "quit" the show, and the statements attributed to him might not be correct. See story at Fox News.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,188463,00.html