Anyone else see the "Chef leaves" episode of South Park this week? Very funny stuff, especially this throwaway line:
Cartman: "What do you call a Jewish woman's boobs? Jewbs."
Ever since it was announced that Isaac Hayes was leaving South Park because he was offended by the religious humor, something about the story just wasn't been sitting right with me. In January, I read an interview with Hayes in the The Onion A.V. Club in which he said the following:
AVC: There's some pretty harsh satire on South Park. They don't really care who they offend.
IH: But that's their thing! They're success was built on that cutting-edge stuff. I've had to defend them a lot of times. One time on BET Tonight I defended them because Tavis Smiley, the host on that show, was coming at me. It was a call-in show, too, so people were calling in. I told them not to take this stuff seriously. If you do, you'll get in trouble. Just enjoy it. Remember your high-school yearbook? You look at those pictures now, you laugh, right? That's what South Park is. You got to laugh at it. Because we cursed, but we just didn't dare let the principals, the teachers, or the preachers hear it. And we didn't turn out bad, okay? Just look at it that way. Also, usually there's some kind of moral message at the end for the kids, by the Chef.
AVC: They did just do an episode that made fun of your religion, Scientology. Did that bother you?
IH: Well, I talked to Matt and Trey about that. They didn't let me know until it was done. I said, "Guys, you have it all wrong. We're not like that. I know that's your thing, but get your information correct, because somebody might believe that shit, you know?" But I understand what they're doing. I told them to take a couple of Scientology courses, and understand what we do. [Laughs.]
Seems like a pretty reasonable guy with a good sense of humor, which makes this story from him all the more curious:
In a statement explaining his sudden departure from the Comedy Central show, Hayes, 63, did not mention the Scientology episode but condemned its general attitude towards religion as part of what he regarded as "growing insensitivity toward personal spiritual beliefs" in the mass media, including the recent controversy over the Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
Hayes said: "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry toward religious beliefs . . . begins."
It's odd that someone would suddenly have such a strong change of heart. It just doesn't feel like the same guy, does it? Well, there may be more to this story than meets the eye as the New York Post reports:
Isaac Hayes may not have quit "South Park" at all - or at least not willingly. Turns out Hayes has been away from Comedy Central's hit show for the past three months because he had a stroke. According to foxnews.com, he's at home recuperating and did not issue the press release which said he was quitting because the show made fun of his faith. That release was put out by fellow Scientologist Christina "Kumi" Kimball, a fashion executive for designer Craig Taylor. According to foxnews.com, "Hayes loves 'South Park' and needs it for income. He has a new wife and a baby on the way."
Granted, this report comes through the New York Post via Fox News, two completely untrustworthy sources. Still, could the church of scientology take advantage of the stroke of one of its most famous members just to make a political statement like this? I mean, is there any depth of despicable to which these people won't sink?
Sometimes, humanity just makes me sad. Have a good weekend, friends.
Cartman: "What do you call a Jewish woman's boobs? Jewbs."
Ever since it was announced that Isaac Hayes was leaving South Park because he was offended by the religious humor, something about the story just wasn't been sitting right with me. In January, I read an interview with Hayes in the The Onion A.V. Club in which he said the following:
AVC: There's some pretty harsh satire on South Park. They don't really care who they offend.
IH: But that's their thing! They're success was built on that cutting-edge stuff. I've had to defend them a lot of times. One time on BET Tonight I defended them because Tavis Smiley, the host on that show, was coming at me. It was a call-in show, too, so people were calling in. I told them not to take this stuff seriously. If you do, you'll get in trouble. Just enjoy it. Remember your high-school yearbook? You look at those pictures now, you laugh, right? That's what South Park is. You got to laugh at it. Because we cursed, but we just didn't dare let the principals, the teachers, or the preachers hear it. And we didn't turn out bad, okay? Just look at it that way. Also, usually there's some kind of moral message at the end for the kids, by the Chef.
AVC: They did just do an episode that made fun of your religion, Scientology. Did that bother you?
IH: Well, I talked to Matt and Trey about that. They didn't let me know until it was done. I said, "Guys, you have it all wrong. We're not like that. I know that's your thing, but get your information correct, because somebody might believe that shit, you know?" But I understand what they're doing. I told them to take a couple of Scientology courses, and understand what we do. [Laughs.]
Seems like a pretty reasonable guy with a good sense of humor, which makes this story from him all the more curious:
In a statement explaining his sudden departure from the Comedy Central show, Hayes, 63, did not mention the Scientology episode but condemned its general attitude towards religion as part of what he regarded as "growing insensitivity toward personal spiritual beliefs" in the mass media, including the recent controversy over the Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
Hayes said: "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry toward religious beliefs . . . begins."
It's odd that someone would suddenly have such a strong change of heart. It just doesn't feel like the same guy, does it? Well, there may be more to this story than meets the eye as the New York Post reports:
Isaac Hayes may not have quit "South Park" at all - or at least not willingly. Turns out Hayes has been away from Comedy Central's hit show for the past three months because he had a stroke. According to foxnews.com, he's at home recuperating and did not issue the press release which said he was quitting because the show made fun of his faith. That release was put out by fellow Scientologist Christina "Kumi" Kimball, a fashion executive for designer Craig Taylor. According to foxnews.com, "Hayes loves 'South Park' and needs it for income. He has a new wife and a baby on the way."
Granted, this report comes through the New York Post via Fox News, two completely untrustworthy sources. Still, could the church of scientology take advantage of the stroke of one of its most famous members just to make a political statement like this? I mean, is there any depth of despicable to which these people won't sink?
Sometimes, humanity just makes me sad. Have a good weekend, friends.
6 Comments:
Still, could the church of scientology take advantage of the stroke of one of its most famous members just to make a political statement like this? I mean, is there any depth of despicable to which these people won't sink?
Smells to me like a Comedy Central publicity stunt, with Hayes (ailing or not) and Matt/Trey in on the gag. A good one, too.
I wish it were that innocuous, but the scientologists don't tend to have a good sense of humor about themselves.
There's rumor that Tom Cruise is involved to:
http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,18597,00.html
I heard that Hayes had the stroke when Tom Cruise jumped on him and once again professed his love for Katie Holmes.
I'd take that with a grain of salt though - I got that third hand from the Boston Herald who got it from Fox News who got it from Jeff Gannon, the white house reporter that loved Bush but turned out to be a male prostitute.
It's a crazy world we live in.
It's a good thing South Park kills off their members all the time and brings them back (well, maybe it's just Kenny).
I doubt that it was a pure publicity stunt. But whatever it was, it worked. After a couple year long hiatus, I put South Park on my TiVo season pass. And I'm glad. I laughed my ass off at the last episode.
I hadn't seen South Park since the first season but I watched the Scientology episode and the Super Adventure Club one. Pretty fucking funny.
Scientology creeps me out - it's like Amway, but with aliens.
p.s. the Jewbs joke was pretty funny. I also liked the demonstration with the little doll in front of the class.
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